Siskiyou Union High School - White and Gold Yearbook (Weed, CA)

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I did not know how long I had slept when I was suddenly awakened by a hairy, rough hand which was gripping my neck tightly. I gasped for breath, but the weight of this creature, or whatever it was which was on top of me, nearly suffocated me. I tried to put on the light, but my fingers were so numb and nervous that I did not succeed. As the creature felt me struggling to get free, he slowly released his grip. The next moment I saw a shadow jumping out from the window of my room onto the halconyg as a looked at it, it disappeared mysteriously into the darkness and silence of the night. I stood very rigid, as if I were in a tranceg and when I came to my senses, I did not sleep another wink for the rest of the night. The next morning I didn't find anything about the incident which had occurred the previous night, and no one knows to this day what this mystery was. I do not think that I would care to find out about it now because it is part of the romance, excitement, adventureg and that is Old Mexico. JOE DELGADE Weed High School I F X w BILL KELLY Mount Shasta High School cc 21 by

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THE IIWSTERIOUS GRIP Second Prize Story As I gazed dreamingly from the window near my seat of the train, I could distinguish different varieties of cactus outlining the soft, blue Mexican l101'lZ0ll. The sound of the engine was clearly heard against the dull, quiet stillness of the tropical atmosphere. 'LThis is just the right atmosphere I wished for, I said to myself, nwhen I decided to take this winter trip into Mexico. I continued my day-dreaming, but it was suddenly interrupted by a severe jerk by the train. A moment later it came to a stop. Next I heard the voices of many natives, as they were gathering around the train shouting, and selling their wares. It all seemed very picturesque to me so that it made me forget for a while where I was, until I was aroused by the conductor s voice who shouted, 'GAguas Calientes I This 11a1ne came faintly to my ears and it was not u11til then that I realized that this was my destination. I got off the train, and I headed for the business section of Aguas Calientes. On the way I met an eager young boy who wanted to carry my luggage, and I kindly let him do so. While walking through the rock-paved streets, I noticed the people decorating their doorways and outside walls of their houses with queer shaped lamps and strings of crepe paper of many colors, some of which extended from one side of the street across to the other. The natives all were dressed in their best apparel, which consisted of the brightest colors which they could find. Seeing this, I turned about to the boy and inquired, 4'What is all the commotion about?,' L'Why, don't you know, seior? he said excitedly, uthis is one of the best holidays, if not the best in all Mexico. This is the day of tl1e Virgen de Guadalupe, which comes on the twelfth of December every yearf' 'cOh, I see I I answered very politely. 'fjust watch for the great frolie and fun tonightfi added the boy. By this time we had come to the hotel where I decided to stay. I paid the boy for his services, and went i11to the hotel, and then straight up to my room. That night I went out onto the balcony of my roo111 where I could see a won- derful view of the city, lights shining brightly in every direction, the music playing in the streets, while the people sang to its melodious tune, Iirecrackers and other fireworks shooting up into the night. Out in tl1e distance I could also see a crowd of lVIexican gypsies who seemed to be enjoying themselves too. They were seated around a huge bonfire upon which they seemed to be cooking de- licious food. All these things seemed like a fairy tale out of a book to me. After watching this gay merry-making, I decided that I was tired and that I needed to go to bed. cc 20 an

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ll.IllllE lllE PHSS BV Second Prize Essay It had been in all the papers, we had all seen the notice, read the item, and passed it over as we usually do with things that do not touch us directly, and we forget. Yesterday however, I came across a notice placed on a bullcti11 board in an obscure little town down the Klamath. The sign was hand printed and had been pushed over to a corner of thc board to make room for what IIIOSI people thought were more immediate and vital matters. But the small sign-H550 reward for anyone finding the body of 1ny sonf' signed by his mother, was a symbol of mother love. A boy was drowned in that treacherous river two months before, was finally given up for lost, and probably never will be recovered. That small sign tells anyone who pauses to think, that there is one who is still waiting and hoping, one who will never forget-his mother. JANEY SIGLER Fort Jones High School F06 Second Prize Poem Gray days and nights in this cold world, That chill you to the bone. It clutches at your very soul, You feel forlorn-alone. The world around is out of sightg You cannot sec the sky. You cannot see the house next door, Or neighbors passing by. And all the scenes that you 01106 knew Are hidden from your sightg Your world is but a wall of grey, You canit tell day from night. cc 22 an