C an S u ch T h i ng s B e ?
A M B R O S E B I E R CE
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T H E N E ALE P U B LIS H IN G C O M PA N Y
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C O NT E NT S
EAT H O F H ALP I N F RA YS ER
T H E M OC KI N G B I RD
M Y F AV O R IT E M U RDER
O NE O FF IC ER O NE M AN
T H E M AN O UT O F T HE N OS E
A N O CC U RREN C E AT B R O W N VI LLE
J U P IT ER D O KE B R IG AD I ER GENE R AL
T H E F A M O U S GI L SO N B E ! U E ST
T H E S TO R Y O F A C O N SCI EN C E
T H E S E C RE T O F M ACA R GE R S GU LC H
T HE M AJ O R S T ALE
A PSYC H O L OGICA L S H I P W RE C K
O NE KI ND O F O FF IC ER
I
O NE O F T HE U S E S O F C I VI L ITY
II
U NDER W HA T C I R C UM ST AN C E S
.
T HE D
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W IS H
T o BE
SH
OT
M EN
Do
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LAY T HE CANN O N W IT H O U T NOT E S
T o IN T R O D U C E GENERAL M AST ER SO N
IV
H ow S O U ND S CA N F IG H T S H A D O W S
V
VI
W HY B E I N G A FFR O N T ED B Y A IT IS N OT B E ST
T o A FFR O N T B
T HE A PPL I C AN T
O NE O F T HE T W I N S
T H E N IG H T D OI N GS AT
T H E W I D O W ER T U R M O RE
GE OR G E T H U R STO N : T HREE E P ISO DE S I N T HE LI FE O F A
B RA V E M AN
III
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H ow
To
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CON T E
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B ART INE
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TO RY
W RI TT EN
OTE S O F A PH YSICI AN
T H R EAL M O F T HE U NREAL
A B A Y T R AM P
S O M E H A U N T ED H O U S E S
T H IS LE O F PI NE S
A F R U IT LE SS A SSIG N M EN T
TH
T H I N G A T N O LA N
B OD IE S O F T H E D EAD
T HA T O F GR A NN Y M A G O NE
A LIG H T S LEEPE R
T H M YST E R Y O F J O H N F AR ! U H AR S O N
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EAD AND GO NE
A C O LD N IG H T
A C REAT U RE O F H AB IT
M YST ER IO U S D ISA PPE A R A N C E S
T H E D I FF IC U L TY O F C R OSSI N G A F I E LD
A N U NF I N IS HED R A C E
C H A R LE S A S H M OR E S T R A I L
D
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F
RO M
PA GE
C AN S UC H T HINGS B E?
T H E D E AT H O F HA LPIN
F R AYS E R
.
I
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d ath i s wro ght gre t change th an h ath b een shown
Wh as i n gene l th p i i t th t em ov d cometh b ack u p n
i n nd i m tim se n f th se i n flesh ( ppe i ng i n th e
occ
f m of th b dy i t b ) y t i t h th h ppened th t th e veritable
body w ith t th e pi i t h th w lk d And i t i s tt ted of th e
i ng wh have li ved to pe k th re n th at lich so rai d
e nc o nt
l afi ti on n em emb rance th e f b t only
n tu
u p h th n
h te Also i t i s k n wn th t som e pi i t w hich i n l i fe we e
—H lz
b enig n b ec m e b y d e th evi l l tog eth
For b y
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a
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d a r k n ight i n midsu mmer a m a n w ak i n g
fr o m a dre a mle s s S leep in a fore st i n t he Nap a
Va lle y lifted his head fr o m the ear t h a nd st a ring
a fe w m o ments into t h e blackn es s s a i d : Cath
erine Laru e
H e s aid n othing m o re ; n o re as on
w a s k no wn t o him why he sh o uld h a ve s aid so
m uch
The m a n w as H a lpin Fray s er H e l ived i n
St He l en a bu t where he lives n o w is u ncert a in
f o r h e i s d ead O n e wh o pra ctices sleepi n g in t h e
O NE
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S U CH
CA N
YH IN GS B E ?
wo o d s with nothing u nder h im bu t t h e d ry le a ve s
a nd the d a mp ea r th and nothing o ver him bu t
t he bra nches from which t he leaves h av e fallen
a nd the s ky fr o m which the ea r th has fallen can
n o t hope for gre at l o ngevity and F rayse r h a d
alre a dy a ttained the age of thi rty-tw o There
a re pe o ple i n this w or ld m illions o f people a nd
far a nd a w a y t he best people w h o reg a rd th a t
a s a very a dv a nced a ge They a re the childre n
T o t h os e wh o view the vo y age of life f r om the
port o f dep a rtu re the bark that h a s accomplished
an y c o nsidera ble distance appears a l r eady in close
a ppr oa c h t o the further sh o re H owe ver it is
no t cer ta i n t ha t H a lpi n Fr a y s er c a m e t o h i s
de at h by e x p osu re
H e had been al l d ay i n the hi l l s west o f the
Na pa Valley looking for d o ves and s u ch small
game as w as i n s e a s o n Late in th e a ftern o on it
had c o m e on t o be C l ou dy an d h e had l o st his
bea r ing s ; a nd a lth ough he had o n ly to go alwa y s
—
d ownhill everywhere t he w ay t o s afet y when
o ne is l os t — t h e ab s ence O f t rails had S O impeded
him that h e w as overt a ken by night while still in
the fore s t U n able in the da rkne s s t o penetrat e
the thicket s o f m anzanita and other u nde r gr o wth
u tterly bewildered and ov erc o m e with fatigu e h e
had lain d o wn n ear the root o f a la rge mad ro no
I t w as hou r s
an d falle n i nt o a d reamle s s sleep
later i n the very m iddle o f th e n ight that o ne of
G o d s my s terio u s me ss enge rs gliding ahead o f
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T HE
D E A T H OF H A LP I N
FR A YS E R
.
U
t he i n calcul a ble h o s t o f his compani o n s w h o
s wept westw ar d with the d a wn line pr o n oun ced
t he a w a kening w o rd i n the ear of t h e s leeper
w h o a s we h a ve n o ted s a t uprigh t a n d s p o ke he
knew n o t wh y a nam e he knew n o t who s e
Halpin Frayser was n ot m uch o f a philosopher
n o r a s cientist The ci r cu mstance tha t waking
f r om a deep S leep a t n ight in the mid st O f a fo r
est he had mentioned al o ud a n ame th a t he h a d
n o t in mem ory and h a rdl y h a d in m ind d id n ot
ar ouse an enlightened cu r iosity t o i nve s tig at e the
phenomenon H e thought it o dd an d with a
little pe r fu ncto ry S hiver a s i f i n deference t o a
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n u merical presu mption that the n ight w a s chill
he l a y d o wn again and went t o sleep B ut hi s
s leep w a s n o l o nger d r e a mless
H e thought h e w a s walking al o ng a d usty r oa d
tha t showed white i n the gathering d a rknes s o f a
s u mmer nigh t Whe n ce and W hither i t led a n d
wh y h e tra veled it he did n ot know though a l l
seemed simple a nd n a t u r al as is t he w ay i n
dreams ; for i n the Land Be y ond the Bed su rpri s e s
cease fro m t roub l ing and the j udgment is at r e s t
Soon he c a m e t o a pa r ting o f the wa ys ; l eading
from the highwa y was a r oad less t r aveled having
the a p p ea r ance indeed o f having been long aban
d o ne d because h e though t it led t o somethin g
evil ; yet h e tu rned into it withou t hesita t ion
impelled b y som e impe r ious n ecessit y
As he p r e s sed fo r wa r d h e becam e conscious
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CA N S U CH
4
t hat his
T HIN GS B E ?
was hau nted b y malevolen t exis t
e n ce s i nvisible and W hom he could not definitel y
figu re to his mind From among the t r ees o n
either side he caught b r oken and incoherent
whispers in a st r ange t o ngu e which y et he partly
u nde r stood They seemed t o him fragmenta ry
u tterances O f a m on st r ous conspi r ac y against his
body an d his soul I t was n ow long afte r n ight
fa ll yet the i nterm inable fo r est th r ough which h e
j ou r n e y ed w a s lit with a wan glimm e r having n o
point o f di ffusion for in i t s m y ste r iou s lu mi na
t ion n othing cas t a S hadow A Shall o w p o ol i n
the gutt e r ed dep r ession o f an old wheel r ut as
f r om a recent r ain met h is e y e with a c r imson
gleam H e stooped an d pl u nged his hand i nto it
I t stained his finge r s ; it w a s blood ! Blood he
then obse r ved w a s abou t him eve ry whe r e The
weeds g r owing rankl y b y the r oadside showed it
i n blots and splashes on thei r big b r oad l eaves
Patches of d ry d ust between the w h eelw ay s we r e
pitted and spatte r ed as W ith a r ed r ain D e fili ng
the t r u nks o f the t r ees we r e b r oad maculations o f
c r imson and blood d r ipped like d ew f r om their
foliage All this h e O bse r ved with a te rr o r
which h owever s eemed n ot incompatible with
the fulfillment o f a n a tu r al expectation I t
seemed t o him that it w a s all in expiation o f
some c r im e which though consciou s o f his guilt
he could not r ightl y r emembe r To the m enaces
and m y ste r ies O f his su rr ou nd ings the consciou s
w ay
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T HE D E A
TH
HA LP IN
OF
F ICA YS E /x
S
’
.
ness wa s an a dded h orr or Vainl y he s o ught by
tra cing life backw ar d i n m em ory t o rep r oduce
the m oment o f his si n ; scenes and incidents c a m e
crowding t um ult u ou sl y i nto his m ind o ne pict ure
e ffaci ng anoth er o r com mingling w ith it i n co n
fusion and o bscu r it y bu t n owhe r e c o uld he c a tch
a glimpse o f wha t h e sought The fail u re a u g
m e n t e d his terror ; he felt as o n e who h a s m ur
de r ed in the dark not knowin g w h y n o r whom
—
S o f r ight fu l was the situation the m y ste r iou s
light bu r ned with so silent and awful a men a ce ;
the n oxi o us plants th e t rees that b y com mo n
consent ar e invested with a m el a n choly o r b a lefu l
C ha r acter so o penl y in his sight conspi r ed a gain st
his peace ; f r om ove r head and all abou t came so
audible and sta r tling W hispe r s and the sighs o f
c r eat u r es so O bviousl y not of earth — that he cou ld
endu re it n o l onge r and with a great e ffo r t t o
b r eak s o m e malign spell that bo u nd his faculties
t o silence a nd i nact ion h e shou ted with the fu ll
st r ength o f his lungs ! H is voice broken i t
seemed into a n in finite m ultitud e o f u n fam ili ar
s o u nds went babblin g a nd stam m e r ing awa y Into
the distan t r eaches o f th e fo r est died into
S ilence and all was as before B ut he had made
a beginning at r esistance an d w a s encou r aged
H e said
I will n ot submit u nheard The r e may be
powe r s that a r e n ot m alignant t r aveling this
a ccu rsed road I s hall leave them a rec o rd a n d
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6
CAN S
UCH
T
HIN GS
BE?
an appeal I shall r elate m y w r ong s t h e p e rse
cu t i o n s that I endu r e — I
a helpless m o rt a l a
pen itent an u no ffending poet 1 Halpin F r ay ser
w a s a p o et only as he was a pen iten t : in his
d r eam
Taking fr o m his clothing a sma l l red le a ther
pocketbook o ne -hal f O f which w as le a ved f o r
m em o ra nda h e discove r ed th a t h e w as with o u t a
pencil H e b r oke a twig f ro m a bush d ipped i t
in a po ol O f blood and w ro te ra pidly H e h a d
ha r dly t ouched the paper with the p o int o f his
twig when a lo w wild laugh seemed t o b r eak ou t
a t a m easu r eless d ist a nce away and g ro wing eve r
louder s eemed appro a ching ever nearer ; a so ul
less he a rtle ss and u nj o y ou s laugh l ike that o f
the lo o n so li t a ry by the lakesid e a t m idnight ; a
laugh which culminated i n a n u ne a rthly s h o u t
close at hand th en d ied a w ay by s l o w gra d a tio ns
as i f the a ccu rs ed b eing t hat u ttered it had with
dra w n o ver th e verge o f the w or ld whence it had
c o m e Bu t th e m an felt th at this w a s not S O
t hat i t w as n ear b y a nd h a d n o t m o ved
A
stran ge sensation sl o wly beg an to take p o s se ss i o n
o f his body and his mind
H e c o u ld n o t h a ve
said which i f an y o f his sen s es w as a ffected ; he
—
felt it r ather as a c o n s ciou sne s s a mysteri o u s
m ental assu r ance o f som e overpowe r ing p r ese n ce
-S om e
s upe r natu ral malevolence d i ffe r ent i n
kind f r om the invisible exi st en ce s tha t sw a rmed
a bou t him and su peri o r t o t hem i n p o wer He
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T HE D EA T H OF
HALPIN
’
FR A YS E R
7
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knew tha t it had u tte r ed that hid e ou s lau gh
And no w it s eemed t o be ap p roa ching him ; f r om
what d i r ecti o n he d id n ot kn ow— da r ed n ot co n
r
All
his
f
o
rm
er
fe
ars
were
forgotten
o
r
e
t
u
e
c
j
me r ged i n the gigantic t e r ror t h at n ow held hi m
i n thrall Ap a rt fr o m th at h e had bu t o ne
th o ught : t o complete hi s w r itte n appeal to the
benign p o wers wh o t rav ersm g the h a u nted wood
might s o m e time resc u e him i f he s h o uld be
denied the ble ss ing o f ann ihil a ti on H e w r ote
with ter r ible rapidity t h e twig in his fi ngers r ill
i n g bl oo d withou t re n ewal ; bu t in t h e m i dd le o f
a sen t e n ce hi s h a nd s denied t hei r s ervic e t o his
will hi s a rm s fel l t o h i s s ide s t h e b oo k t o the
e a rth ; a nd p o werle ss t o m o ve o r cry o u t h e
f o u nd him s el f st a ring i nto t he s h a rply drawn face
a nd bl a nk de a d eye s o f hi s own m ot her st a nding
whit e an d s i l ent i n t h e g a rments o f t he gra ve !
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hi s y out h Halpin Fray s er h a d l ived with his
pa r ent s i n N a shville Tenn The F ray se rs were
well -t o -d o pe o pl e havi ng a g oo d p o siti on in su ch
s ociety a s had su rvived the wreck wr o ugh t by
civil w a r Thei r child r en h a d the so cial a nd
educ a ti o n a l opp o rtu nities o f their t ime a nd pl a ce
a nd h a d responded t o go o d a s s o ci at i o n s and
i ns t ru cti on with a greeable man ne rs a n d cultiva ted
m inds H a lpin bein g the you nges t a nd n ot
o ver r o b ust w as perh a ps a t r ifle s p o iled
He
had the d ou b le dis a dv a ntage o f a m other s assi d
u i t y a nd a f a ther s n eglect
Frayser pér e w as
wh at n o S o uthern m an o f m ean s i s n o t — a politi
H i s c o u n t ry o r r ather his s ection and
ci a n
S tat e m a de demands u p o n his t ime a nd attenti on
s o ex a cting t hat t o those o f his famil y he w a s
c o mpelled t o t u rn a n ear partly deafened by t he
thu nder o f the politic a l capt a in s a nd the sh o u t
ing his o wn included
Y o u ng Halpi n was o f a d re a my i nd o lent a nd
r ather romantic t u rn s o m ewhat mo r e a ddicted t o
litera t u re th a n law the profession t o which he
w as bred Among those o f his r elations w h o pro
fe ss ed the m o dern f a ith of heredity it w as well
IN
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a
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T HE
D EA T
H
OF
HA LP IN
FR A YS E R
9
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u ndersto o d t h a t In h im the ch ar acter o f th e l a te
M y ron Bayne a maternal g r eat -g rand father had
,
,
—
revisited the glimpses o f the m oon by which o rb
Bayne had in his lifeti m e been su ffi cientl y affected
to be a poet o f n o s mall C o l on ial distinction I f
n o t specially observed it w a s obse r vable that while
a F r ay s er w h o w a s n ot th e p r o u d possesso r o f a
s umpt u ou s copy of th e ancest r al poetical work s
p
r
inted
a
t
the
famil
y
expense
and
long
ago
(
withdra wn fro m an inhospitable ma r ket ) w as a
rare Fra ys er i n deed the r e was an illogical indis
p o sition t o h o nor the g r e a t decea s ed in the pe r so n
of hi s s pi r itu a l s uccessor Halpin was p r etty
generally deprec a ted a s an intellect ual black
sheep wh o was l ikely at a ny moment to disg r ace
t he flock b y bleating i n meter The Ten nessee
F ray sers we r e a p r act ical folk — n ot p r actical i n
t he popul a r s ense o f devotion to so r did pu r su its
but h a ving a robu st contempt f or an y qualities
u nfitt i ng a m a n f o r the wholesom e v o cation o f
p o litics I n j ustice to you ng Halpin it shou ld be
s aid t h at W hile i n him were p r ett y faith fully
repr o d uced m ost o f the m ent a l a nd m oral charac
t e ri st i cs a sc r ibed by histo ry a nd famil y tradition
t o th e fa m o u s C o lonial b ar d his succession t o the
gift a nd f a cu lty d ivin e w as pu r el y in fe r ential
Not onl y had he n ever been known to cou r t th e
m use bu t in p oint o f fact h e cou ld n ot have
w r itten co rr ectl y a l in e o f ve r se to save himself
f r om the Kille r o f t he Wise Still the r e wa s n o
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CA N
0
S UCH
T
HIN GS
BE?
kn o wing when th e do r m a nt faculty migh t a w ake
a nd s mi t e the lyre I n the m eantime th e young
m an w as r at her a loo s e fi sh a nyh o w
Be t ween him and h is m o ther w as t h e m ost
perfec t sy mp a thy for s ecre t ly th e lady w a s her
se l f a dev o u t disciple o f t he late and g r e a t My ron
Bayn e th o ugh with the t a ct s o generally a nd
j ustly a dm i r ed i n h er s ex ( de s pit e the hardy
c a lu mniat o r s wh o in s ist that i t i s essenti a lly t he
sa m e thing as c u nning) s h e h a d a lway s t aken c a re
to c o nce a l her weak n es s fro m all eye s b ut hi s wh o
sh a red it Their c o mm on gu ilt in respect o f th a t
w a s an a dded tie betwee n them I f i n Halpi n s
youth hi s m o ther had spoiled him he h a d
assu redly d o ne his p ar t tow a rd bei n g s p o iled
As he g r ew t o su ch m anh oo d a s i s atta in a ble by a
Southerner wh o d o es n ot ca r e which w a y elec t i o ns
g o th e att a chment between h i m and hi s be au tifu l
m o ther— wh o m from ea rly C hildh oo d h e h a d
—
c a lled K a ty bec a m e ye ar ly st r on ger an d m o re
t ender I n these t w o r o m ant ic na t u re s w as m a n
i fe st i n a s ig na l w a y that neglected phen o men on
th e d o mi nan ce o f t he sex ua l eleme nt i n a l l th e
rel a ti on s o f life stren g thening so ft ening a nd
be a u tifying even th o se o f c o ns a ng u in ity The
t w o were n earl y in s ep a ra ble a nd by st ra nger s
o b s erving t heir m an ner were not i n freq u e n tly
m istaken for l o vers
E n t ering h is m o ther s bou doir on e day H al pi n
Fray s er ki ss ed her u p on the f o rehe a d to yed f o r
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S UCH THINGS
CAN
12
BE?
O f the dream i n the light o f n ewly dis
cove r ed evidence did n ot wholl y com mend its elf
t o the s o n s m o r e logical m ind ; h e had for th e
m oment a t l e a st a conviction that it fo resh ad
owed a m ore S imple a nd im mediate if less t r agic
d isaster than a visit to th e Pacific C oa st It w as
H a lpin F ray se r s impression that he was t o be
ga rr oted o n his native heath
“
A r e the r e n ot m ed icinal sp r ings i n Calif o rnia ?
M rs F r a y ser resu med before h e had tim e to
“
—
give her th e tru e reading o f the d r eam places
where o n e r ec o vers f r om r he u matism and neu ral
—
gia ? Look m y fi nge r s feel so sti ff an d I am
a lmost s u r e they h a ve been givi n g m e g r e at p a in
r
e
t
a
t
i
on
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while I slept
She h eld o u t h er h a nds f o r his inspection
What d iagnosis of her c a se he m a y have thought
it best to conceal with a smile the histo r ian is
u n a ble t o state bu t for himself h e feels bound to
s a y tha t finge r s lookin g less st i fl and
showing
fewer evidences o f even insensible pain have
seld o m been submitted for medical inspection by
even the fai r est patien t de s i r ing a p r esc r ipti o n o f
u n familia r scen es
The ou tcome o f it w as that of these tw o odd
pe r sons having equall y o dd notions of dut y the
went t o California as the inte r est of h i s
o ne
C lient requ ired and the other r emained at hom e
i n compliance with a W ish that he r hu s band was
s c a rcely consciou s O f e nt er ta ining
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‘
T HE
D E A TH
OF H A LP I N F HA YS E A
’
.
While in San F r ancisco H a lpi n Fra y ser was
walking on e da r k n ight along th e water f r on t of
the C it y when with a su ddenness th a t su r p r ised
and disconce r ted him h e became a sailor H e
w a s in fact shanghaied aboard a gall a nt gallant
ship and sailed fo r a far cou ntree N or did his
m isfo r tu nes end with the vo y age ; for the S hip
w a s cast asho r e on an i sland of the Sou th Pacific
and it was si x y ea r s afte r wa r d when th e su r vivo r s
we r e taken O ff b y a v e n t u rso m e t r ading schooner
a nd b r ought b a ck to San F r ancisco
Though poo r i n pu r se F r a y se r w a s n o less
p r ou d in spi r it than h e had been i n th e y ea r s that
seemed ages and ages ago H e would accept no
assistance f r om st r ange r s an d it was whil e living
with a fellow su r vivo r n ea r th e town o f St Helena
awaiting news and r em ittances f r o m hom e t hat
he went gu nn ing a nd d r e a m ing
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app a ri t i o n c o n fr o n t i n g t he dre a mer in t h e
haunted wood — the t hing so like y et so u nlike h is
—
mothe r was ho r rible ! I t stir r ed n o love n o t
l o nging i n his heart ; it c a me u n attended with
ple a san t m em or ie s o f a golden past — inspi r ed n o
se n timent o f a n y kind ; a ll the fi ne r em o tions we r e
swallowed up i n fea r H e t r ied to t u rn a nd ru n
from before it bu t his legs we r e as le a d ; he was
u n a ble t o lift his fee t fr o m the gro u nd H is arms
h ung helples s a t his sides ; of his e y e s o nly he
ret a ined c o ntr o l a nd the s e he da r ed not rem o ve
fr o m the l us t erle ss o rbs o f t he a pp ar iti o n which
h e knew was not a so u l with o u t a body but that
m ost dre a dful of a ll the existences i n festing that
—
hau n t ed wood a b o dy withou t a so ul ! I n it s
blank st a re w a s neither love n o r pity n or i nt e lli
gence — nothing t o which t o a ddress an appeal f o r
"
“
m erc y
A n a ppe a l will n o t lie he though t
with a n a b s u rd at t ru si o n O f pr o fes s i o n a l m emo r ies
making the sit uation m or e horrible as t he fire o f
a cigar might light up a tom b
F o r a tim e which s eemed so l o ng th at t he wo rld
g r ew gra y with age a nd si n and the haunted fo r
est havi ng ful filled its pu r pose in this m onst r ous
T HE
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T HE
D E A TH
OF H A LP IN F R A YS E R
15
.
u l min a tio n o f its terr o r s v a ni s hed ou t O f hi s
c o nsciou snes s wi t h a ll i ts s ights a nd sou nds the
a ppa r iti on s t oo d wi t hi n a pace reg a rding him
with the mindle ss m al evolence o f a wild bru te ;
t hen t h r ust i t s h an ds f o rw a rd a n d s prang u pon
him with a ppallin g ferocit y ! The act released
his phy s ical energie s witho u t u n fettering hi s will ;
his mind wa s still s pellbou n d but hi s powe r fu l
b o dy a nd a gi le limb s en d o wed with a bli nd
insen s ate life o f their own resisted stou tly a n d
well F o r an i n s ta n t he s eem ed t o se e t hi s u n
na tu ra l c o nte st between a de a d intelligence a nd a
bre a thing m echanism o nly a s a s pect a t o r— s uch
fa ncies a re i n dre a m s ; then he regained his iden
t it y a lmo s t a s i f by a le a p f o rw a rd into his b o dy
a nd the s t ra ining a u t omato n h a d a d irecti n g will
a s alert a nd fierce a s that o f its hideo us a nt ag o
ni s t B u t what m o r tal ca n c o pe with a c r eat u r e
o f his d re a m ? The imaginatio n creating the
enemy is alre a d y vanqu ished ; the c o mba t s res ult
is the c o mb a t s c au se Despite his s truggles
despite hi s s trength and a ctivi t y which seem ed
wasted i n a vo id he felt the cold fi nge rs cl o se
upo n his t hr oa t Bo r ne backward t o the e a rth
he s aw above him the dead a nd draw n face wi t hi n
a hand s breadth o f his o wn a n d then al l wa s
black A so u nd as o f the be at ing of dis t an t
—
dru ms a m u rm u r o f s w a rming v o ice s a sh a rp f a r
cry s ign ing a ll t o silence
and H a lpi n Fra y s er
dreamed t h at he w as dead
c
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A W AR M C lear night had bee n fol lo wed by a
morning o f d r enching f o g At abo u t the middle
of the afte r n o on o f the preceding d a y a little
—
f
o
f
wh i f
ligh t vap o r a m e r e thickening o f the
a t m os phe r e the gh o st o f a cl o ud — h a d been
obse r ved clingi ng t o the western side o f M ount
St H elena awa y u p along the b a rren altitu de s
n e a r the su mm it I t was so thin so di a ph an o us
s o like a fancy made visible th a t on e w o u ld h a ve
said : L o ok quickly ! in a m om ent it will be
gon e
I n a m o ment it w as visibly la rger and de ns er
While with o ne edge i t clun g to the m o untain
with the o the r it r eached fa r ther and fa r ther o u t
into the ai r above the lowe r slopes At the sam e
t im e it extend ed itsel f t o no r th and south j oin ing
small p a tches of mist that appea r ed t o c o me o u t
o f the m ou ntainside o n ex a ctly the sam e level
with an intelligent design to be ab s o r bed And
s o it g r ew and grew u ntil the su mmit was S h u t
o u t of view f r om the valle y a nd over the valle y
itsel f was a n ever-extending canopy opaqu e a n d
g ra y At Calistog a which lies ne a r the head of
t he valley and the fo o t o f th e m ou n ta in t here
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DE A TH
THE
OF
HA LP IN F R A YS
I
7
were a sta rl e ss n ight an d a su nles s m o rn ing
And t he f o g sinking i n t o t he v a lle y h a d reached
so uthw a rd s w a ll o wing up ranch after ranch u nti l
it h a d bl o t t ed ou t t he t o wn o f S t H elen a n ine
miles aw a y The d ust i n t he r oa d was l a id ; t re e s
were a d r ip with m ois t u re ; birds s a t silen t i n t heir
c o verts ; the m o rn ing l i gh t w as w an an d g h ast ly
with n either col o r n or fire
Two men left t he to w n o f S t H elen a at the
fi r st gli mmer o f d a wn a nd w a lked a long t he r oa d
no r thward up t he va lley t o w a rd Calist o g a Th e y
c a rried gu n s o n th ei r s hou lder s yet n o one h a ving
k no wledge o f su ch m a t t e rs cou ld have m i s t ak e n
them fo r hu nte rs o f bi r d o r bea st They were a
deputy s heri ff from Napa a n d a de t ective fr o m
—
San Franci s c o H olker and J a ralso n re s pec t ively
Their busine ss w as m a n h u nting
Ho w far is it
inqu ired H olker as t h ey
strode al on g thei r feet s tir r ing white t h e d u st
bene a th the damp s u r face o f th e r oa d
“
The White Chu rch ? Onl y a h a l f mi l e fa rther
the ot her a nswer e d
By th e w a y he added i t
is n either white no r a chu rch ; i t is an a b a nd oned
sch o olhouse g ra y with age and neglect Relig
—
iou s s e r vices we r e o n ce held i n i t whe n i t was
white a nd there i s a g r ave y ard t hat would deligh t
a poet Ca n yo u gu ess w h y I sen t for yo u a nd
t o ld y ou t o com e h eeled P
Oh I never have bothe r ed yo u abou t things
o f th a t kind
I ve a lways fou nd y ou co m m u ni ca
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1
8
S U CH
CA N
T HIN GS
BE ?
t iv e whe n t he t ime c a m e Bu t i f I m a y h a z a rd a
gues s y ou w a nt m e t o help y ou arrest o ne o f the
"
c o rpse s i n t h e gra veyard
“
You remember Bran s c o m ? s a id J aralso n
treating h is comp a nion s w i t with t he in a tten t i o n
that it d ese r ved
“
The chap who cu t hi s wi fe s t h r oat ? I o ught ;
I was t
a week s w o rk o n him a nd h a d m y
expense s f o r m y t r o uble Th ere is a reward o f
five hu ndred doll ar s but n o ne o f u s ever g o t a
sight O f him Y o u do n t m ean t o sa y
“
Ye s I d o H e ha s been u nder the n o ses o f
y o u fell o ws a ll the time H e comes b y n ight to
”
th e o ld gravey ar d a t the White Chu r ch
“
The d evil ! Th a t s wh e r e they bu r ied his wi fe
Well y ou fell o w s migh t have h a d sense
e no ugh t o s u s pec t t h at he w o u ld re tu r n t o her
”
gra ve so me t im e
“
The ve ry l a st pl a ce t h at a ny o ne w ou ld h a ve
"
expected him to ret u r n t o
“
B ut yo u h a d exh au s ted a ll t he o th er p la ces
Le a rning y o u r fa ilu re at t h em I l a id f o r him
”
the r e
“
And y o u f o u nd him ?
D
n it ! he fou nd m e Th e ras c a l g ot th e
the drop o n m e — r egula r ly held m e up a nd mad e
m e travel I t s God s mercy th a t he d id n t go
thr o ugh m e Oh he s a g o od o ne a nd I fanc y
the hal f o f t h at rew a rd i s en o ugh for m e i f y o u re
n eedy
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CA N
20
S U CH
T H I N GS
BE ?
w r etch a n d i t did n ot fix i t self i n m y mem ory
Y es I r em ember— i t i s Pa r dee
The woman
whose th r oat he h ad the bad taste t o cu t w a s a
widow when he m et he r She had come t o Cali
fo r mia to lo o k u p som e relatives — the r e ar e pe r
sons w h o wil l d o th at s ometime s Bu t y o u kn o w
all that
Natu ra lly
Bu t no t kn o wing t h e righ t n a m e by what
happy inspi ra tion did y ou find the r igh t g r ave ?
The man w h o t o ld m e that the nam e w as Pa r dee
s a id it h a d been cu t on t he headboard
I don t kn ow the r ight g ra ve
ralso n was
a
J
appa r entl y a t ri fle r elu ctant t o adm it his i g no
rance o f so impo r tant a poin t o f his plan
I
have been watching a b o u t the place gene ra lly
A part o f o u r wo r k this m orning will be to
identi fy that g ra ve H ere is the White Chu rch
Fo r a long distance the road had been b or
d ered by fields o n both sides bu t now o n the left
the r e w a s a f or est o f oaks m ad r o nos and gigantic
spru ces wh ose lower pa r ts onl y cou ld be seen
dim and ghostly in the fog The u nde rg r owth
w a s i n places thick bu t n owhe r e impenet r able
For som e m oments H olke r saw nothing o f the
building bu t as the y t u r ned into the woods it
revealed itself i n faint g r ay outline th r ough the
fog looking huge and fa r awa y A few steps
m o r e a nd it w as within a n a r m s length distinct
d ar k with m o istu re and insignificant in size I t
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T HE D E A TH OF H A LP I
N
F RA YS E R
2!
.
had the u sual count ry schoolhouse fo r m — b e
l o nged to the packing box o r de r o f a r chitectu r e
had an u nde r pinning of stones a m oss -grown roof
and blank window spaces whence both glass an d
sash had been long r emoved b y Tim e a nd his
all y the small bo y I t was ru ined bu t not a
r uin — a typical Califo r nian substitu te for wha t
a r e known to gu ide -booke r s a broad as monu
men ts o f th e past
With sca r cel y a glance at
this u ninte r esting st r uctu r e J a ra lso n m oved o n
into the d r ipping u nde r g r owth be y ond
I will S h ow yo u W here he held m e u p
he
“
s aid
This is the g r ave y a r d
He r e and the r e amon g the bu shes were small
inclosu r e s co ntaining graves sometimes n o m o r e
than o n e They we r e recogn ized as g r aves b y
th e rotting boa r ds at he a d an d f o ot leaning at
all angles som e p r ost r ate ; by th e r u ined picket
fences s u rrou nding them ; o r in f r equ entl y b y th e
m oun d itsel f showing its g r avel th r ough the
fallen le a ves I n m a n y i nstances n othing ma r ked
the spot W he r e la y the vestiges o f som e poor
m o r tal w h o leaving a l a rge ci r cle o f so rr owing
f r iends had been left by them i n t u r n except a
dep r ession i n the ea r th m ore l a sting than that i n
the spi r its o f th e m ou r ners The path s i f any
paths had been we r e lon g oblite r ated ; t r ees o f
a considerable size had been pe r mitted to g r ow
up f r om the g r aves a nd thrust aside with r oot o r
b ranch the inclo s ing fence s Over a ll wa s th a t
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a ir
S UCH TH IN GS
CA N
22
BE?
a bandonment and deca y wh ich seem s n o
where so fit and r ight as i n a village of the d ead
of
.
As the t wo m en J a ra lso n leading pushed their
w ay th r ough a g r owth o f y ou ng t r ees that ente r
p r ising man suddenl y stopped and brought up his
shotgu n t o th e height o f his b r east u tte r ed a low
n ot e of wa r ning and stood m otionless h is eyes
fixed up o n something ahead As well as he could
o bst r u cted b y b r u sh his companion though see
ing n othing im itated the post u re and so stood
prepared fo r what m ight ensu e A m om ent late r
r
a
l
so
n
s
tr
o
de
forwa
r
d
the
othe
r
following
a
J
U nder the b ra n ches of an eno r m ou s sp r u ce lay
t he d ead b o d y of a m an Stand ing silent a bove
it the y n oted su ch pa r ticul a rs a s fi r st st r ike the
at t ention — the fa ce the attitu de the C lothing ;
wh a tev e r m ost p r omptl y a nd plainly a nswe rs the
u nspoken q u es t ion s O f a symp a thetic cu r io s ity
The body la y u p o n its b a ck t he leg s wide
apa r t On e a rm w as t h r u st u pw a rd the other
o u t ward ; bu t th e l a tter was ben t acu tely a nd the
hand w a s ne a r the thr oa t Both h a nds we r e
tightl y clenched The whole a ttitu de w as that
?
—
f
o despe r at e bu t ine ffectu a l resis t ance to
what
N ear b y la y a shotgu n a nd a g a m e bag th r ough
the m eshes o f which was seen th e plumage o f
shot birds All ab o u t were evidences o f a fu r iou s
st r uggle ; small spro u ts o f poison o ak we r e bent
and d enuded o f leaf and ba r k dead a nd rotting
le a ve s had been pu shed in to he a ps an d ridge s o n
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HA LP IN
D E A TH OF
T HE
F R A YS E R
23
.
b ot h S ide s of t he legs by t he action o f o the r fee t
t h a n t heirs and al on gside the w a ist we r e u nm i s
t a kable impres s i o ns o f h u m a n knees The n a t u re
o f the s t ruggle w a s made clear b y a glance at the
de a d m a n s thr o at a nd fa ce While b r east and
hands were W hite th o se were p urple — almost
bl a ck The s hou lde r s l a y up o n a l o w m o u nd
a nd the he a d w a s t u rned back at a n angle other
wise impossible t he expanded eyes st a ring bl ankly
b a ckwa r d in a direction opposit e t o that o f th e
feet Fr o m the f r oth filling t he open m o u t h the
t ong u e protruded black a nd swollen The t hro a t
s howed h o r r ible contu sions ; no t m e r e fing e r
m ar ks but bru ises a nd lacerati o n s w r o ugh t by
tw o str o ng h a nds t ha t m u s t have bu ried them
selves i n the yielding flesh m a int a ining their ter
rible gra sp u ntil long a fter d eath B r e a st th r oat
face were wet ; the C lothing w as sa tu r ated ; d r ops
o f water condensed fr o m the fog st u dded the
h a ir a nd m ust a ch e
Al l t his t he t w o m e n O b s erv ed with ou t spe a k
i ng ; a lm o s t a t a glance
Then H olker s aid
Po o r devi l ! he had a r ou gh deal
r
l
a
w
a
s
m
a
king
a
vigilant
circ
u
msp
ecti
on
a
s
o
n
J
o f t he forest hi s sh ot gu n held i n both hands and
a t full c o ck his fi nger upon the t rigge r
The w o rk o f a m a ni a c h e sa id witho ut with
drawing his e y es f r o m t he i nclosing wood
It
—
was done by Bra nscom P a rdee
S o me t hing h a lf hidde n by t he dis t u r bed l e a ve s
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CA N S UCH
24
T
HIN GS
BE ?
o n t he e a r t h caught H o lk e r s attention I t w as a
red le at her pocketb oo k H e picked it u p and
o pened i t I t c o ntained leave s of white paper
f o r memorand a a nd u p o n the fi rst leaf w a s the
"
n a m e Halpi n Frayser
W r itten i n red on
—
s evera l su cceeding leave s scrawled as if i n has t e
a nd b ar el y legible— were t he follo wing lines
which H o lker r ead alou d while his comp a ni o n
contin ued s c a nning the dim g r ay con fines o f their
na rrow w o rld a nd hea r ing matter o f suspicion i n
t he d rip o f w a ter f r om every bu r dened b r anch
E nth ll ed b y s m e my t i
pell I tood
In th li t gl m f
d
n ch n t d w
T h cy p
nd m y t l
t w i n d th i b
ghs
th
S ig ni fic nt i n b l f l b th h d
Th b
di ng w ill w whi p ed to th y w
B n th th d dly n igh t h d
nd th
W i th imm o t ll
lf-w v n i nt t nge
F u ne e l ha p
nd h
id nettl g w
ny d
n
ng
N
f bi d n
f b ees
N l ight l f l i ft d b y th e w h l es m b
ze
i w
Th
st gn nt ll
nd S il n c w
g th t s
A l i vi ng thi ng th t b
th d m
C n pi i ng pi i t whi p e d i n th gl m
d th ti lly c t f th t mb
H lf-h
ll d ip th l ves
W i th bl d th t
w
ddy bl m
S h on e i n th w i tch -ligh t w i th
p ll b k n till
I c i d l d — th
R t d p n m y pi i t nd m y w i ll
l d nh ted h p l ss nd f l orn
Un
I t v w i th m n t u s p esages of i ll 1
’
.
.
.
,
.
,
,
ra
o
e
oo
e
ress
a
ea
o
s
e s se
ea
e a r
s
ear
a
a
r
s
e s
,
s ro e
At
l
ast
e s
o
so u e
s
,
e
a
ere a
r
e ar
u
o
l
s ro
th e vi ew ess
e
,
un
ro
re e
as
on
e
ree
e
oo
e
a
r
.
e
,
oo
s
.
,
o
e
a
,
.
e
a ru
a ou
u
o
e
re
rees
re
,
a
e
es e
o s ra
se re s o
e
e
e ru e ,
e o
e
rea
s
,
ou
e r
e a
es
a
.
e
e
ro
,
.
o
a
oo
r e
oo
e
as
r
e
orr
a
s
o
or a
r
e
er
s a
es , a
o
oo
s er
ea
e
or
o
ro
s
,
e
r
a e u
r e
o so
a
er e a
,
,
r a
an e
o
roo
e
e
s er ou s S
ea
.
,
.
o
r
e e
,
a
or
,
,
T HE D E A T H OF
HA LP I N
FR A YS E R
25
.
H olker ceased reading ; there was n o mo r e t o
read The man u script b r oke o ff i n the m iddle o f
a line
“
That so u n d s like Bayne said j a ra lso n w h o
H e had
w a s something o f a scholar in hi s wa y
abated his vigilance and st ood lo o king down at
the bod y
“
Who s Bayne ? H o lker asked ra ther incu t i
.
.
,
,
.
.
’
o u s ly
.
“
M yr on Ba y n e a chap w h o flou r ished i n th e
ea rl y years o f the nation — m ore than a centu ry
ago ; wrote might y dismal stu ff I have his co l
That poem i s not am ong them
le ct e d works
but it m ust have been om itted by mistake
I t i s cold s aid H olker ; let u s leave here ;
we m ust h a ve up the co r oner f ro m Nap a
r
l
o
a
a
s
n
s
aid
nothing
bu
t
made
a
m
ovement
in
J
Passing the end o f the slight eleva
co mpliance
t ion of ea r th u pon which the dead man s head
a nd shoulde r s la y his foot st r uck s ome ha r d su b
s t ance u nde r the r ot ting fo r est le a ve s a nd h e
took t h e t r ouble t o kick i t int o V leW I t was a
fallen he a dboard a nd painted o n it were the
words C a the r in e La r u e
Larue La r u e ! exclaimed H o lker wi t h s ud
den anim a tion
Wh y that is the r e a l nam e o f
B ranscom — not Pa r dee And — bless m y soul !
—
how it all comes t o m e the m u r dered woman s
nam e had been Fr ay se r !
The r e is som e r ascall y m y ste ry here said
,
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“
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”
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’
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“
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“
,
26
CA N
S UCH THINGS
BE?
D e t ective J aralso n
I h at e a n y th ing o f th at
kind
There cam e to them o u t o f the f o g— s eemingly
from a great distance — t h e sou nd o f a l a ugh a
l o w delibe r ate so ulle s s lau gh which h a d n o m or e
o f j o y than th at o f a hyen a n ight -pr o wling in th e
dese r t ; a laugh th at r os e by s l o w gra d a tion
l o uder a nd lou der C le a rer m o re d istinct a nd t er
rible u n til i t s eemed b a rely o ut s ide t h e n a rr o w
ci r cle o f their vision ; a laugh so u nn a tu ra l s o
u nhu m a n s o d evili s h th at it filled t h o se h ardy
m a n h u nters with a sense o f d r e a d u n s pe a kable !
They did no t m o ve thei r weapon s n o r t hink o f
t hem ; t he m enace o f th at h or r ible sou nd w a s n o t
o f t he ki n d to be m e t with ar ms As it h a d
gr o wn o u t o f s ilence so n o w it died awa y ; with a
c u lmin a ting S h o u t which s eemed a lmost i n their
e a rs i t d rew it s e l f a w a y i n to t he d is t ance u ntil
i ts fa iling n ot e s j o yles s a nd mech a nic a l t o t he
l ast sank t o s ile n ce at a m e asu re l e ss rem o ve
.
”
.
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.
S U CH
CAN
T HIN
GS
BE?
deep
Gray ro ck s p o s t w as at a c o nsidera ble
dista n ce from th o se to righ t and left for the
pickets had been thr o wn ou t a needless distance
f r om the c a mp m aking the line to o l o ng fo r the
fo r ce det a iled t o o ccupy i t The w ar w as y o ung
a nd military c a mps entertained the er ro r that
when sleeping the y were better protected b y thin
l ines a l o ng w ay o u t toward t he enemy than by
t hicker o nes C lo s e i n And su rely they needed
as long n otice a s possible o f an enem y s a pp r o a ch
for they we r e a t th a t tim e a ddicted t o the p ra c
tice o f un d r essing — th a n which n othing co ul d be
m o r e u ns o ldie r l y On th e morning o f the m em
o ra b le 6 t h o f Ap r il
a t Shiloh many O f Grant s
men W he n spitted o n Con fede r ate ba y onet s we r e
a s naked a s C ivilians ; bu t i t sh o uld be all o wed
t ha t this wa s n ot becau se o f a ny d efec t i n their
picket lin e
Their e r ro r wa s o f another so r t
the y had n o pickets This is pe r haps a d i g res
sion I s hould n o t ca r e t o u nde r take to inte r est
the re a der i n th e fate o f a n a r m y ; what w e
have here t o c o nsider is th a t o f P r iv a t e Gra y
rock
For tw o h o u r s a fter h e had been left a t his
lonel y post that Satu r day night he sto o d stock
s till leaning agains t the t r u nk O f a la r ge t r ee
s t ar ing into the da r kn ess i n his f r ont and t ry ing
t o recognize known o bj ect s ; fo r he h a d bee n
p o sted at th e sam e sp o t d u r ing the da y But all
w as n ow di ffe r ent ; he sa w nothing i n det a il bu t
’
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’
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T HE
M O CKI N G B IRD
29
.
o nl y g r oups o f things whose shapes no t observed
when the r e wa s something m o r e o f them t o
O bserve were n o w u n famili a r The y seemed not
bef or e t o have been there A l a ndscape which is
a ll trees and u nde r g r owth m o r eove r lacks de fin i
ti o n is c o n fused a nd withou t accentu ated points
upon which a ttention can gain a foothold Add
the glo o m o f a m oonless nigh t a nd something
m o r e th a n g r eat natu ral i ntelligence and a cit y
edu cation is requ i r ed to p r ese r ve one s sen s e o f
direction And th a t is how it occu r red t hat
Private Gray ro ck after vigilantly w a tching th e
spaces i n his fr o nt and then i mprudently e x e cu t
ing a circu mspectio n of his wh o le dimly visibl e
e n vi r on ment (silentl y walking arou nd his tree t o
a cc o mplish it ) los t his bea r ings an d se r iously
impai r ed his u sefulness as a sentinel Lost at his
post — u nable to say i n which di r ection t o look for
an enem y s app r oach and in which lay th e sleep
ing c a mp for whose secu r it y he w a s responsible
—
with his life c o nscious too o f m any anothe r
a wkw ar d featu r e o f the situatio n and o f conside r
fectin g h is own safety P r ivate Gray ro ck
a t i o ns a f
was p r ofou ndl y disqu ieted
Nor was h e given
time t o recove r his tranqu illit y fo r almost at
the moment that h e r ealized his awkwa r d p r edic
ament he hea r d a sti r o f leaves a nd a snap o f
fallen t wigs and t u r ning with a stilled h ea r t i n
th e di r ection whence it cam e saw in the gl oo m
t h e indistinct o utline of a hu ma n figu re
,
,
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’
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’
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S U CH
CA N
O
T HI N GS B E ?
”
H alt
shouted P r iv at e Gray ro ck pere m p
t o ri ly a s in d ut y bou nd backing u p th e com m a nd
with t he sha r p metallic snap of his c o cking r ifle
“
who goes there ?
There was n o a nswer ; at least there wa s a n
in s t a nt s hesitatio n and the answer i f it came
w a s lost in the repo r t o f th e sentinel s r ifle
In
the silence of the night and th e fo r est the sou nd
w as d e a fening and ha r dl y had it died a w ay when
i t w as repeated b y the pieces o f the pickets to
r igh t a nd left a sympathetic fu s illade F o r two
hou r s every u nconverted C ivili a n o f them had
been evolving enemie s from hi s imagin a tion and
peopling the w o ods i n h is fro nt with th em and
Gray ro ck s shot h ad st a rted the wh ole enc r oach
ing hos t i n t o visible existence H a ving fi r ed all
—
ret r e at ed b r eathless t o t he reserve s all b u t
Gray rock wh o did n ot kn ow i n what direc t ion t o
ret r e a t When n o enemy appea r ing t he ro u sed
c a mp two m ile s a wa y h ad u nd r essed and go t itsel f
in t o bed a gain a nd t he picke t line was c a u tiously
re -est a blished h e was d isc o ve r ed b ra vel y holding
his gr o u nd and w as highly complimented b y the
o ffi cer o f t h e gu ard as the on e soldier o f that
devoted band wh o c o u ld r ightly be c o n s ide r ed the
m oral equ ivalen t o f th at u ncom mon u nit of v a l u e
a wh o op i n h ell
I n the mean tim e h o wever Gray ro ck had m a d e
a c l ose bu t u navailing sea r ch fo r th e m o r tal part
o f the intruder at wh o m he had fired a nd wh o m
!
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”
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’
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“
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T HE
M O CKIN G B IR D
1
3
.
he h a d a m a rks m an s in t uitive se ns e o f h av i n g
hi t ; f o r he was o ne o f th os e b o rn e x per ts w h o
shoo t wi t h ou t a i m by an inst inc t ive se ns e o f
direc t i o n a nd a re ne ar ly a s d a nger o u s by nigh t a s
by day
D u ring a full hal f o f hi s t wenty-f o u r
y ea r s he h a d been a terr o r to t he ta rge t s o f a l l th e
s h o oting g a llerie s i n three ci t ies U na ble n o w t o
pro d u ce hi s de a d gam e he h a d t he di s cre t i on t o
h o ld his to ngu e an d w a s gl a d t o O bserve i n hi s
o fficer a nd c o mrades t he n a tu ral a s s u mpti on th at
n ot h a ving ru n a way he h a d see n n othing h o stile
H is h o n o ra ble men t io n h a d bee n e a rned by not
ru nning a w a y a nyho w
Neve rthe l es s Priv at e Gray ro ck w as fa r fr o m
s a tisfied with t he nigh t s a dventu re a nd when
t he n ext day he m a de so me f a ir en o u gh pretex t
to a pply f o r a p ass t o g o o u t sid e th e lines a nd
t he gene ra l com m a nding promptly gr a n t ed i t i n
rec o gnition o f hi s brave ry th e night bef or e h e
passed ou t at the poin t whe r e that had been dis
play ed Telling t he sen t inel then o u d u ty there
—
th a t h e h a d l os t s o methin g which w as tr u e
e no ugh -h e ren ewed the search for t he pers o n
whom he su pp os ed him s el f t o have sh o t a nd
wh o m i f o nly w o unded he h o ped t o t ra il by t he
blood H e was n o m o re su ccessfu l by dayligh t
than he h a d been in the d a rkn es s a nd a fter cov
e r ing a wide area and boldly penetrating a l ong
d ist a nce into th e Con fede r acy he gave u p the
s e a rch so mewh at f a ti u ed s e at ed him s e l f at t h e
g
’
,
.
.
,
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“
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,
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'
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,
,
.
,
“
,
”
,
CA N
2
3
T HIN GS B E ?
S U CH
r oo t o f the gre at pine tree where we h a ve see n
,
him and i ndulged his disappointment
It is n ot to be in fe r r ed that Gray ro ck s wa s the
C hag r in O f a c r u el nat u re balked o f its bloody
deed I n the C lear large e y es fin el y w r ough t lip s
a nd b r o a d forehe a d o f that y oung man o ne could
r ead qu ite a n othe r sto ry and in point o f fact hi s
C ha racter wa s a singu la r ly felicito us compou nd o f
boldness a n d s ensibility cou rage and conscience
I find m ys elf disappointed he s a id t o him
self sitting t here a t the bottom o f th e golden
haze subm e r ging the fo r es t like a s ubtle r sea
disappointed in failing t o discover a fellow-man
d ead by m y hand ! Do I then reall y wish that I
had taken life i n the pe r formance of a duty a s well
performed withou t ? Wh a t m or e could I wish ?
I f a ny danger th r eaten ed my shot a ve r ted i t ;
that is what I w as the r e t o d o N o I am glad
indeed if n o h u man life w as n eedle s sl y e x t i n
i
u
s
h
e
d
b
y
me
B
u
t
I
a
m
in
a
false
position
I
g
have s u ffe r ed m y self t o be complimented by my
o ffice r s and envied b y m y c o mrad es The camp
is r inging with p r aise o f m y c o u rage Th a t i s not
j ust ; I know myself cou rageou s b u t this p r ai s e is
fo r specific acts which I did n o t pe r fo r m or per
—
fo r m ed otherwise
I t is believed that I re
mained at my post b ravel y without fi r ing whe r e a s
it was I who began the fu sillade a nd I did n ot
r et r eat in the gen e ral ala r m because bewilde r ed
What then shall I do ? E xplain that I saw an
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T HE
M O CKI N G B IR D
33
.
enem y a nd fi r ed ? The y have all said that y et
no ne believes it ? Shall I tell a t r u th which dis
crediting m y cou r age will have the e ffect o f a lie ?
I wish
U g h ! it is an ugly busines s a lt o ge t he r
to God I c o uld fi nd my man
And so wishing P r ivate Gray ro ck overcom e at
last by the languor O f the afte r noon and lu lled b y
the stilly s ou nds o f insects d r oning and p r osing
i n ce rt ain frag rant s h r ubs so far fo r got the inte r
ests o f the U nited States as t o fall as leep and
exp o se himself t o captu re And sleeping he
d r eamed
H e t hough t himsel f a boy living i n a fa r fair
l a nd by the b o rder o f a gre a t river up on which the
tall steamb oa ts s ped grandly up a nd d ow n h e
neath their t o we r ing evolu ti o ns o f black sm o ke
which a nn o u nced them long bef or e they had
r ou nded t he bends a nd m ar ked their m o vements
when m ile s o u t of s ight With him alway s at
his side as he w a tched them was o ne to whom h e
gave his he ar t and sou l in love — a twin b r othe r
Together the y s trolled along the b a nks o f the
stream ; together expl ored the fields l y ing farthe r
away from it a nd gathered pu ngent mints and
st i c k s of f ra g rant sassaf ras i n the hills overl o oking
—
all beyond which la y the Realm of Conject u re
and f r o m which l ooking s o uthw a rd ac r oss th e
g r eat r ive r the y cau ght glimp s es of th e E nchanted
Land Hand i n hand and heart in hea r t they
t wo the only child r en o f a widowed m other
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S U CH
CA N
34
T H I N GS B E ?
walked in paths o f light th r ough valle ys o f pe a ce
seeing new things u nde r a new su n And th ro ugh
all the golden da y s floated o ne u nceasing sou nd
—
the rich th r illing m elod y o f a m ocking bi r d in a
cage by the cottage d o o r I t pe rvaded a nd po s
sessed all the spi r itual i nte rv a ls o f the dream like
a m u sical benediction The j oyou s bird w as
alwa y s in song ; its in fi nitel y v ar ious n o tes seemed
to flow from its throat e ff or tles s i n bubbles a nd
r ill s at each hea r t beat like the waters O f a pu ls
ing sp r ing Tha t f r esh cle a r m elod y seemed
indeed the spi r it o f the s cene the m eaning an d
inte r p r etation t o sen se o f the mysterie s o f life
and love
Bu t t here cam e a t ime when the d ay s of t he
d r e a m g r e w da r k with sor r o w i n a rain o f te a rs
The go o d m other w a s dead the m e ad ow si d e
h om e by the g r eat r iver was b r oken u p a nd the
brothers were parted between t w o of their kins
men William ( the d r eamer) went t o live i n a
popu l ou s city i n the Real m o f Con j ect ure a nd
J oh n c ro ssing th e river int o the E nchanted Land
w as taken t o a d istan t regi o n wh o se people in
thei r lives and wa y s we r e said t o be st ra nge and
wicked T o him in th e d istribu tion o f the dead
m other s esta t e had fallen all that they deemed
—
o f valu e the m ocking-bird
The y co u ld be
divided b u t i t could no t and so i t was c a rried
awa y into the strange count ry an d the wo rld
o f Willi a m knew it n o mo r e forever
Ye t s t ill
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6
3
T H I N GS B E ?
S U CH
CA N
bea k and bre a the ; y et the man s to pped a s if
struck— st opped and le t fall his rifle l oo king u p
ward a t t he bi r d covered his eyes with his hands
a nd wep t like a C hild F o r th e m om ent he w as
indeed a C hild in spiri t and i n m emory dwelling
again by the gre a t river o ver agains t the E n
chanted L a nd ! Then with an e ffo r t o f th e will
he pulled himsel f to ge t her picked u p his weap on
a nd a udibly dam ning h imsel f for an idi o t st r ode
on
Passin g an opening th at reach ed into the
hea rt O f the l ittle thicke t he l o oked in and the r e
supi n e upo n the e ar th its arms all ab r oad its
gray u ni fo r m stai ned with a single spot of blood
u pon the bre a st i t s wh ite fa ce t u rned sha rpl y
u pw a rd a nd backw ar d la y the i m a ge of himsel f !
— the b o d y o f J ohn Gray ro ck d ead o f a gu nsh o t
w o u nd a nd still warm ! H e h a d f o und his m a n
As the u nf o rtun a te s o ldie r knelt beside that
m a sterw or k o f civil w ar the sh r illing bi r d u pon
the bough ove rhead stilled her s o ng and flushed
with sunset s c r imson glo ry glided silentl y awa y
th r ough th e solem n spaces of the wood At r oll
call that evening i n t he Fede r al c a mp the nam e
Gra y ro ck b ro ught n o resp o n s e no r e v er a gain
there a fter
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MY F A V O R IT E M U R D E R
.
HAV ING
m u r dered m y m o ther u nder C ircu m
stances o f singular a trocit y I w a s a rr es t ed and
put upon m y t r ial which lasted seven y ea r s I n
su mming up the j udge o f th e Co u r t of Acquitt a l
r ema r ked that i t was o ne o f the m ost ghas t ly
c r i mes t ha t he h a d ever been c a lled up o n t o
explain awa y
At this m y c o u nsel rose an d s aid
Ma y i t please y ou r h o no r c r im e s are gh a stly
o r ag r eeable onl y b y compa r ison
I f y o u were
familia r with the details o f my C lient s previou s
m u rder o f his u ncle y o u would di s cern i n his
later o ffense something i n th e nat u r e o f tender
fo r bea r ance a nd filial con sid erat i on fo r the feel
i ngs o f the victim The appalling fe r ocit y o f the
fo r me r assassin a tion was indeed inconsistent with
an y h y pothesis bu t that o f gu ilt ; an d had it n ot
been fo r the fact that the hon o r able j udge befo r e
whom he w a s t r ied was the p r esiden t o f a life
insu r ance company which t ook r isks on hanging
an d in which m y client held a polic y it is
impossible t o se e how he could have been
decently ac q u itted I f y ou r honor would like t o
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37
8
3
CA N
S U CH THIN G S
BE ?
hear a b out i t f o r t h e instru cti o n and gu id an ce o f
y o u r h o n o r s m ind t his u n fo r tu nate ma n my
client will c o nsent t o give himsel f the p a in o f
”
rela t ing i t u nder o a th
Th e d istric t a t to rn e y s a id : Y o u r h o n o r I
object Su ch a s t a t em en t w o u ld be in the nat ure
o f evidence
and t h e testim o ny i n this c as e i s
closed The prisoner s s t at emen t s h o uld h a ve
been introd u ced three ye a rs a g o in t he s pring O f
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I n a sta tu to ry s en s e sa id t h e j udge y ou
a re right an d i n t he C ou r t of Obj ecti o ns a nd
Technicalitie s y o u w o uld ge t a rulin g i n y o u r
f a v o r Bu t n ot i n a C ou r t o f Ac q ui t t a l The
O bj ec t i on i s o verruled
“
I excep t s a id the di s tric t atto rney
Y ou c a nn ot do t hat the j u dge sa id
I m ust
rem ind y ou tha t i n o rder t o ta ke an e x cep t i o n
y ou m ust fi rst get t hi s case t ra n s ferred for a t im e
t o th e Co u rt o f E xcepti o ns u p on a form a l m ot i o n
dul y s u pp o r t ed by a ffidavi t s A m o ti o n t o th a t
e ffect by yo u r p r edeces so r in o ffi ce w as denied by
m e d u r i ng the fi rst ye a r o f thi s t rial
M r Cle r k s we a r the p r is on er
The cu stoma ry oath having bee n adm inis t ered
I made t he following statem ent which impressed
the j udge with so strong a sense o f th e c ompara
tive trivi a lit y o f the O ffense for which I was o n
t r ial th a t he made n o further search f o r m itiga t ing
circu m stan ces but s imply in st ruc t ed t he j u ry t o
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M Y FA VORI TE M URDE R
39
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cquit and I left the c o u rt with ou t a sta i n up o n
my r epu tation
a
,
I w a s b o rn in 1 8 5 6 i n Kalam ak e e M ich o f
honest a nd reputabl e p a rents o ne of whom
H e a ven has me r cifully spa r ed to comfo rt m e i n
my later yea r s I n 1 8 6 7 the f a mily c a me to
Cali fornia and settled ne a r Nigger Head whe r e
m y fa ther o pened a r o ad a genc y a nd p ro spered
beyond the d r eams o f a v a rice H e was a silent
s atu r nine man then th o u gh his incre as in g yea r s
have n ow s omewhat r elaxed the a u ste r ity o f his
disp o sition and I believe that n othing bu t his
memo ry of the sad even t for which I a m n o w o n
t r ial preven t s him f ro m m a nifesting a gen u ine
hilarity
Fou r ye a r s a fter we h a d se t u p t he r o ad a gency
an itine ra n t p r e a cher c a me along and having n o
other w a y t o pay fo r the night s lodging which
we gave him fav o red u s with an exho r tation o f
such power that p raise God we we r e all co n
ve r ted to r eligion M y fathe r at once sen t for h is
b r other the H on William Ridley o f Stockton
and on his ar r ival tu r ned over the agenc y t o him
cha rg ing him nothing for the f r anchise o r plant
the latter consisting o f a Winchester r ifle a s eru m
Of
f S hotgun and an asso r tmen t o f masks m ad e
o u t of flou r sacks
The famil y then m oved to
Ghost Rock and opened a dance hou se I t was
called The Saint s Rest H u rdy -Gu r dy and t h e
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S UCH THIN G S
CAN
4°
BE?
pr o ceeding s e a ch n ight began with pra yer I t
was t here that m y n ow sainted m othe r b y her
g race in the dance acqu ired the sobr zg u et o f The
Bucking Walru s
“
I n the fall o f 7 5 I h a d o ccasion t o visit Coyote
on the ro a d t o Mahala a nd t ook th e stage at
Ghost R o ck The r e were fou r other p a ssenge r s
Ab o u t th r ee m iles beyon d Nigger H ead person s
whom I i nd e nt i fie d as my U ncle William a nd his
two sons held u p th e stage Finding nothing in
the express box they wen t t h ro ugh the passen
ge r s I a cted a m ost h o norable p a rt in the a ffai r
placing mysel f in line with the othe r s h o lding up
my hand s and perm itting myself t o be deprived
o f fo r t y
doll ars and a gold wa t ch From my
behavior n o o ne c o uld h a ve suspected th a t I knew
t he gentlemen w h o gave the entertainm ent A
few da ys later when I went t o Nigger H ead a nd
asked for the retu rn o f m y m oney and w a tch my
u ncle and cousins swo r e they knew n othing o f the
m atter an d they a ffected a belief that m y father
a n d I had done th e j ob o u r selves in dishones t
violatio n o f com me r cial good faith U n cle Wil
li a m even th reatened t o r etaliate b y starting a n
O pposition dance house at Ghost R o ck As
The Saints Rest had becom e r ather u npopul a r
I sa w tha t this wou ld assu r edl y ruin it and p r ove
a paying en terp r ise so I told m y u ncle that I was
willing to ove r look the past if h e woul d take m e
i nt o t he scheme and keep the pa r tne r ship a s ec r e t
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M Y FA VORI TE M URDE R
f rom my father
41
.
This fair o ffe r he r ej ected and
I then perceived that it wo uld be better an d m o r e
satisfacto ry if he we r e dead
“
My pl a ns to that end were soon pe r fected an d
commu nicating th em to m y dear pa r ents I had
the gratification o f r eceiving their app r oval My
father said he w as p r ou d o f m e and m y m other
p r omised that although her religio n fo r bade h er
to a ssist in taking h u man life I shou ld have the
advantage O f her p r a y e r s for my su ccess As a
prelimina ry measu r e looking t o my secu r ity i n
case o f detection I made an application fo r m em
h e r ship in that powe r fu l o r de r the Knights O f
M u r der a nd i n d u e cou r se was received a s a
member o f the Ghost Rock Commande ry O n
the da y that m y p r obatio n ended I was for the
fi r st time permitted to inspect th e reco r ds o f th e
or der and lea r n who belonged t o i t — all the r ites
O f initiation having been conducted i n masks
Fan c y my d elight when i n l ooking over the r oll
o f membe r sh ip I fou nd th e thi r d name t o be that
o f my u ncle who indeed was j unio r vice -chancel
!
lo r o f the o r de r
H e r e w a s an oppo r t unity
exceeding m y wildest d r eams — t o m u r de r I could
add insubo rdination and treache ry I t was what
m y good m othe r wo uld have called a special
P r ovidence
“
At abou t this ti me something occu rr ed which
caused m y cu p o f j o y al r ead y full t o ove r flow on
a ll sides a C ircu la r cata r act o f bliss Th r ee men
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CAN
42
S UCH THING S
BE ?
s tran ger s i n that l o cal it y were arre st ed for t h e
stage robbe ry i n which I had l o st m y m oney and
watch They were brought t o t rial and despite
my e ffo rt s t o clear them and fasten the gu ilt
u p o n t h r ee o f the m o st respectable and wo r thy
citizen s o f Gho st Rock convicted on the clearest
p r o o f The m u rder would n ow be a s wa n t o n a nd
reasonless a s I c o u ld wish
“
On e m o rning I sh o ulde r ed my Wi n chester r ifle
a nd going over t o my u ncle s hou se n e a r N igger
H ead asked my Au nt M ar y his wife if he were
a t h o m e a dding tha t I had com e t o kill him
My a u nt replied with a pecu liar s mile that so
m an y gentlemen called o n the sam e errand a nd
were a fterw a rd car r ied a w a y wi t hou t h a ving per
f or med i t tha t I m u st excuse her for d o ubtin g
my go o d faith i n t h e matter She s a id I d id n o t
l oo k as i f I w o uld kill an y body so a s a guara ntee
o f good faith I leveled m y rifle a nd wou nded a
Chin a m a n wh o happen ed t o be passing th e h ouse
She said s he kne w whole families w h o co uld d o
a thing o f th at kind b u t B i ll Ridle y wa s a h or se
c o l o r She said h owever that I
O f an other
w o uld find him o ver on the o ther s ide o f the
cree k i n the s heep l o t ; and sh e a dded th at s h e
h o ped the be s t man w o u ld w i n
“
M y Au nt Mary was o ne o f t h e m ost fai r
minded w omen wh o m I have ever me t
“
I fo u nd my u ncle d o w n o n his knee s engaged
i n skin n in g a sheep Seeing t h at he h a d neither
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S UCH THIN GS
CAN
44
BE ?
he a d
H e w as a he a v y m an a n d I h a d a ll I
c o uld d o to get him on m y back bu t I st a ggered
a long for some d ist a nce u ntil I came to a swing
which s o me o f the child r en had su spended t o the
b r anch of an o ak H ere I laid him d own a nd sat
upon him t o rest and the sight o f th e rope g a ve
m e a happ y i nspi r ation I n twenty m inutes my
u ncle still in the sack s wung free t o the sp o rt o f
t he wind I had taken down t he rope tied o ne
end tightl y abo u t th e m outh of the bag thr o wn
the other ac r oss th e li mb and hauled h im up
abou t five feet fr o m the grou nd Fastening the
o ther end o f the rope als o ab o u t the m o uth o f
the sack I had the satisfaction t o se e m y u ncle
converted i n to a h uge pendulu m I m ust add
tha t he wa s n o t h imsel f enti r el y a w a re o f the
natu re o f th e change which he h ad u ndergon e i n
his relatio n t o th e exte r ior wo r ld th o ugh in j u s
tice to a b r ave man s mem ory I ought to say
that I d o n ot think h e would in an y case have
w a sted m u ch o f m y ti me in vain rem on st r ance
U ncle William h ad a ram which w a s fam ou s i n
all that r egion as a fighte r I t w as i n a st a te O f
ch r onic constitu tional indignation Some deep
disappoi ntment in ea r l y life had sou r ed its dispo
s i t i o n and it had d ecla r ed wa r u pon the whole
wo r ld T O say that it wou ld but t anything acces
sible is bu t faintl y t o exp r ess th e natu r e and
scope of its m ilit a ry activity : the u nive r se w as its
a n t agonist ; it s me t h o d w as t h at o f a pr oj ectile
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M Y F A VOR I T E M UR D E R
45
.
I t fought like th e angels an d devils in m id ai r
cleaving the atm osphe r e like a bi r d desc r ibing a
pa r abolic cu r ve and descending upon its victim at
j ust the exact angle o f i ncidence t o make the most
o f its velocit y and weight I ts m oment u m ca l
It
cu lat e d in foot tons was something inc r edible
had been S een to dest r o y a fou r y ea r old bull by
a single impact upo n that an i mal s gna r ly fo r e
head N o stone wall had ever been known to
resist its downwa r d swoop ; the r e we r e n o t r ees
tough enough t o sta y it ; it would splinte r them
into matchwood an d defil e thei r leafy hono r s in
th e d ust This irascible and implacabl e b r ute
this inca r nate thu nde r bolt — this m onster of the
upper deep I had seen r eposing i n the shade o f
an adj acent t r ee d r eaming d r eam s o f conqu est
and glo ry I t was with a view t o su mm oning it
fo r th to the field o f hono r that I su spende d it s
m aste r in the manne r desc r ibed
Having completed m y p r epa r ations I i mpa r ted
t o the avu ncular pendulu m a gentl e oscillation
and r eti r ing t o cover behin d a contiguou s r ock
lifted u p m y voice i n a long r asping cry whose
dimi nishin g final note was d r owned in a n oise
like that O f a swea r ing ca t which emanated f r om
the sack InSt a n t ly that fo r midabl e sheep w as
upon its feet an d had taken i n the m ilita ry situ a
tion at a glance I n a few moments it had a p
ro ach e d stamping
t
o
within
fi
ft
y
y
a
r
ds
o
f
the
p
s winging foeman wh o n o w re t re a ting and ano n
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46
CA N
S
UCH
T HIN GS B E ?
advancing seemed t o invite the f ray Suddenly
I sa w the beast s head d ro p ea r thwa r d as if de
p r essed b y the weight O f its e n o rmous ho r ns
then a d im whit e wavy st r eak o f sheep pr o
l onged itself f r o m that spot i n a genera lly ho r i
zo n t a l di r ection t o withi n a b ou t f o u r ya r ds o f a
point im mediately beneath the enem y There it
st r uck s h a rpl y u pwa r d a nd befo r e i t had faded
from my g a ze at the place whence it h a d se t o u t
I he a rd a h o rrible t h u mp a nd a piercing sc r eam
a nd my p oo r u ncl e sh ot forward with a slack rope
higher t h a n the limb t o which he w a s a tt a ched
H e r e the r o pe ta u tened with a j e r k a r re s ting this
flight a nd b a ck he s wu ng in a bre a thles s cu r ve t o
th e o ther en d o f his a rc The ra m h a d fa llen a
heap o f indistingu ishable leg s w o ol and h o rns
bu t p u lling itsel f to geth er a nd dodging as its
a ntagoni s t swept d ownward it retired a t ra n
d om alte r nately shaking its he ad and stamping
its fore feet When i t had b a cked a bout the
same distance as tha t from which it had delivered
the assault it paused a gain bowed i t s head a s i f
i n p rayer for victory an d again shot f o rward
diml y visible as befo r e — a p r o l onging white
streak with m onstrou s u nd ulations ending with
a sharp ascension I ts cou r se this t im e wa s at a
right angle t o i t s f o rmer o ne a nd it s impatien ce
so g r eat th a t it st r uck th e en emy before h e had
nea rl y r eached the lowest point o f his a r c I n
con sequence he went fl y ing a r ound and a r ou nd in
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MY
F A VORI T E
M
URD E R
47
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a h o riz on t a l C ircle wh o se ra di u s w as a b out equ al
t o h a lf the length o f the rope which I f o rg ot t o
sa y w as nea r l y t we nt y feet l o ng
H i s s hrieks
cr escendo in appr oa ch a n d d zm znu endo i n r ece s
s i o n m a de t h e rapidity o f his rev o luti o n m ore
o bvio us to the e a r th a n t o t he eye
H e had
evidently n ot ye t been struck i n a vi t al s pot
H is postu re in t he s a ck a nd t he d is t ance fr o m th e
gr ou nd at which he h u ng c o mpelled the ra m t o
operate upon hi s l o wer extremities a nd t he end o f
his back Like a plan t th a t h as s tr u ck i t s r oot
int o s o me pois o n o u s m inera l my p oo r u n cle wa s
d y ing slowl y upward
After del ive r ing it s s ec o n d bl o w t he ra m h a d
n ot again retired The fever o f b a ttle bu rn ed ho t
in i t s heart ; it s bra in w as in t oxic a ted with the
wine o f st r i fe Like a pugilist w h o i n h is r a ge
forgets hi s s kill a nd fights ine ffectively at hal f
a rm s length t he a ng ry beast ende a v o red t o reach
i t s fleeting foe by a wkward vertic al leap s as he
passed ove r head s ometimes indeed s ucceeding i n
s triking him feebly bu t m ore frequ ently over
t h r own b y it s o wn misgu ided eage r nes s Bu t a s
t he impet u s w a s exh a u sted an d the m a n s ci r cle s
n arrowed i n sc o pe and diminished i n speed b r ing
ing him nea r er t o t he g r ou nd these tactics p r o
d u ce d better results a nd elicited a su pe r i o r q u ality
o f screams which I g r eatl y enj o y ed
“
Suddenl y as if the bugle s had su ng t ru ce t he
ra m suspended h ost i l ities a nd w a lked a w ay
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48
CA N
S UCH
T H IN GS
BE?
thoughtfully w r inkling and sm oothing its g r eat
aquilin e n ose and occ a sionally c r opping a bunc h
I t seemed to
o f g r ass and slowl y m u nching it
have ti r ed O f wa r s ala r ms and r esolved to beat
th e swo r d into a plowsha r e and cultivate th e a r ts
Steadil y it h eld its cou r se away f r om
o f peace
the field o f fam e u ntil it had gained a distance o f
n ea r l y a qua r ter o f a m ile The r e it stopped and
stood with i t s rear t o th e foe C hewing its cu d
an d appa r ently half a sleep I ob served h o weve r
an o ccasional slight t u r n o f its head a s if its
fected than r eal
a path y we r e mo r e a f
Meantim e Un cle William s sh r ieks had abated
with hi s m otion and nothing w as hea r d fr om him
b u t long low m oans a nd a t long inte r vals m y
n am e u tte r ed in ple a din g tone s exceed ingl y
g r atefu l t o my ear E videntl y the man had not
the faintest n o ti o n o f what was being d one t o
him and w as in expressibly terrified When
Death com es cl o aked i n m ys tery he is te rr ible
indeed Little by l ittl e m y u ncle s oscillations
diminished and finall y h e hung m oti onless I
w ent to hi m and was about to give h im the cou p
d e g r ei ee when I hea r d and felt a su ccession o f
sma r t S hocks which shook the g r ou nd like a se r ies
o f light earthquakes and t u r ning in the di r ection
of the r am saw a long clou d of d ust app r oachi ng
m e with i nconceivable rapidit y and ala r m ing
e ffect At a distance o f some thirt y y a rds awa y
i t stopped sh o r t a nd f r om the n e a r end o f it r o se
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MY
F A VOR I T E
M UR D E R
49
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wh at I at fir s t t h ou gh t a g re at whi t e
bird
I ts as cen t w a s S O sm o o t h a nd e asy an d
reg u l a r t ha t I c o uld no t realize i ts ex t rao rdin a ry
celerity a nd w as lost i n a dm ira t i on o f i ts gra ce
T o thi s day t he impre s si o n rem a in s t h at i t w as a
—
s low deliberat e m o vement the r a m fo r i t w as
t h at a nim al— being upb o rne by so me p o wer o t her
t han its o w n impet u s a nd suppo r ted thr o ugh the
s ucce ss ive st a ges o f its fligh t with i nfini t e t ender
ne ss a nd c a re M y eyes followed i t s progre ss
t h ro ugh the a ir with u nspeakable pleasu r e all the
grea t er by c o n t rast wi t h my f o rmer terr o r o f i ts
a ppr oa ch by land
Onw ar d a nd upw a rd th e
no ble a nimal s a iled it s h ead ben t d o wn a lm ost
between it s knees it s fore fee t thr o wn b a ck it s
hinder legs tra iling to rear l ike the leg s o f a soa r
ing heron A t a height O f fo r ty or fi fty fee t as
ne a rly a s I c o uld j udge it attained its ze n ith a nd
a ppe a red to rem a in an instant s tationa ry ; t hen
tilting su ddenly f o rwa r d withou t a ltering t he
relative p os iti o n o f its pa r ts it sh o t d o wnward o n
a steeper a nd s t eeper c o u rse with augmenting
vel o city p as sed i mmediately a bove m e with a
n oise like the r u sh o f a cann on sh o t and struck
my p oo r u ncle almos t squ a rely o n t he t op o f t h e
head ! S o f r ightful w a s the impac t th a t n ot only
the neck was broken bu t the r ope t o o ; a nd the
bod y of th e deceased forced against the ea r t h
w a s c r ushed to pulp ben eath the awfu l f r ont of
t h at me t eori c shee p ! T h e c on c u s si o n s t o p ped
i nto t h e
ai r
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CAN S UCH
0
5
T H IN GS B E ?
all t he c lo c ks be t wee n L on e H a nd an d D u t ch
D an s an d Pr o fess o r D a vidson wh o h a ppened t o
be in t he v icini t y promp t ly expl a in ed t h at t he
"
vibrat i o n s were fr o m n o rth to s o ut h
'
,
,
,
.
Alt o ge t her I c an n ot help th i nk ing t h at i n
p o int o f atr o city my m u rder o f Un c l e Wi ll i a m
h as s el d o m bee n e x ce ll ed
,
.
5
S U CH
CA N
2
T H IN GS
’
BE 5
va r iou s zmpea zm enta are assigned t o the i ng lo ri
o u s but imp o rtant d u t y o f supplying t he fighters
m a n y needs
An arm y i n line o f b a ttle a w a i t ing at t a ck o r
p r epared to deliver i t p r esents strange contrasts
At the fr o nt ar e p r ecisi o n fo r malit y fix i ty a nd
silence Tow ar d the rear the s e ch ar acte r istics a re
less a nd less con spicu ous and finall y in point o f
space ar e lost altogethe r in con fusi o n motion
a nd n oise The homogene o u s becom es hete r o
e
n
e
o
u
s
Definition
is
lacking
rep
o
se
is
r
eplaced
;
g
b y an app ar ently pu r poseless activit y ; ha r mon y
vanishes i n h ubbub fo r m i n dis o rder Com m o
t io n eve rywhere and cea s eless u nre s t The m en
wh o do n ot figh t a r e neve r ready
From his position at the r igh t o f his c o mpan y
i n th e f ro nt ra nk Captain Gra ffe n re i d had an
u nobstruc t ed outl o ok t owa r d the enem y A
half mile O f open and ne a rl y level g r ou nd la y
before h im and be y ond it an i r regular w o od
cove r ing a sl ight a cclivit y ; n ot a hu man being
a nywhere visible H e could imagin e nothing
m o r e peaceful than the appearance of that pleas
ant landscape with i t s long st r etches o f b r own
fields ove r which the atm osphe r e w as beginning
t o qu ive r i n the heat o f the m o r n ing su n Not a
—
sou nd came f r om fo r est o r field n ot even th e
b ar king of a d og o r the c r owing of a cock at the
half seen plantation house o n the c r est among
Yet every man i n t h o se mile s o f
t h e t ree s
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-
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ONE
OFF I CE R ,
MA N
ON E
53
.
m en knew t ha t h e and de at h were face t o
face
Capt a in Gra ffe nre i d had never i n h is li fe seen
an a r m ed enem y and the war in which h is r egi
ment was o ne o f the fi r st t o take the field was
two y ea r s old H e had had the r a r e advantage
of a milita ry ed u cation and when his com r ades
had ma r ched to th e f r ont he had been detach ed
for a dministrative se r vice at the capi t al o f his
St a te where i t was thought that h e cou ld be
m ost usefu l Like a bad soldier h e p r otested
a nd like a good on e o be y ed I n close o ffi cial and
pe r sonal r elations with the gove r n o r o f his State
and enj o y ing his confid ence and favo r h e had
fi r ml y r efused p rom otion a nd seen his j u niors
eleva t ed ab o ve him De a th had been b usy i n
his distant regiment ; v a c a ncies among the fi eld
O ffice r s had occu r r ed again a nd agai n ; bu t f r o m
a chival r ou s feeling that war s rewards belonged
o f r ight t o th ose w h o bo r e th e storm and st r ess
o f battle h e had held his h um ble r ank and gene r
H is S ilen t
o u sly advanced the fo r t u nes of othe r s
dev o tion to p r inciple had con qu e r ed at last : h e
had been relieved O f his h ateful d uties and
orde r ed to the front and n o w u n tr ied b y fi r e
s tood i n the van o f battle i n com mand o f a com
pan y of ha r d y vete ra ns to wh o m h e had been
but a nam e and that n a m e a b y -wo r d By n on e
n ot even b y th ose O f his b r other o ffice r s i n
wh o se fav o r h e had waived his rights — was h i s
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-
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CA N
54
S UCH THINGS
BE!
po s ition u nde r stood The y we r e to o b usy to b e
j ust ; he w as looked u pon a s o n e w h o h a d s hirked
his d uty u ntil fo r ced u nwill ingl y i nto the field
Too proud t o explain yet n ot t o o in s ensible t o
feel he cou ld onl y end u re and h o pe
Of all th e Federal Army o n th at su mmer
m orning n o ne had accepted battle m ore j oyousl y
than Ande r ton Graffe nre i d H is spi r it was bu oy
ant h is faculties were riotou s H e was i n a st a te
o f m ent a l exaltation and sca r cely cou ld end u r e
th e enem y s ta r diness i n advancing t o th e attack
To him th is was oppo r tu n ity— fo r th e resu lt h e
c a red nothin g Victory o r defeat a s Go d m ight
will ; in on e o r in the o the r h e shou ld p r ove h im
sel f a sold ie r an d a h er o ; he should vindicate his
right to the respect o f h is m en and th e compa u
—
o
r
his
b
r
othe
r
f
fi
c
e
s
t o th e consid e r a
i o nsh i p o f
tion of his su pe r io r s H o w his hea r t leaped in
his b r e as t as th e bu gl e sou nded th e sti rr ing notes
assembl y ! With what a light t r ead
o f the
sc a rcel y consciou s of th e earth beneath his feet
h e st r od e fo rw a rd at the head o f his compan y
and h ow exultingly he noted th e tactical disposi
tions which placed his r egim ent i n th e f ro nt line !
And i f pe r chance some m em o ry cam e t o h im o f
a pai r o f da r k blu e e y es that m ight take o n a
tende r e r light i n reading the acco unt o f that da y s
doings w h o shall blam e him fo r the u nma r tial
thought o r cou n t it a d eb a sement O f soldie rly
a rd or ?
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ONE
OFFI CE R ,
MAN
ON E
55
.
S u ddenly fr o m t he f o rest a half mile i n fr o n t
a pp a rently from a m o ng the upper branches o f the
—
t rees bu t re a lly f ro m the ridge bey ond r o se a
t all c o lu m n o f white sm o ke
A m omen t later
—
came a deep j a rrin g expl os i o n foll o wed almost
at tended — by a hide o u s r ushing so u nd th at
s eemed t o le a p forw a rd a c r oss the intervening
space with Inc o nceivable ra pidity rising fr o m
whisper t o r o a r with t oo qu ick a gra da t i on f o r
a ttenti o n t o n o t e t he s ucces s ive s tages o f its
h or rible pr o gre s si o n ! A v i si b le t re m o r ra n a l o n g
the lines of men ; a ll we r e st a rtled int o m ot ion
C a ptain Graffe nre i d d o dged a nd t hrew u p hi s
h a nds t o o ne s ide o f his head pal ms o utward
As h e did s o he heard a keen ringing rep o rt a nd
sa w o n a hillsid e behind t he l i ne a fierce roll o f
sm o ke d e file d with d u s t — th e S hell s explosion
I t had pa s sed a hundred y a rd s t o hi s left ! H e
he a rd o r fancied he he a rd a l o w m ocking laugh
and t urning i n th e d irection whence it c a me sa w
the eye s of hi s fir s t lieu ten a n t fixed up o n him
w ith an u n mist a kable look o f am usement
He
looked a l o ng the line of face s in t he fr o n t r anks
The m e n were la ughing At him ? The th o ugh t
—
res t ored the color t o hi s bl oo dle ss fa ce resto r ed
to o m uch o f it H is cheek s bu r n ed with a fever
O f sh a m e
The e n emy s s h o t w as not a n s we r ed : the gen
e r al i n comm a nd at t ha t exp os ed part o f the line
h a d eviden t ly no de s ire to pr ovo ke a can n o n a d e
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56
CA N
S U CH THIN GS
BE?
For t he forbea r ance Captain Gra ffe nre i d w as co n
sci o us o f a sense o f g ratitude
H e h ad n o t
kn o wn t h a t the fligh t o f a p r oj ectile w as a phe
n o m e n o n o f so appalling cha r acter
H is co n
ce pt i o n o f w a r had already u nderg o ne a pr o f ou nd
ch a nge and h e w as c o nsciou s t h a t his new feeling
w a s m a nifesting itself i n vi s ible pert u r bati on
H is blo o d seemed boiling in his vein s ; he had a
choking s ens a ti o n and felt th a t if he had a com
mand t o give i t w o uld be inaud ible o r at lea s t
u nin telligible The hand i n which he h eld hi s
s word t r embled ; the other m o ved au t om a tically
c l utching at v a rio us par t s o f his clothing H e
f o u nd a di ffi culty in s t anding s t ill a nd fancied
t hat his m en O b s erved i t
W as it fe a r ? H e
feared it w a s
From s o mewhere a w a y t o t h e righ t came as
t h e wind s erved a lo w in t erm it t ent m u rmu r like
t h at o f o cea n in a st o rm — like t h a t o f a dist ant
railway tr ain — like th a t o f wi nd a mong t h e pines
— three so u nds s o n e a rly alike th a t the e a r u naided
b y the j u dgment cann ot distingu ish them o ne
f r om an o ther The eye s o f the tr o ops were d r aw n
in that direction ; the moun ted o ffi ce r s tu rned
their field gl a sse s that w ay Mingled with the
sou nd was an i rr egular th r obbing H e thought
i t a t fi rst the beating o f his feve r ed blo o d i n his
ea r s ; next the distan t t apping o f a bass dru m
”
The ball i s opened o n t he ri g h t fl ank sa id
an o ffi cer
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OFFI CE R ,
ONE
ONE M A N
57
.
Capt a in Gra ffe n re i d u nd erstood : the sou nds
were m u sket ry and a r tille ry
H e n o dded a nd
tr ied t o smile The r e Was a pp a rently nothing
in fectiou s in the s mile
Pre s ently a light line o f bl u e sm oke p u ffs broke
su c
o u t al o ng t he edge o f the wood in f r ont
The r e we r e keen
ce e d e d by a crackle o f rifles
sharp hissings i n the ai r te r m inating ab r uptl y
with a thu m p n ear b y The man at Captain
Gra ffe nre i d s sid e d r opped his m usket ; his knee s
gave way and h e pitched awkwa r dly forw ar d
f a lling upon his face Som ebod y shouted Lie
down ! a nd the d ead man w as ha r dly distin
from
the
living
I
t
lo
o
ked
as
i
f
those
u
i
h
a
b
l
e
s
g
few r ifle S hots had slain ten thousand men Only
the field o ffice r s r emained erect ; their concession
to the eme r genc y consisted i n dism ou nting and
sending their ho r ses to the shelter o f t he low hills
im mediatel y in r ea r
Captain Gra ffe n rei d la y alo ngside th e dead man
f r om beneath whose b r east flowed a little r ill o f
blood I t had a faint sweetish odor which sick
ened h im The face was c r u sh ed into the earth
a nd flattened I t looked y ellow al r eady and w a s
r epulsive Nothing suggested the glo ry o f a so l
die r s d eath no r mitigated th e l oaths o m eness o f
the incident H e co uld n ot tu r n his back u pon
the b o d y witho ut facing away f r om his compan y
H e fixed h i s ey e s u pon the fo r est whe r e all
aga in w a s silent H e t r ied t o imagine what w as
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8
5
CA N
S UCH THIN G S
BE?
going on there — the lines o f t r oops f o rm ing to
a ttack t he gu ns being pushed forwa r d b y h a nd t o
t he edge o f the open H e fa ncied he c o uld see
thei r bl a ck m u zzle s p rotruding fr o m the u nder
growth re a dy t o del iver their s to rm o f missile s
s uch m i s sile s as t he o n e whose s hriek had so u n
s e t tled h is n erv e s The distensi o n o f h i s eyes
becam e painfu l ; a m is t s eemed t o g at her before
t hem ; h e co uld n o l o nger see acr oss t he field ye t
w o u ld n o t withdra w his g a ze le st h e s ee the dead
m a n at his side The fi r e o f b a ttle w a s n o t now
burn ing very b r igh t ly in thi s w ar ri o r s so ul Fr o m
in a ctio n h a d c o me i nt r o s pection
H e sou ght
rat her t o a nalyze h is feelings than distingu ish
h im s elf by cou r age a nd devoti o n Th e re s u lt w a s
pr o fou ndly d i sa pp o inting H e c o vered his face
with h is h a nd s and gr oa ned al o u d
The h oa rs e m u rm u r o f b a ttle gre w m or e a nd
m o re d isti n c t u p o n th e right ; the m u rm u r had
indeed bec o m e a roar the th r obbing a th u nder
Th e s o u nds h a d wo rked r ou nd obliqu ely t o th e
fron t ; evidently th e en emy s l eft w as being d riven
back a nd th e propitious m om ent t o move against
the s a lient a ngle O f his lin e would soon a rr ive
The S ilence a nd mystery in f r ont were omin ou s ;
a ll ag r eed th a t the y b o ded evil t o the assailants
Behind the p ros t rat e l ines sou nded the h oof
beats o f galloping h o r ses ; the m en t u r ned to
lo o k A dozen sta ff o ffice r s we r e r iding t o the
v a ri ou s brig a de a nd regimen ta l c o m m a nde r s w h o
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6o
CAN
SU CH THIN GS
BE ?
The se rgean t in th e rea r ra nk im mediately
behind Captain Gra ffe n re i d n ow O bserved a
s t r ange sight
H is attenti o n d r awn b y an n u
comm o n m ovemen t made b y the captain — a
sudden r e a ching fo r w a rd of the hands and t heir
en ergetic withd r awal th r owing the elbows o u t
as in pulling a n oa r— h e saw S p r ing f r om between
the o ffice r s shou lde r s a b r ight p o int o f metal
which p r olonged itself o utwa r d n ea r ly a half
—
ar m s length a bl a de ! I t w a s faintly streaked
with c r imson and its point app r oached so ne a r t o
the s ergean t s breast and with so quick a move
m ent t h a t he shra nk backwa r d in ala r m Tha t
m om en t Captain Gra ffe nre i d pi t ched he avily
f o rw a rd upon th e dead man and died
A week la t er th e maj o r-gen e r al commanding
the left corps o f the Fede r al A r my su b m i t ted th e
foll o wing o fficial repo r t
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“
I h a ve the h on o r t o rep o rt with reg a rd
t o the action o f the l g t h inst that o wing to the
enem y s withd r awal f r om m y f r ont t o reinfo r ce
his beaten l eft m y com man d w a s n o t engaged
M y loss w a s a s follow s : Killed o ne o ffi cer one
man
S IR :
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T H E M A N O U T O F T H E NO S E
.
F R O M A RE PO RT E R S NO T E B OO K
’
.
the inte r sec t io n of t wo cer ta in s t ree ts in
t hat pa rt o f San F r ancisc o kn o wn b y the r ather
loosel y applied n am e O f N o r th Beach is a vacant
lot wh ich i s r a t her m o re ne ar l y level t han is u su
a ll y the c a se with lots vacan t o r o therwise in tha t
region I mmediatel y back o f it t o the s outh
however th e gr o u n d slopes st eeply u pwa r d the
a cclivity broken by th r ee t erra ces cu t into th e
s o ft rock I t is a place for goa t s a n d p o o r pe o
ple several fam ilies of each C la s s having occupied
it j ointl y and am icabl y from th e f o u ndation o f
the cit y
One of th e very h u mble habi t ations
o f the lowest terr a ce is
n oticeable fo r it s ru de
resemblance t o the hu man face o r rather t o s u ch
a sim ulac r u m o f it as a bo y m ight cu t o u t o f a
hollowed pu mpkin m eaning n o o ffense t o his race
The e y es a r e two circular wind ows the nose is a
doo r the m ou th an apertu re cau sed b y rem oval
o f a boa r d bel ow
The r e a r e n o d oo r steps As
a face this hou se is too la rge ; as a d welling t o o
smal l The blank u nmeaning stare o f i t s lidle ss
and b row l e s s e y es is u nc a nn y
AT
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ox
6:
CA N
S U CH
T H IN GS B E ?
S o me t ime s a man s tep s o u t o f th e n os e t u rns
an d pa s ses the pl a ce where the right e a r should
be a nd m a king hi s w ay th r o ugh the thr o ng o f
chi l dren a n d g o at s o bstructing the n a rr o w walk
be t ween hi s n eighb o r s d oo rs and the edge o f th e
t erra ce g a in s th e st ree t by d e s cen ding som e rick
e t y s tai r s H ere he pau se s t o c o n su lt hi s w a tch
an d t he st r a nger wh o happens t o pa ss w o nders
w h y su ch a ma n a s t h a t ca n care wh at is the h ou r
L o nger o b s e rv a ti o n s w o uld S h o w him t ha t th e
t ime o f t h e d a y i s an imp o r ta nt elem en t in the
m a n s m o vemen t s f o r i t i s at preci s ely t w o o cl o c k
i n t h e a ft er noon t h at h e c o m e s for t h 36 5 t ime s in
e very ye a r
H a ving sat i s fied him s elf t h at h e h a d m a de no
m i stak e i n t h e h o u r h e replaces th e w at ch a n d
w a lk s r a pidly sou thw a rd u p the s tree t t w o
s q ua re s t u rn s to the right a nd as h e a ppr oa ches
the n ex t c o rner fi x e s h is eye s o n a n u pper w i n
d ow i n a t hree sto ry bu ilding a cr oss the w ay
This i s a so m ewh at dingy struc t u re which w as
or igin a lly o f red brick and i s now gr a y
It
s h ow s the t ou ch o f a ge a nd d ust B uil t f o r a
residence i t i s n o w a fac t o ry I d o n ot k now
wh a t i s m a de t here ; t he thing s t h at a re com
m o u ly m a d e i n a fa c t o ry I supp os e
I o nly
k n o w th at at tw o o clock in the afterno o n o f
every d a y bu t Sund ays it i s full o f activity a nd
cl a t t e r ; puls at ion s of s o m e g r eat e ngin e shake
i t and th ere are rec u rr ent screa m s o f w oo d to r
,
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M AN
T HE
OUT
T HE
OF
N OS E
63
.
b y t he sa w A t t he W i n d o w on whic h
the m an fixe s an i nt e ns ely expect a n t g a ze not h
i n g ever a ppe a r s ; t he gl ass i n t r ut h h as su ch a
c oa ting o f d ust t h at i t h as lo ng ce a sed t o b e
t ra nsp a ren t The m a n loo k s at i t with out sto p
ping ; he merely keeps t u rn ing hi s he a d m o re a nd
m o re b a c k w a rd as he le a ve s t he building behi n d
Pa s sing a l o ng to t he next c o rner he t u rns t o the
l eft g o e s r ou nd t he block a nd c o m e s b a ck t ill h e
re a che s t he p o in t diag o n a lly a cr os s the st ree t
fr o m t he fa ct o ry — a p o in t on his f o rmer c o u rse
which he t hen re t ra ces look ing frequ en t ly b a ck
w a rd o ver hi s righ t s h o ulder at t he wi n d o w while
i t i s i n s igh t F o r m a ny ye a r s he h as not bee n
k n own t o v a ry his r out e n o r t o i n t r o d u ce a s ingle
inn ovat i o n i nto hi s a c t i o n I n a qu a rt er o f an
h o u r he i s a g a i n at t h e m o u th o f hi s dwel l i n g
a nd a w o m a n w h o h as f o r so m e t im e bee n s t an d
ing in the n o se a ssi s ts him t o e n ter H e i s s een
n o m o re u nt il t w o o cl o ck the n ex t d a y T h e
w o m a n i s his wi fe She s u pp o rts hers elf a nd him
by w a shi n g f o r t he p oo r pe o p l e a m o n g wh o m
they live a t rat e s which de st r o y Chi n e s e a nd
d o me s tic c o mpetit i on
Thi s m a n is a b out fifty -s eve n y e a r s o f a ge
th ou gh he loo k s gre at ly o l der H is h a ir i s de a d
white H e we a rs n o be a rd and is alwa y s n ewly
sh a ven
H is hand s a re clean h is n a ils well kept
I n the m a t t er of dress he i s greatly s upe r i o r t o
h i s po si t i o n as i ndi cated by hi s su rr o u n din g s and
m ent ed
.
,
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,
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“
64
CA N
S UCH
T HIN GS B E ?
t he b u si ne ss of his wife
H e is indeed ve ry
n eatly i f not qu ite fa shionably clad H is s ilk h a t
has a date n o earlier than the ye a r before the last
and h i s boo t s scru pu lously polished ar e inn ocent
.
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
patches
I am t old that the su it which h e
wea r s d uring his daily excu r si o ns of fift een m i n
u tes is not the o n e that h e we ar s at hom e Like
eve ry thing else that he h a s this is provided a nd
kept in repair by the wife a nd i s renewed as fre
qu entl y a s her scant y m ean s permit
Thi r t y y ears ag o J ohn H a rdsh aw and his wife
l ived o n Rinc o n H ill in o n e o f the fine st r esi
de u ces o f that once ar istoc r atic qua r ter H e had
o nce been a physician bu t h a ving inherited a
considerabl e estate f ro m his father c o ncerned
himsel f n o m o re abou t the ailmen ts o f his fell o w
cre a t ures a nd f o un d as m u ch work a s h e cared
f o r in man a ging his o w n affai rs B o th h e and his
wife were highl y cultivated persons a nd their
house was f r equ ented by a small s e t of su ch men
a nd w o men as pe o ple o f thei r tastes wou ld think
wo r th k nowing S o far a s these knew M r and
M rs Ha rdsh a w lived happil y togeth er ; ce r tainly
the wife w as devoted to he r handsome and acco m
o f him
h
h
u
sband
and
exceedingly
pr
o
u
d
l
i
s
e
d
p
Am ong thei r acquaintances we r e the B arw ells
— man wife a nd t w o child r en — o f Sac r amento
Mr B a rwell w as a C ivil an d m ining enginee r
whose d uties took him m uch f r om h om e and
fre q u e ntly t o S an Franci s co A t t h ese latt er
of
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T HE
M A N O U T OF
T HE
N OS E
65
.
t imes his wife c o m m o nl y a ccompanied him and
passed m uch o f her tim e at the h ouse o f her
fr iend Mrs Ha rdsh a w alwa y s with her t w o
child r en o f whom M r s Ha rdsh aw childless he r
self grew very fond
U nl uckily her h u sband
—
grew equ all y f o nd o f their m o the r a good deal
f o nder Still more u nluckily t h a t a ttractive lady
w a s less wise than weak
A t a bout three o clock o ne a u tu m n m o rning
O ffi cer NO 1 3 o f the Sac r amento p o lice s a w a
man s te a lthily leaving the rear entra nce o f a ge n
t le m an s residence and promptly a rre st ed him
The m a n — who wore a slou ch ha t and shagg y
—
o vercoat O ffered the p o licem a n o ne h u nd r ed
then five hu ndred t hen on e t h o u s a n d doll a rs t o
be rele a sed As he h a d le s s than th e fi rs t m en
t i o ne d s u m o n his person the o fficer tre a ted his
prop o sal wi t h vir t u o u s c o ntempt Be fo r e re a ch
ing the sta ti on the p r is o ner ag r eed t o give him a
check f o r te n t ho us a nd dollars and r emain i ro ned
i n the willows alo ng the river bank u ntil it should
be paid As t his o nly p r ovoked n ew de r ision he
would s ay no m ore merel y giving an obviousl y
fict itiou s nam e W h e n h e wa s se a rched at the
s tation nothing o f val u e w as fou nd On him but a
—
f
r
m iniatu r e po r t r ait o M s Ba r well t h e lady o f
the hou s e at which h e was caugh t
The c a se
w as
s e t with C ostl y diam o nds ; and s o me
thing i n the quali t y o f the m an s linen sent a
p a ng o f u na va iling regre t through t he s everely
.
,
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’
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..
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’
66
CA N S U CH
T HI N
GS
BE ?
inc o rru ptible b o som o f Offi cer N o I 3 There
w as no thing a b o u t the prisoner s cl o thing o r per
son t o iden tify him a nd h e was booked f o r
bu rglary u nder t he nam e t hat he h a d given the
hon o ra ble n am e o f J oh n K Smith The K w as
a n inspir a ti o n u p o n which d ou b t less h e gre a tly
p r ided h imself
I n t he me an t im e t he m y t eri o u s disa ppe a ra nce
o f J o hn Ha rdsh a w w as a git a ting the g o ssip s o f
Rincon H ill in S an Fra ncisc o a nd wa s even m en
t i o ne d i n on e o f the n ewspapers
I t did no t
occu r t o t h e l a dy whom that j ou rn a l with g race
fu l t e n derne s s d e s c r ibed a s hi s widow to l oo k
for him in th e city p r is o n at S a cra men to — a to w n
which he w as n ot kn o w n ever t o h av e visited As
J oh n K Smi t h h e w as a rraig n ed a nd w a iving e x
amin at i o n c o m mit t ed f o r tri a l
Ab o u t t w o weeks bef o re th e t rial M r s Hard
sh a w a ccid e nt ally le a rning th a t her h usband w as
held i n S a cra men t o u nder a n a s s u med n a me o n a
ch ar ge o f bu r gl a ry hastened t o tha t city withou t
daring t o m ention the m a t t er t o a nyone and
p r esented he r sel f at th e pris o n a sking for a n
i nterview with her h u s b a nd J oh n K Sm ith
Hagga r d a nd ill with anxiet y wea r ing a p la in
t r aveling wrap which cove r ed her from n eck t o
fo ot a nd in which she had passed the n ight o n
t h e steamb oa t t oo a nxiou s t o s leep s he hardl y
showed fo r wh a t sh e w as bu t her m an ner pleaded
for her m o re s t r o ngly than anything t h at sh e
.
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’
,
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,
“
”
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68
CA N
S UCH T HIN GS B E
t he dep os i t i on lacked n o thing b u t her s ign at u re
sh e had c a ught it from the clerk s hands and torn
it i n piece s She had called her children t o the
bedside a nd emb r aced them with s t reaming eyes
then s uddenly sending them f ro m t he r oo m sh e
ve r ified her statemen t by o ath and s ignat u r e and
“
—
fa in t ed slick a way said the dis t ric t a ttorne y
I t w as at t hat tim e t hat her physici a n a rriving
u pon t he s cen e t o ok i n t he situation a t a glance
a nd gra sping the representative o f the law b y th e
collar chu cked hi m int o t he s tr eet a nd kicked his
accomplice a fter him Th e insulted maj est y o f
the law w as n o t vind icated ; the victi m o f th e
indignit y did n ot even m ention an y thing o f a ll
this i n cou r t H e w as a mbitiou s t o w i n his fir s t
c a se a nd the circu mst a nces o f th e taking o f that
dep o siti o n were n o t s u ch as w o uld give it weigh t
i f rel at ed ; a nd a fter a ll the m a n o n tri a l had
committed a n o ffen s e a g a i nst the law s maj esty
o nly less hein o u s th a n t h at o f th e ira scible
phy s ici a n
By suggestion o f th e j udge t he j u ry rendered a
ve r dict o f gu ilt y ; th e r e w as n othing else t o d o
and the p r isoner w a s s entenced t o the pen iten
H is cou nsel w h o had o h
t i a ry for th r ee y ea r s
t
o
n
o
thing
and
h
a
d
mad
e
n
o
plea
fo
r
e
e
d
c
t
j
l enit y had i n fac t ha r dly said a wo r d wrung his
client s han d and simply left the r oom It was
o bvi o u s to the whole ba r that he had been e n
gaged onl y t o p r eve nt t he c o u r t f r om appointing
’
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’
.
THE MAN O UT OF THE NOSE
69
.
c ouns e l wh o migh t p oss i bl y i n si st on m a king a
defense
J o hn Hardsh aw s erved o u t hi s t erm at S an
a
u
en
t
in
a
nd
whe
n
discharged
m
et
at
the
w
s
!
p r is o n g a tes by hi s wife w h o h a d re t u r ned f r om
the St a tes t o receive him I t is th o ught they
wen t stra ight t o E u rope ; a n y h o w a gene ral
p o wer o f a t torne y t o a law y er still living a mong
—
from wh o m I h a ve many o f th e fact s o f this
us
simple hist ory — w a s execu t ed at P a ris This
la wyer in a sho r t tim e s old everything that Hard
s h a w o wned in California a nd for year s n ot hing
w a s heard o f the u n fo r tu na t e couple ; though
many to whose e a rs had com e vagu e a nd i naccu
r ate intim a tio n s o f thei r s t ra nge st o ry and w h o
had known them recalled their pe r s o nality with
tende r ne ss a n d their misf or tu nes with c o mp as si o n
Some y ea r s later they retu rned b r oke n i n fo r
t u ne and spi r its he in he a lth The pu r p os e o f
their retu rn I have n ot been able t o a sce r t a in
Fo r so m e tim e the y lived u nder th e n a m e of
J oh nson in a respectable en ough qua r te r s o uth
o f M arket St r eet p r etty well o u t and we r e never
seen a way fr o m th e vicinit y o f thei r d welling
They m ust have had a l ittle m on e y left f o r it i s
n ot known that the man had any occupati o n the
state of his health p r obably n ot perm itting The
woman s devotion t o her invalid h usband w as
matte r o f r ema r k a mong their n eighbo r s ; sh e
seemed n eve r absen t f ro m hi s sid e s upp o rt ing
.
,
,
”
”
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’
,
CA N S UCH
°
7
T HIN GS B E ?
an d cheering him The y w o uld s it f o r h ou rs on
o n e o f the benches i n a little p ublic park s h e
readin g to him his h a nd in h ers her l igh t t o uch
occasion a ll y vi s iting his p a le br o w her still be au
tiful eye s frequently lifted fr o m t he b o ok t o l oo k
i nt o hi s as s he m a d e so m e comm e nt on the t ext o r
clo s ed th e v o lu m e t o beguile h i s m oo d with ta lk
N o b o dy h a d ever o ve rhe a rd a co n
o f— wh a t ?
vers a t i on be t ween the s e t w o Th e re a der wh o
h as h a d t he p a tie n ce t o f o ll o w t heir hi sto ry t o
t hi s p o in t m a y p o s s ibly fi nd a p le as u re i n co n
re : there w a s p robably
so
methi
n
g
to
be
e
t
u
c
j
a v o ided
The be a ring o f the m a n w as on e o f
pr o f o u n d d ej ec t ion ; i n fac t th e u nsymp at hetic
youth o f the n eighb o rh oo d with t hat keen s e ns e
f o r visible cha r acte r is t ics which ever di st i n gui s he s
t h e y o u ng male o f their s pecie s so m etime s me n
t i o ne d hi m a m o ng them s elve s by t h e na m e o f
'
.
,
,
,
,
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.
,
,
,
Spoony Glu m
I t occu r r ed o ne d a y t h at J o h n Hard sh aw was
by
t
h
e
s
piri
t
o
f
u
n
re
st
G
o
d
kn
o
w
s
o
e
s
e
d
s
ss
p
what led him whi t her he wen t bu t h e cr o s s ed
Ma rke t S t reet a nd held his w a y n o rthw a rd o ver
the hill s and d o w nw a rd in t o t he region kn o wn as
N o rth Beach Tu rning aimles s t o t h e lef t h e
followed his t o es along a n u n fa m ili a r s tree t u ntil
h e wa s o pp o site what f o r t h a t pe r iod w a s a rather
gran d residence a nd for thi s is a ra ther shabby
f a ct o ry C a sting hi s e y e s c a su a lly upw a rd he sa w
at an o p en wi n d o w wh a t i t h a d bee n bet t er h e
.
.
,
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,
THE
M AN
O UT OF T H E NOS E
1
7
.
h a d n ot seen — the fa ce a nd figu re o f E lv i ra B a r
well Their eye s met With a s h a rp e x cl a m a
t i o n l ike the cry of a st a rt led bird t he l a dy
s prang t o her feet an d t h r u st her be au tifu l b o dy
hal f o ut o f the wind ow clu t ching the ca s ing on
e a ch s ide Arrested by the cry t he pe o ple in
Ha rdsh aw stoo d
the s t ree t bel o w l oo ked u p
m otion l ess speechless his eye s t w o flames
“
”
Take care ! sh o uted s o me o n e i n th e c ro wd as
the w o m a n s tra ined fu rther a nd fu rther f or ward
d efying t he silent implac a ble l a w o f g r avitation
a s once s he h a d defied t h a t o ther la w which God
t hu ndered fr o m Sin a i The su dden n ess o f her
m oveme n ts h a d tu mbled a t o rren t o f d a rk h a ir
a bo ut her s h o ulder s a nd n o w it w a s b lo w n a b o u t
her cheek s a lm ost c o nce a ling her en t ire fa ce A
m oment so a nd t hen
A fe a rfu l cry ra ng
t hr o ugh t he st ree t as l o sin g her b al ance she
pitched he a dl o ng fr o m t he window a c o n fused
and whi r ling ma s s o f s kir t s limb s hair and
white face a nd struck t he pavement with a h o r
rible sou nd and a f o rce o f impact th a t w a s felt a
h und r ed fee t away F o r a m oment all eyes
refused their o ffi ce a nd t u rn ed f r om the sicken
i ng spectacle o n the sidewalk D ra wn again t o
that ho rr or the y saw it st rangely au gmented
A man hatless seated flat u pon the paving
stones held th e b r oken the bleeding f or m against
his b r east kissing the mangled cheeks and st r eam
i n g m o uth throu g h t a n g le s o f we t hair his o wn
.
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,
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,
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,
!
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,
CA N S UCH
2
7
THIN GS B E ?
fe at u re s indistingu ish a bl y c r imson with the bl o o d
that h a lf stra ngled him a nd ran in r ills fr o m hi s
s oaken beard
Th e report e r s t a sk is nea rly fi nished The
B a rw ells h a d that ve ry m o r ning r etu rned from a
t w o ye ar s absence in Lim a A week l a ter the
widower n o w doubly desolate since there could
be n o m issing th e significance o f Ha rdsh aw s
horrible d em onst ra tion had s ailed for I know n o t
wh a t distant p or t he ha s neve r com e back t o
s ay Hardsh a w— a s J ohnson n o longer— passed
a y e a r i n t he Stockton a s y lu m fo r the i n s an e
where a lso hi s wife th ro ugh the influ e n ce o f pity
ing f r iend s was a dmitted to care for him When
h e w as discha r ged not cu r ed bu t harmle ss they
re t u rned t o th e city ; it wo u ld s eem ever t o h a ve
had som e dread fu l fascin a ti o n f o r them F o r a
t im e they lived near the M issi o n in pove r t y only
les s a bj ect th a n th at which is th eir p r esen t lo t ;
bu t it w a s t oo far away from the obj ective point
o f the man s daily pilg r im a ge They could not
a ffo r d car fa re S o that poor devi l o f a n angel
—
f ro m he a ven wife t o this convic t and lun a t ic
o btained at a fair en ough rental the blank-faced
s hant y o n the lower te rr ace o f Goat H ill Thence
to the stru ct u r e that was a dwelling a nd is a fac
t ory t he d istance is not so gre a t ; i t is in fa ct a n
agree a ble walk j udging f r om the o ld gentleman s
eager a nd chee r fu l look as h e takes it The
ret u rn j o u rney appe ar s to be a t r ifle we a ri so me
.
’
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’
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’
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’
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.
AN O CC U R R E N C E
B R O W N V ILLE
I
AT
!
.
a little c o u ntry sch oo l near Br o wn
ville which as eve ryo n e know s w h o has had th e
g o od luck t o live the r e is the c a pit a l o f a co nsi d
c rable expanse o f t he fi nes t scene r y i n C a liforn ia
The town is somewha t frequ ented i n su m m e r by
a cl a ss o f pe r sons whom it i s the h abi t o f the
”
l o c a l j ou r nal t o cal l pleasu re s eekers bu t wh o
“
b y a j u s te r classifi cation wou ld be kn ow nas th e
s ick and those i n a dversity
Brownville itself
might rightly enough be d escribed i ndeed a s a
su mmer place o f last reso r t
I t is fa i r ly well
endowed with b o a r ding h o u ses at th e least per
n i ci o u s of which I pe r fo r m ed twice a da y ( lu nch
ing at the scho o lhou se) the h u mble rite o f cem ent
ing the alli a nce between sou l and body F r om
”
“
this hostelry (as the local j ou rn a l p r eferred t o
”
“
c a ll it when it d id n o t cal l it a ca rav e nse ra i ) t o
th e schoolh o u s e the d is ta nce by the wagon r oad
w a s a bou t a m il e a nd a hal f ; bu t the r e was a
t ra il ve ry little u sed wh ich led over an i nt e rve n
T A U GH T
,
,
,
.
,
.
,
,
.
,
.
,
T
hi
,
s story
Pe terso n , t o w
m ay
h ave
.
i
w as w r tte n i n
h mi
o
s r
c ll b
i g h tly d
o
ue
a
i h M i In Lill i n
c dit f wh t v m e i t i t
i
ora t o n
th e
re
w t
or
ss
a e
a
a
er
r
THING S
CAN S UCH
74
BE ?
ing ran g e o f low he a vily w oo ded hill s c ons ider
a bly sh o rt en ing t he dist a nce By thi s t ra il I w as
re tu rn ing o n e eve n i ng l at er th a n u su a l I t w as
the l ast d a y o f t he t erm a nd I had bee n d e t ained
at the s ch oo lh ou se u n t i l a lm ost d a rk prep a ring an
—
a cc o u n t o f my s tew ar dship f o r th e t r u stees tw o
o f wh o m I pr ou dly reflected w o uld be a ble t o
re a d i t a n d t he t hird (a n instance o f th e domi n
i on o f mind o ver m att er) would be o verru l ed i n
hi s cu st o m a ry a n ta g o n i sm to the s ch oo lm ast er o f
hi s o w n cre a ti on I had g o ne n o t m o re t han a
q ua rt er o f t he w a y whe n finding an in t ere st i n
t he ant ic s o f a fa m ily o f lizard s which dwel t
t here a b o u t a nd seemed ful l o f reptili a n jo y f o r
their imm u n ity fr o m the ills incide nt to li fe at t he
Br o w n ville H o u se I sat u p on a fallen t ree t o o b
s erve t hem As I le a ned we a rily a gain st a bra nch
o f t he gn a rled o ld t ru nk th e twiligh t deepe n ed i n
t h e so mber w oo ds an d th e fain t new m oo n bega n
c as ting v i s ible sh a d o ws a nd gilding the l e av es o f
the t ree s with a tender bu t gh ost ly ligh t
S u ddenly I h e a rd t he so u n d o f v o ice s— a
w o m an s a ngry i m pet o u s rising a g a in st deep
m a sc u line t o nes rich an d m u sic a l
I s tra ined
my eyes peering thr ou gh t h e d us ky sh a d o w s o f
t he wood hopi n g t o get a view o f the in t r u ders
on my s oli tu d e b ut c o uld s ee n o o n e F o r so m e
y a rd s i n e a ch d irecti on I had a n u nin t erru pted
v iew o f t he t ra il a nd kn o wing o f n o o ther within
a h a lf mile t h o u gh t t he perso n s he a rd m us t be
,
,
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’
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,
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,
c on ver sat i o n they s p o ke in l o wer ton e s an d I
cou ld no longe r u nde r stand As I looked the
w o m a n seemed t o sink to the g r ou n d and r a ise
her h a nds i n supplication a s is f r equently d o ne
o n the stage and n ever s o far as I kn ow a ny
whe r e el s e an d I a m n o t al to gether s u re tha t it
w a s done i n this instance The man fi xed hi s
e y e s upon her ; the y seemed t o glitter bleakly in
t he m o o nlight with an exp r essi o n th a t made m e
a pprehensive that he would t urn them upon m e
I do n ot know by what impulse I w as m o ved
bu t I sprang to my feet o u t o f the s had o w A t
t h a t instan t the figu r es v a nished
I pee r ed i n vain thro ugh the space s a m o ng the
trees and clu mps o f u nde r g r owth The n ight
wind rustled the leaves ; the liza r d s had reti r ed
e ar ly reptiles o f exempl ary habit s
The little
m oon w a s a lre a dy slipping behind a black hill in
the we st I went hom e som ewhat distu r bed in
m ind h a lf do ubting that I h a d hea r d o r s een a n y
living thing excepting the liza r ds I t all seemed
a t r ifle o dd a nd u ncann y I t w a s a s i f a mong the
v ar i ou s phen o mena obj ective and subj ective
that mad e the su m tot a l o f the incident the r e had
bee n a n u nce r tain element which had d i ffused
it s d ubiou s cha r ac t er over a ll — had le a vened the
whole m a s s with u n r eality I did n ot like it
At t he bre a kfast table the n ex t m o r ning the r e
w a s a n ew face ; oppo s ite m e sa t a young gi r l at
wh o m I gl a nced c a rele s sly as I t o o k my s e a t
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AN
OCC UR R E N CE
AT
BR O WN VILLE
77
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I n spe a king to the high a nd mighty female per
so na g e w h o condescended t o seem t o wait upo n
u s this gi r l s o on invited m y a ttention b y th e
s ou nd o f her voice which w a s like ye t not alto
gether like the o n e still m u rm u ring i n my m em
o ry of the previou s evening s ad ventu r e A
m o ment later another gi r l a few years o lder
ente r ed t he r o om a n d s at at th e left o f the other
speaking t o her a gentl e good m o r n ing
By
ker voice I wa s sta r tled : it was withou t d o ubt
t he o ne o f which t he fi r st gi r l s had reminded m e
H ere was the lad y o f th e sylvan incid en t sitti ng
bodily before m e in her habi t a s sh e lived
E videntl y en o ugh the tw o were siste r s
With a
nebulou s kin d o f a pprehen s io n tha t I m ight be
recognized a s t h e m ute ingl or ious he r o o f a n
a dvent u re which h a d in my conscio usness a nd co n
science something o f the character o f e a vesd rop
f
ing
I
allowed
m
y
self
but
a
hasty
the
u
o
c
p
p
l :k e w a rm coffee thoughtfu l l y p r ovided b y the
p rescien t wait r es s f o r the em e rgency an d left th e
table As I passed o u t o f the hou se into the
g r oun ds I hea r d a r ich strong mal e vo i ce sm g m g
a n ar ia from Rigoletto
I am b o u nd t o sa y
tha t it was exqu isitel y su ng too b u t the r e w a s
something i n the pe r formance that displeased m e
I could say neither wh a t n o r w h y a nd I walked
r a pidl y awa y
Retu rning later in t he da y I saw the elder o f
the two y o u ng women stan ding on t h e porch a nd
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CA N S UCH T HIN GS B E ?
3
7
ne a r her wa s a t a ll man in black clothing — t he
ma n whom I had e x pected t o see Al l day the
desi r e to know s o mething o f these pers o n s had
been uppe r mos t i n m y m ind and I n o w resolved
t o learn what I cou ld of them in a n y w a y tha t
was n either d ish on o r able n or l o w
The m an w a s t a l k in g e as ily a nd a ffably to hi s
comp a ni o n bu t at t h e sou nd o f m y footstep s o n
th e gravel walk h e ceased and turning abou t
l o o ked m e ful l in the face H e wa s app ar ently
o f m iddle a ge dark a nd u nc o mm o nly hand so me
H is at ti r e w a s f a ultles s ; hi s be a ring e a sy a nd
graceful t he l o ok which h e tu rned up on m e o pen
f r ee a nd dev o id o f a ny s uggesti o n o f rud enes s
N evert hele ss it a ffected m e wi t h a dis t inct em o
ti o n which on sub s equ ent a naly s i s in m em o ry
a ppe a red t o be c o mp o u nded of h at red a nd dre a d
-I a m u nwilling to c a ll it fe a r
A s ec on d l at er
t he ma n a nd wo m a n h a d di s app e a red
They
s eem ed t o have a trick o f disapp ea ri n g On
ente r ing t he house h o wever I s a w them th r o u gh
the ope n d oo rwa y o f the parl o r a s I p a s s ed ; t hey
had m erel y s tepped th r ough a wind o w which
O pened down t o the fl o or
Cau tiousl y app r o a ched o n the subj ec t o f he r
new gu ests m y landlad y p r oved n ot u ngraci o u s
Restated with I hope som e small reverence for
E nglish g ra mmar th e fac t s were these : The
two girls we r e Paul ine an d E va Mayn ard o f San
Francisco ; t he elder w as Pau line The m a n was
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A T B R O WN VILLE
A N OCC UR R E N CE
79
.
Rich a rd Ben ning t heir gu a rdia n wh o h a d b ee n
t he m o s t i nt im at e friend o f t heir fat her no w
dece a sed M r Be nn ing h a d br o ugh t them t o
Br o wnville in t he h o pe t h a t t he m ou nta i n clim a te
migh t be n efi t E va wh o w as t h ou gh t to be i n
d a nger o f c ons u mpti o n
U p on t he s e s h o r t an d s imp l e a nn a l s t he la nd
la dy wr o ught an embr o idery o f e ulo gi u m which
a bu n d a n t l y a t t e st ed her fa ith i n M r Ben n ing s
will an d a bility to p a y f o r t he bes t t h at her h ou s e
a ffo rded Th a t h e h a d a g oo d he a rt wa s eviden t
to her fr o m hi s dev ot i o n t o hi s t wo be aut if u l
w a rd s a nd hi s re a lly to uching so lici t u de f o r t hei r
c o m f o rt The evidence impre s sed m e as i nsu fli
cie n t an d I s i l e nt ly f ou n d t h e Sc ot ch verdic t
“
”
No t pr o ven
Cer ta i n ly M r Be nn i n g w as m ost att e nt ive t o
hi s w a rd s I n my st r ol l s a b out t he c ou n t ry I
freq u ently enc ou nt ered t hem — so metime s i n
—
c o mp a ny wi t h ot her gue sts o f th e h ot e l ex plo r
ing t he gulche s fi sh ing rifle s h oo ti n g a nd o ther
wi s e wi l ing a w a y the m o n ot o n y o f c o u n t ry life ;
an d a l t h o ugh I w at ched t hem a s clo s ely a s g oo d
breeding w ou ld permi t I sa w no thing t h a t wo u ld
i n a ny w a y e x plain t he s t ra nge w o rd s th a t I had
o verhe a rd i n t he w oo d I h a d gr o w n t ol erably
well a cqu a in t ed with t he y o ung ladie s an d c o uld
e x ch a nge look s a nd
eve n g r ee t in g s with t heir
gu ar dia n withou t a c t u al repugn a nc e
A m on th we nt by an d I h a d a l m ost cea s ed to
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80
CA N
S U CH T HI N GS B E ?
inte r est myself in their a ffai r s wh en o ne n igh t o u r
enti r e little com m u nit y w a s th r own in to excite
m ent b y an even t which vividly rec a lled m y
expe r ience i n the fo r est
This was the death o f th e elder gi r l Paul ine
The siste r s had occu pied the same bed r oo m o n
the third fl oo r o f the hou se Waking in th e g ray
o f the m o rning E v a had fo u nd P a u line dead
beside her in th e bed
Later when th e p oo r
gi r l was weeping besid e the body amid a th r ong
o f s y mpathetic if n ot very considerate pe r sons
M r Benning e n te r ed th e r oom and w a s appar
entl y a b o u t t o take her hand She d r ew awa y
f r om the s ide o f the dead and m o ved slowly
towa r d the door
I t is y ou sh e s aid y o u w h o h a ve don e
this Y o u — yo u — yo u !
She is raving he said in a l ow v o ice H e
followed her step by step as sh e ret r eated his
e y es fixed upon he r s with a steady g a ze in which
the r e was n othing o f tendernes s n or o f comp a s
s ion She stopped ; the hand th a t sh e had raised
i n accusation fell t o h er side her dilated e y es
cont r acted visibl y th e l ids sl owly d r opped over
t hem veiling thei r st range wild beau t y and sh e
s t oo d m oti o nless and alm ost as white as the dead
gi r l l y ing near The man took her hand and pu t
his a r m gently a bou t her sh oulde r s as if t o su p
po r t he r Suddenly sh e bu r s t into a passio n o f
t e a r s a nd clu ng t o him a s a child t o it s m o ther
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AN
OCC URR E N CE
A T B R O WN VILLE
8
.
He s mi l ed
1
wi t h a s mi l e t h at a ffec t ed m e m os t
di sa gree a bly — pe rha p s a ny ki n d o f s m il e w o u l d
—
h a ve d on e so and l ed her s i l e ntl y ou t o f t h e
r oom
There w as an i n q u est — perh a p s a n auto p s y
it
t h e c usto m a ry verd ic t : t he d ece as ed
and
a ppe a red c a m e t o her de at h t hr o ugh he a r t
di s e as e
I t w as b e f o re t h e i nv en t i o n o f he a rt
h
t
ho
u
gh
he
a
r
t
o
f
p
oo
r
P
aul
i
n
e
h
a
d
a
i
l
ur
e
t
e
f
i n d u bi ta b l y f a i l ed
T h e b o dy w as emb al m e d
an d ta ke n t o re l a t i v e s i n S an Fran ci s c o by som e
n ei t her
o ne su mm o ned t h e n ce f o r t he p u rp os e
E va no r Be n ni n g a cc o mp a nying i t
S o me o f th e
h ot el g oss ip s ve ntu red t o t hin k t h at v ery st r a nge
an d a few h a rdy s piri ts we nt so fa r a s t o t h i nk i t
v ery st ran ge indeed ; b ut t he g o o d l an dl a dy ge n
e ro u sly t hrew her s e l f i nt o t h e bre a ch s ayi n g i t
w as o wi n g to t he prec a ri ou s na t u re o f the girl s
hea l th I t i s n ot of rec o rd t h at ei t her of t he t wo
perso n s m ost a ffect ed a nd a pp a re nt ly le ast con
cer ne d m a de an y expl a n at i on
O n e e ven i n g a bo u t a we ek a f t er t he de at h I
we nt out u po n t he vera nd a o f t he h ot e l t o ge t a
b o ok t h at I h a d l ef t t here U n der s o m e vine s
s h utt i n g ou t t h e m oo nlig h t fr o m a part o f t h e
s p a ce I s a w Rich a rd B e nni n g f o r wh o se ap pa ri
t i on I was p rep a red by h a ving p re vi ou s ly heard
t he lo w swee t vo ice o f E va May na rd whom a ls o
I now discer n ed s t a ndi n g before him with o ne
han d r ai sed to h i s sh oul d e r, and h er ey es as
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82
S UCH T HI N GS
CA N
EE I
n e a rl y as I cou ld j udge ga zing u p wa rd in to h is
H e held h er disengaged han d an d hi s he a d w as
ben t with a pec u liar d ignity a nd gra ce Their
a t t it u de w as t ha t o f l overs an d as I stoo d i n
d eep sh a dow t o o bserv e i t I felt eve n gu il t ier
t ha n o n that m emo r able nigh t in the w oo d I
was ab o u t t o reti re when t he gi r l sp o ke an d t h e
c o ntra s t between her word s a nd her a tti t ude w as
so s u rpri s ing th at I rem a ined bec aus e I h a d
m erely f o rgo t te n to g o aw a y
“
”
Y ou wil l t ake my li fe sh e sa id as y ou did
P aul in e s l ast week I k n o w y ou r in t en t i on a s
well as I k n o w y o u r p o wer a n d I as k n o thing
o nly th at yo u fin ish y ou r w ork wi t h o u t needle ss
”
del a y a nd le t m e be at peace
—
H e m a de n o reply m erely l e t g o the h a nd th at
h e was h o lding rem o ved the o ther fr o m his sh o u l
d er a nd t u rning a w a y de s cended t he s t ep s l e a d
ing t o t h e g a rde n an d dis a ppe a red i n t he
s hr u bbery B ut a m o men t l a ter I h e a rd s eem
i ng ly fr o m a gre at dist a nce h i s fin e cle a r v o ice in
a ba r ba r ic chan t which as I lis t e n ed br o ugh t
bef o re so me in n er s piritu al s en s e a c o n sci ousn e s s
o f some fa r s trange land pe o pled with being s
h a ving forbidden p o wers The s ong held me i n
a k ind o f spell bu t when it h a d d ied a wa y I
rec o vered a nd instantly perceived wha t I th ou gh t
a n o pp o rt u nity I walked out o f my shad o w t o
wh ere the girl stood She t u rned a nd looked a t
m e wi t h so m e t hi n g o f t h e loo k i t s e em ed to m e
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84
S U CH T HIN GS B E 1?
CA N
U nless y o u expl a in t he s e t hings to me I sh a ll lay
t he m a tter befo r e the autho r ities
Thi s roused he r bu t in a w ay that I d id no t
like She lifted her he a d prou dly and said : Do
n ot meddle si r in what d oes n ot c o nce r n you
”
This is m y a ffair M r M o ran not your s
—
I t conce r n s eve ry pe r so n in the cou ntry i n
”
the wo r ld I a nswe r ed with equ a l coldness
If
yo u had n o love fo r yo u r sister I a t le ast am
conce r ned for
“
Lis t en sh e in t erru p t ed le a ning t owa r d m e
I loved her y es God know s ! B ut mo r e than
—
t h a t beyond all beyond exp r ession I love h i m
Yo u h a ve ove r hea r d a sec r et bu t yo u shall n ot
m a ke use o f it t o h ar m him I shall den y all
Y o u r wo r d again s t m ine — i t will be that Do
o
u
t
hink
y
ou
r
au
tho
r
ities
will
believe
yo
u
?
y
She was n ow smiling like a n angel and God
h elp m e ! I was heels over head i n love with he r !
Did sh e by s om e of t he many methods of divina
t ion known t o her se x re a d my feelings ? Her
whole man ner had alte r ed
“
Come sh e said alm ost coaxingl y promise
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that yo u will n ot be i mpolite again
She took
my arm in the m o st f r iendl y wa y
Come I will
—
walk with y ou
H e will n ot know h e will
r emain awa y all night
Up and down the ve r and a we paced in the
moonlight sh e appa r entl y fo rgetting he r r ecent
b e r e av em e n t c o oin g and m u rm u r in g g i rlwi se of
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A N OCC UR RE N CE A T E R O WN VILLE
85
.
every kind of n othing in all B r ownville ; I s i l en t
consciousl y awkward and with s om ething o f the
feel ing o f being concerned i n an i nt r igu e I t w a s
—
a r evelation this most charm ing a nd apparentl y
blam eless creatu r e coolly a nd con fessedl y d e ce i v
ing the m an fo r whom a m om en t befo r e sh e h a d
acknowledged and shown t he supreme love which
finds even death an acceptable endearmen t
Trul y I t hought in my inexperience here
is something new u nder t he m oon
And the moon m u st h a ve smiled
Before we pa r ted I had exacted a promise th at
sh e would walk with m e the next afternoon
—
before going away fo r ever t o the Old M ill o n e
revered a nti quities erec t ed i n
o f B ro wnville s
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1 8 60
.
“
I f h e i s no t ab o u t sh e a dded gra vely a s I
let go the hand s h e had given m e at p a rting and
o f which
ma y the good saint s forgive m e I
st r ove vainly to repossess m y sel f when she had
said i t — so charming as the wi s e Frenchman has
pointed ou t d o we find woman s i n fidelity when
I n a pp or tion
we a r e its obj ects not i t s victims
ing his benefaction s th at night the Angel o f Sleep
ove r looked m e
The B r ownville H o use d ined e ar ly a nd a fter
dinne r o n the next day M iss Maynard w h o had
n ot been at table came t o m e o n the ve r anda
atti r ed in the dem u r es t o f walking cost u m es say
“
ing not a wo r d
H e w a s evidently n o t a b o u t
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86
CA N
S U CH
T HIN GS
BE ?
We went slowl y u p the r oad that led to th e Old
M ill
She w a s appa r entl y n ot st r ong a nd a t
times took my a r m r elinqu ishing it and taking it
again r athe r cap r iciou sl y I thought H e r m ood
o r rathe r he r s uccession o f m oods was as m u ta
ble as sk y light in a r ippling se a She j ested as i f
she had n eve r hea r d o f su ch a thing as death and
laughed o n the l ightest i ncitem ent a nd di r ectl y
a fte r ward wou ld sing a few ba r s of some gra ve
m elody with s uch t endern es s o f expression th a t I
h a d t o t u rn away my e y e s lest sh e s h o uld se e the
evidence o f her su ccess i n a rt if art it w as not
artlessness as then I was compelled to think it
And sh e said th e oddest things in th e m o st u n
convention a l w ay ski r tin g s om etime s u n fa th o m
a ble aby s ms o f though t where I had ha r dl y t he
cou ra ge to set foot In short sh e w a s fascin a ting
i n a th o usand a nd fi ft y di fferen t way s a nd at
every s tep I e x ecu ted a n ew a nd p ro f o u nder
emotional foll y a hardier s pi r itual i ndiscretion
incu rring f r esh liability to a r res t by th e invisible
c o nstab ula ry o f c o n s cience f o r in fra cti o n s o f my
o wn peace
A r riving at th e m ill sh e m a de n o p r eten s e o f
s t o pping bu t t u rned i nto a trail le a ding through
a field o f stubble towa r d a c r eek Cr o s s ing b y a
ru stic b r idge w e continu ed o n the t rail which
n o w led uphill to o ne o f th e m ost pic t u re s qu e
spots in th e c ou nt ry The E agle s N e st i t was
—
c a lled the su mmi t of a c li ff which ro s e s heer
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AN OCC URR ENCE A T B R O WN VI LLE
87
.
a heigh t o f h u n dred s o f fee t abo v e
t he fo re st at i ts b a se Fr o m thi s elev at ed p o i nt
w e h a d a n o ble view o f ano ther v a lley a nd o f t he
o pp o si t e hi lls flu s hed wi t h the la s t ray s o f the se t
t i n g sun As we w at ched t he ligh t e s c a ping t o
higher an d higher pl a ne s fr o m t he enc r oa ching
fl oo d o f s h a d o w filling t he v a lley we h e a rd f o ot
s t ep s a nd in an ot her m o me nt were j o i n e d by
Rich a rd Be n nin g
“
I sa w y o u fr o m t h e r oa d h e sa id c a re l e ssl y
"
so I c a m e u p
Bei n g a foo l I n eg l ec t ed t o tak e hi m by t h e
t hr oa t an d pitch him in t o t he tree to p s be lo w b ut
m utt ered so m e p o lite l ie i ns te a d U p on th e gir l
t he e ffec t o f hi s c o m i n g w a s im medi at e an d u n
m i sta k abl e
Her f a ce w as su ffus ed with t h e
g lo ry o f lo ve s t ransfig u rat i on : t h e red l igh t o f
t h e su n s e t h a d n ot bee n m o re o bvi o u s i n her eye s
t h an w as n o w t he l o ve l i gh t t h at repl a ced i t
“
”
I a m so gl a d y ou c a m e ! s h e sa id givi n g him
b ot h her h an d s ; an d G o d he l p m e ! i t w a s m an i
fe st ly t r u e
Se at i n g him s el f u p on t he gr ou n d h e beg an a
l ively di ss ertat i o n u po n t he wi l d fl o wer s o f t h e
region a n u mber o f wh ich he h a d with him In
the middle o f a fa ceti o u s sen t e n ce h e s udden l y
ce a sed s pe ak ing a nd fixed hi s eyes u p o n E va
w h o le a ned a g a i ns t t he stu mp o f a tree a b s ent l y
pl a i t ing grass e s She li fted her eyes in a sta rtled
way to hi s as i f sh e h a d f elt hi s look
She t he n
i nto t h e
'
ai r
.
.
,
.
,
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,
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’
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,
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,
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'
,
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,
.
CAN S UCH
88
THIN GS
BE?
r os e c ast awa y her gra s se s and m o ve d slo w
H e a l so r os e a nd c ont in u ed
aw a y fr o m h im
loo ki n g a t her He h a d s til l i n hi s h an d t h e
b un ch o f fl o wer s The g irl t u r n ed as i f t o spe ak
b u t sai d n ot hing
I rec a l l cle a rly no w so met h i n g
—
o f which I was bu t h al f c ons ci ou s t he n t h e
dre a df ul c ont r ast be t wee n t he s m i le u p on h er
l ips and t he t errified e x pre ss i o n i n her ey es as sh e
m e t h i s st e a dy an d i mperat i v e g aze
I k no w
n o t hi n g of h ow i t h a p pe ned nor h o w i t w as t hat
I did n ot soo ner u n der stan d ; I o nly kno w t h at
wi t h t he s m i le of an a nge l u p on her lip s an d th at
l ook o f t erro r i n her be aut if u l eyes E va M ayn ar d
s pran g f r o m t he cli ff an d s h o t cras hi n g i nto t h e
to p s o f t he pine s be lo w !
Ho w and h o w lo ng aft e rw a rd I re ached t h e
la
c
e
I
c
n
not
sa
y
b
u
t
R
ich
a
rd
Be
nn
i
n
w
a
s
a
p
g
al re a dy t here kn e el i n g be s id e t h e dre ad f u l thi ng
t h a t h a d bee n a w o m an
“
Sh e i s de a d — q u i t e de a d h e sai d c old l y
I
wi ll g o to to w n f o r ass i stan ce P l e as e d o m e t h e
”
fa v o r t o rem a in
H e r os e to hi s fee t an d m ov ed a w a y bu t i n a
m o m e nt h a d sto pped an d t u rn e d a b ou t
“
Y ou h av e d ou b t le ss obs erved my f rie n d he
“
sa id t h at thi s w as e n tirely her o wn act I d i d
n ot ri s e i n t ime t o prev ent i t a nd y ou n ot kno w
—
her
m
e
nt
l
c
on
di
t
i
on
y ou cou ld not of
i ng
a
”
c ou r s e h ave su s pected
Hi s m an n e r m add e n ed m e
,
,
.
.
,
.
,
,
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,
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,
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.
A N OCCURREN CE A T B R O WN VILLE
89
.
Yo u a re a s m uch her a ss a ssin I s a id as i f
y o u r d a m na b l e h an d s h a d cu t her t h r oa t
H e s hru gged hi s s houlders with out reply a nd
tu rning w a lked away A m o m e n t lat e r I he a rd
t hr o ugh t he d eepening s hadow s o f t h e wood i n t o
which h e h a d di sa ppeared a rich s t rong b a ri to ne
"
“
v o ice si n ging L a d onna e m o bile fr o m Rig
,
,
”
.
,
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
o le tt o .
”
CAN S UCH T HIN GS B E ?
2
9
o f Nations shall labo r so t o discha r ge i t a s t o
leave n o blot u pon m y political escu tcheon Sa y
t o his E xcellency the successor o f the im mo r tal
,
.
,
Washington in the Seat o f Power that the pat
ro n a g e of m y o ffice will be bestowed with an eye
single to secu r ing t he g r eates t go o d to the g r eat
est n u mber t he st ability o f r ep ublican institutions
in Posey Co u nty a nd th e tr i u mph o f the pa r t y in
a ll elections ; a nd t o th is I pledge my l ife
my
f o rt u ne a nd my s acred h o n or I shall at o nc e
prepare a n a pp r op r iate response t o the speech o f
the chairman o f the comm ittee deputed t o in form
m e o f my a pp ointm ent and I tru st th e senti
ments therein exp r essed will s tr ike a s y mpathetic
chord i n the public he a rt as well as c o mm a nd
t he E xecutive appr o v a l
,
,
,
,
.
,
,
,
.
F RO M
T HE
G E NE R A L
T HE
S E C R E T A RY
OF
W AR
B LO U N T W A R D O R G
,
M ILIT A R Y
KENT U C KY
D E PA R T M E NT
M AJ O R
TO
C O M M A ND IN G
OF
E AS T E RN
.
WA S H INGT O N N ovemb er 1 4 1 8 6 1
I h a ve assigned to yo u r depa r tm ent B r igadier
Gene ral J u piter Doke who will soon p r oceed t o
D i st i lle ry v i lle o n the Little Butte r milk River
and t a ke comm a n d o f the I llinois B r igade at that
point repo r ting t o yo u by letter fo r or de r s I s
the r o ute from Covington by w ay o f Blueg r ass
Op o ss u m Corne r s and H or secave s till infested
,
.
,
,
,
,
,
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,
,
j
UP I T E R D OR E , B R I GA D IE R GE N E R A L
93
'
.
wi t h bushwhacke r s a s reported i n y ou r l as t d is
patch ? I have a plan for cle a ning them o u t
,
.
F R O M M AJ O R
T HE
B LO U NT W A RD O RG
WAR
G E NE R A L
S E C RE T A RY
OF
LO U IS V ILLE ,
To
.
KY November
.
,
2 0 , 1 86 1
.
The nam e a nd services o f Brigadier Gene r al
Doke a r e u nfam iliar t o m e bu t I shall be pleased
t o have the advantage o f his skill The route
f r om Covin gt on to D i st i lle ry vi lle v i a Opossu m
Corne r s and H orsecave I have been compelled to
aband on to the enemy whose gu e r illa warfare
made i t impossible to keep it open withou t
detaching t o o man y t r oops f r om the f r ont The
b r igade at D i st i llery vi lle is supplied by st e a m
boat s u p t he Little Bu tte r m ilk
,
.
,
.
.
FRO M
T HE
S E CRE T AR Y
OF
WAR
To
B R IGA D IE R
J U P IT E R D O KE HA RD PA N ILL
WA S H INGT O N Novembe r 2 6 1 86 1
I deepl y r eg r et that y ou r comm ission had been
fo r wa r ded b y mail before t he receipt o f y ou r
letter o f acceptance ; so w e m ust dispense with
the fo r malit y o f o ffi cial notification t o y ou b y a
committee The P r esident is highl y g r atified b y
the noble and pat r iotic senti ments of y ou r lette r
and di rects that y o u p r oceed at once t o y ou r
a n d t h e re re ort
Com m an d at Di st i lle ry v i lle Ky
p
G E NE RA L
,
,
,
,
.
.
.
,
,
.
,
CA N
94
S U CH T H IN GS B E ?
by le tt er to Maj or Genera l W a rdo rg at L ou i s ville
for o rders
I t i s import a n t tha t t he stricte s t
s ecrecy be o bserved regarding yo u r m ovemen t s
u n til yo u have p as sed Covington a s it is desired
to hold the e n em y i n front o f D i st i lle ry v i lle u ntil
y o u a re within t hre e da ys o f him Then i f y ou r
appro a ch i s k n own i t wil l o perat e a s a demons t ra
t i o n a ga ins t his righ t a nd cau s e him t o s t rengthen
i t wi t h hi s l ef t n o w at M emphis Tenn which i t
i s desira ble t o c a ptu re firs t Go by w ay o f Blue
gra ss Op ossu m Corners a n d H orsecave Al l
o ffi cer s a re expected t o be i n full u n ifo r m whe n
en r ou te to t he fr o n t
,
.
,
.
.
,
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.
.
,
,
.
F RO M B RIGADI E R
T HE
S E C RE T AR Y
J U P IT E R
G E NE RAL
OF
WA R
D O KE
To
.
KY December 7 1 86 1
I a rrived yes t erday at t hi s p o int a nd h a ve give n
my pr ox y t o J oel B r iller E sq my wife s c o usin
an d a s t a u n ch Republic a n w h o will w o rthily rep
re s ent P o sey C o u n t y i n field a nd f o rum
He
p o int s with p r ide t o a sta inles s rec o rd i n t he hall s
o f legislati o n which h a ve o ften ech o ed to his
s ou l -stirring eloqu ence on qu e s ti o ns which lie at
the very fo u ndati o n o f p o p u lar gove r nment H e
has been called t he Pat r ick H en ry o f H a rdp a n
where he h a s d on e ye o m an s s ervice in the cau s e
o f civil and religi o us libe rty M r Briller l eft f o r
D i st i lle ry vi lle last e v en in g an d t h e stan d a rd
C O VINGT O N,
.
,
,
’
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,
,
,
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’
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,
.
6
9
CAN
S UCH T HIN GS B E ?
wh o h e l d my proxy a nd wh o a m ont h a g o sh o u l d
h a ve bee n thundering at the g a t e s o f Di s uni o n
h as not bee n he a rd from an d h a s d o ubtle ss been
sa crificed up o n th e a lt a r o f his co u nt ry I n h i m
t he Americ an pe o ple l os e a b ul wark o f freed o m
I w o uld re s pec t fully m o ve t h a t y ou design at e a
c o mmittee t o d ra w u p re s ol ut i o n s o f respec t t o
hi s mem o ry a nd t h at t he o ffice holders a nd me n
of t he c o mm a nd we a r t he u sua l badge o f m ou r n
ing f o r thi r ty d ay s I s h a l l at on ce p la ce my s elf
a t t he h ead o f a f
fa i r s here a nd a m n o w re a dy to
e nt er ta i n a ny s ugges t i o n s which y ou may m a ke
look ing to a better en forcem e nt o f t he l a w s i n
t his c o mm on we alt h The m ili tant D em o crats
o n the ot her s ide o f t he river a ppe a r to be co n
t e m plat i ng e xt rem e m e a sure s
They h a ve t w o
la rge cann ons fa cing t his way a nd yesterd a y
m o rning I a m to ld s o me o f them c a m e d o wn t o
t he w at er s edge a nd rem a ined in se ss i on f o r so m e
t ime m a ki n g infa m ou s a llega t i on s
,
,
,
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.
,
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,
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.
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’
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,
F RO M T HE D IA RY O F B R IGAD IE R G E NE RA L
J U P IT E R D O KE AT D IS T I LLE RYVILLE KY
,
.
,
J a nu ary 1 2 1 86 2
On my a rriva l yes t erday a t the H en ry Clay
Hotel ( named i n honor o f the l a te fa r-seein g
s t at esman ) I wa s w a ited on b y a del eg ation co n
sisting o f t he t hree colonels int r u sted with the
It
co m m an d of t he re g ime n t s o f my b r i g ade
.
,
.
j
U P I T E R D OR E , B R I GA D I E R GE N E R A L
.
97
was an occasi o n tha t will be memorable in th e
p o litical ann a ls o f Ame r ica Fo rwarded copies
of the speeches t o the Posey M a r/Cr i ck to be
spread upon the rec or d o f the ages The gentle
m en c o mposing t h e delegation u nani mou sly re
a ffirm e d
thei r d evotion to the p r inciples o f
national u nity a nd the Republican party Was
g r atified t o recognize i n them m en o f political
prominence and u nta r n ished escu tcheons A t
the s ubsequ ent banqu et sentiment s o f lofty
pat r i o tism were exp r essed W r ote to Mr Wa r
d o rg a t Louisville f o r inst r uctions
J a nuary 1 3 1 8 6 2 — Leased a p r ominen t resi
dence (th e form er incu mbent being absen t in
a r m s a gains t his co u nt ry) fo r th e term o f on e
year a nd wrote a t o nce f o r M rs B r igadier Gen
e r al Doke a nd the vital issues — excepting J abez
Leonid a s I n the camp o f t r eason opposite here
the r e a r e supposed t o be th r ee thou sand mis
gu ided m en lay ing th e ax at the r oot o f th e t r ee
o f libe r t y The y have a cl ea r m aj o r it y man y o f
o u r m en having r et u r ned withou t l eave to th ei r
constitu ents We cou ld p r obabl y no t poll mo r e
than two thousand votes
H ave advised m y
heads o f r egiments t o make a canvass o f those
remain ing all bolters to be read o u t o f the
phalanx
J anu a ry I 4 1 8 6 2 — W r ote to th e P r esident
asking fo r the Cont r act t o suppl y this command
with fi r ea r ms and r egalia th r ough my b r other-i n
.
,
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°
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8
9
S U CH T HI N GS
CA N
BE ?
law prominentl y con nected with the m a nu fa ct u r
ing inte r ests of the cou nt ry Club o f can non
soldie r s a rr ived at J a y hawk th r ee miles back
f r om he r e on their way t o j oin u s in battle a rr a y
Ma r ched m y whole b r igade t o J a y hawk t o esco r t
them i nto town bu t their chai r man mistaking u s
fo r so called Con fede r ates opened fi r e on the
head of the p r ocession and by the ext r ao r d ina ry
n oise o f the canno n balls ( 1 had n o conception o f
it !) so f r ightened m y h o r se that I was u nseated
withou t a contest The meetin g adj o u r ned in dis
o r de r and r etu r ning to cam p I fou nd that a depu
t a t i o n of the enem y had c r ossed the r ive r i n ou r
absence and made a divisio n o f th e loaves and
fishes W r ote t o the P r esiden t appl y ing fo r the
Gubernato r ial Chai r o f the Ter r ito ry of I daho
,
.
,
.
,
,
,
-
,
.
.
.
F R O M E D IT O R IA L A R T IC LE IN T H E PO S E Y
V
I
L
L
A
R
I
K
M
E
J
A
C
N
A
R
Y
6
2
U
2
0
1
8
(
)
B r igadie r Gen e r al Doke s th r illing accou nt in
anothe r col umn o f the Battle of D i st i lle ry v i lle
will make th e hea r t o f eve ry l o y al Illinoisian lea p
with exultation The b r illiant exploit ma rks an
e r a i n milita ry hi sto ry an d as Gene ral Doke sa y s
lay s b r oad an d deep the fou ndation s o f A me r i
ca n p r owess i n a r ms
As none o f the t r oops
engaged except the gallant autho r C hieftain (a
host in hi mself) hail f r om Pose y Cou nt y he j ustly
c o nsidered that a list o f the fallen would only
,
.
,
’
,
,
.
,
,
“
“
.
,
-
,
CA N
1 00
S U CH T HI N GS
BE ?
o nl y j ust been r eceived (open ) th r ough the cou r
tes y of the Co nfede r ate d epa r tment com mande r
u nde r a flag of t r uce H e begs m e to assu r e y o u
th a t he would conside r i t an a ct o f c r uelt y t o
t r o uble y ou and I think it wo uld be M ain tain
howeve r a threatening attitude but at the least
p r essu r e r eti r e Y o u r position is simply an o ut
.
.
,
,
,
,
.
post which
it
is not intended to hold
F RO M M AJ O R
T HE
.
B LO U NT W A RD O R G T o
S E C R E T A RY O F WA R
G E N E RAL
.
J an ua ry 2 3 1 8 6 2
I have ce r tain in fo r matio n that the enem y has
co ncent rated twent y thousand t r oops of all a r ms
o n the L ittle Butte r milk
Acco r ding to y ou r
assign ment Gen e r al Do k e is in com mand o f the
sm all b r igade o f ra w t r oops opposi n g them It
is n o pa r t o f m y plan to contest the e n em y s
advance at that point bu t I cann ot h o ld m y sel f
r es p onsibl e fo r an y r eve rses to the b r igade men
t i o n e d u nde r its p r esent commander
I think
h i m a fool
LO U IS V ILLE ,
.
,
.
,
.
’
,
.
,
.
F RO M
T HE
S E C RE T A R Y
G E NE RA L
W A R T o M AJ O R
W ARD O R G
OF
B LO U N T
.
WA S H IN GT O N Feb r u a ry 1 1 8 6 2
The P r esiden t has g r eat faith i n Gene r al Dok e
I f you r estimat e o f him i s co rr ect howeve r h e
,
.
,
.
,
,
j
UP I T E R D OKE , B R I GA D IE R GE N E R A L
.
101
would seem to be singula r l y well placed whe r e he
n ow is as y ou r plans appea r t o conte m plate a
conside r able sac r ifice for whateve r adva n t a ges you
expect t o gain
,
.
F R O M B R IGAD IE R G E N E RAL J U P IT E R D O KE T o
M AJ O R G E NE RA L B LO U NT W A R D O R G
D IS T ILLE R YV ILLE Feb r u a ry 1 1 8 6 2
T o m o r ro w I shall rem ove m y h eadqua r te r s t o
J a y hawk in o r der t o point th e w ay wheneve r m y
b r igade r eti r es f r om D i st i lle ry v i lle as fo re sh a d
owed b y y ou r letter o f the 2 2 d inst I have
appointed a Com mittee o n Ret r eat th e minu tes
o f whose fi r st meeting I t r ansmit to y ou
Yo u
will pe r ceive that the com mittee having been d ul y
organized b y the election of a chai r man and se c
a r esol ution (p r epa r ed b y m y self) w a s
re t a ry
adopted to th e e ffect that i n case t r eason a gain
r aises its hideou s head o n th is side of the r iver
eve ry man o f the b r igade is to m ou nt a m ul e and
the p r ocession to m ove p r omptl y in the di r ection
I n p r epa r ation
o f Lou isville and the lo y al N o r th
fo r such an em e rgenc y I have fo r som e time been
collectin g m ules f r om the r esident Democ ra c y
an d have o n han d 2 300 in a fi eld at J ay hawk
E ternal vigil a nce is the p r ice o f liberty !
.
.
,
,
,
.
,
.
,
,
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,
,
.
CA N
102
F R O M M AJ O R
C S A To
.
.
T HE
,
WAR
B UN G
OF
T HIN GS B E ?
G E N E R AL G IB E O N
.
.
S U CH
J
.
B UXT E R
,
C O NF E D E R A T E S E C R E T A R Y
.
KY Feb r ua ry 4 1 8 6 2
O n the night o f the 2 d in s t o u r enti r e fo r ce
cons isting o f
m en and thi r t y-two field
pieces u nder com mand o f Maj o r Gen e r al Sim
mons B Flood c r ossed b y a fo r d t o the n o r th
side o f Little Butte r milk Rive r at a poin t th r ee
m iles ab o ve D i st i lle ry v i lle and m oved obliqu ely
down a n d a w a y fr o m the st r eam t o st r ike the
Covington tu rnpike at J a y hawk ; the object
being a s y o u kn o w t o capt u r e Covington
de s troy Cincinn a ti a nd occu p y the Ohio Valley
F o r s o m e months the r e had been in ou r f r on t
o nl y a s mall b r igade o f u ndisciplined t ro o ps a p
r
l
h
a
e
n
t
with
o
ut
a
com
mander
w
o
we
r
e
u
sefu
l
y
p
to u s a s by n o t distu r bing them we co uld creat e
a n imp r ession of ou r weaknes s B ut the m o ve
m ent o n J ayh a wk h a ving isolated them I was
a b o u t to det a ch an Al a bam a regiment t o brin g
S T A T I O N,
.
,
.
,
.
,
,
,
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,
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,
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,
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,
,
them in my division being the leading o ne Th e
n ight was very da r k and the weather threa t ening
A few moments later (abou t I I P M ) an e a rth
shaking r u mble was heard and su ddenl y the head
of the colu m n was struck b y o ne of the te rr ible
cyclones for which t his r egio n is famous and
u tterly a nnihilated The cyclone I believe
p a ssed a l o ng th e entire len gth o f the road back
to the ford di s per s ing o r de st r oying o u r whole
.
,
.
.
.
,
,
.
,
,
,
CA N
1 04
S U CH T HIN GS
BE ?
J ay h a wk a nd as the head of ou r colu m n r eached
that p o int at abou t 1 1 P M fell upon it w ith
inconceivable fu ry d est r o y ing the division o f
Gen era l B u x t e r i n a n instant
Gene r al Bau m
sch a nk s b r igad e
o f a rtillery which w as in the
rear may have esc a ped — I did no t wait to se e
bu t withd r ew m y divisi o n to the r iver a t a point
seve ral m iles a b o ve the fo r d and at daylight
fe rr ied it acr o ss o n t wo fence r ails lashed together
with a su spende r Its lo sses f r om a n e ffective
strength o f
ar e
Ge n eral B u x t e r i s
dead I am changing my base to K n oxville Tenn
,
.
.
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FRO M
B R IGAD IE R
B A U M S C H AN K,
FE D E R AT E
C
G E N E RA L
S
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A
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S E C RE T A R Y
.
OF
S C HNE D D E KE R
,
WA R
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IO D IN E ,
KY February
d en
di ng s
.
CO N
T HE
To
,
6,
1 86 2
.
know n o d
—
vot i t v o s so m di ng s m a ck ne e fce nt bu t i t va s
n od vo r— u nd I finds m e i nse llu f afder le e d le
viles i n dis blace m i d o u t a goon u nd m it n o
h
r
o
m
n
e
e
a
l
P
l
o
Y
o
is
d
ead
vill
n
e
e
w
s
u
S
g
p y
—
l
b e a s e be so goot as t o resign m e I v i g h t s n o m o re
in a dam g o nt ry vere I gets vipped u nd kn o w n od
how it v o s d one
Y o o st
so m
I
o ccu r,
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R E S O LU T IO N S
OF
C O NGR E S S ,
1 86 2
F E B R U A RY
1 5,
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That the th a nks of Cong r ess ar e du e
a nd hereby tendered to Brig a dier G ene ra l J u pi t er
R esolved,
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UP I T E R D OR E , E R I C A D IER CE N E R A L
10
.
5
D oke
and the gallant men u nde r h is command fo r
thei r u npa r alleled feat o f attacking— themselves
but 2 000 st r ong — a n a r m y o f
m en and
u tte r l y ove r th r owin g it killing 5 32 7 making p r is
on e r s o f
o f whom m o r e than half we r e
w o u nded taking 32 gu ns
stand o f small
a r ms and in sh or t the en em y s enti r e equip
m ent
R esolved That fo r this un exampled v icto ry the
P r esident be r equested to d esignate a day o f
thanksgiving b y the pu blic celeb r ation o f r eli
g i o u s r ites in the v a r iou s ch u r ches
R esolved That h e be r equ ested in fu rth er
comm emo r ation o f the g reat event and in r ewa r d
o f the
gallan t spi r its whose deeds have a dd ed
su ch impe r ishable luster t o the Am e r ic a n a r ms
t o appoint with th e a dvice and c o n sent o f the
Senate the f o llowing o ffi ce r s
O n e ma j or general
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S T A T E M E NT
OF
M R HANNIB A L A LC A! A R
.
J AY H A W K, KY
Dat wus a almight y da r k night sh o and d ese
y e r e o le e y es aint w u f sh u cks but I s got a y ea r
like a sq u e l an w e n I cotch d e m u m m e r o v ices
I kn owed dat gang b lon g on d e fa r sid e 0 d e
r ibbe r
So I j e s r u ns in d e h ouse an wakes
Ma r se Doke an tell s him : Skin ou te r dis fo y o
l ife ! An de Lo d b r ess my so ul ! e f dat m an
PE Y T O N, O F
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CAN S UCH T HIN GS B E ?
1 06
didn go righ t f r u d e winde r i n his shi r tail an
b r eak for t o c r oss d e m ule patch ! An dem
twent y-f r ee h u ne rd m ules de y j es fink it is d e
d ebb le h e se f wid d e b r andi u i r on an dey b u st
out en dat patch like a y a rt h q u ak e an pile inte r
de u ppe r ford r oad an flash down it five d eep
an it full 0 Co n fe d rat e s from en to en !
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8
CA N S U CH T HIN GS B E ?
These a r e the sho r t and simple ann als o f t he
p r isone r : H e had r ecentl y been a r esident o f
New J e r usalem on the no r th fo r k o f the Littl e
Ston y but had com e t o the n ewl y discove r ed
place r s of Mam mon H ill im mediatel y befo r e the
rush b y which the fo r m er place was d e po p u
lated Th e discove ry o f the new diggings had
occu rred oppo r tu nel y fo r M r Gilson for it had
only j u st be fo r e been intimated to him b y a New
J erusalem vigilance com mittee that i t would
bette r his p r ospects in and fo r life to g o some
where ; and the list of places to which h e co u ld
p r udently go did n ot in clud e an y o f the older
c a mps so h e natu r all y established himself at
Mammo n H ill
Being eventuall y followed
t hithe r b y a ll his j udges he orde r ed his conduct
with con side r abl e ci r cu mspection bu t as he had
never been kn own t o d o an honest da y s wo r k at
a ny indust ry sanct ioned by the stern local code
o f m o ra lity
except d r aw poker (at which he
commonly w o n) he w as still an o bj ect of s u s
i
i
o
n
I ndeed it w as conj ect u r ed that he w as
c
p
the autho r o f the man y da r ing dep r edations that
had recently been com mitted with pan and b r ush
upon the sl u ice boxes
Prominent among those in whom this s uspicion
had r ipened into a stead fast conviction w as M r
At all seasonable an d u nseasonable
B re nt sh aw
times M r B re nt sh a w avowed his bel ief in M r
Gi lso n s c o n nectio n with these u nholy midnigh t
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THE
F A M O US
GI LS ON
B E ! UE S T
I09
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en t erp r ises and his o w n willingness to prep a re a
w ay for the solar beams th r ough the body of any
one who m ight think i t expedient to u tter a dif
fe re n t opin ion — which in h is p r esence n o o n e
w a s m o r e ca r efu l n ot t o d o than the peace loving
pe r son m ost concerned Whateve r may have
been t h e t r uth o f the matter it i s ce r tain that
Gilson f r equentl y l ost m ore clean d u st at J o
Bentle y s fa r o table than it w as r eco rd ed in local
histo ry that h e had ever hon estl y ea r ned at d r aw
poker i n all the day s o f the camp s existence
B ut at last M r Bentle y — fea r ing it ma y be t o
lose the m o r e profitable patronage o f M r B r en t
shaw— pe r empto r il y r efused t o let Gilson copper
th e qu een intimating at the sam e time i n h is
f r ank fo r th r ight wa y that th e privilege o f losing
m oney at this bank was a blessing appe r taining
t o p r oceeding logicall y f r om a nd coterminou s
with a condition o f n oto r iou s c o mm e r cial r ight
e o u sn e ss and social good r ep ute
The H ill thought it h igh time t o l ook afte r a
pe r son wh om its most h ono r ed C itizen had fe lt it
h is d ut y t o rebuke at a r u in ou s pe r sonal sac r ifice
The New J erusalem contingen t pa r ticula r ly
began t o abat e som ething o f the tole ration
begotten o f am u sement at their o w n bl u nde r in
exiling a n objectionable neighbo r from the place
which the y had left t o th e place whither th e y
had come
Mammon H ill was at last o f one
m ind
Not m uch was s a id bu t that Gilson mu st
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CA N
1 10
S U CH T HI N GS
BE ?
h a ng w a s In the ai r
Bu t a t this c r itica l j u nc
t u r e in his a ffai r s he showed signs of an alte r ed
l ife i f not a changed heart Pe r haps it was o nl y
t h a t the bank being closed against him he had
no further u se for gold d u st An y how the sl u ice
b o xes we r e m olested n o m o r e fo r ever But i t
w a s impossible t o r ep r ess the a bou nding ene r gies
o f such a nat u r e as his and h e c o ntin ued possibl y
f r om habi t t h e t ortu ou s cou r ses which he had
pu r su ed for pr o fit o f M r Bentley After a few
t entative and resultless u nd e r taki ngs i n the w ay
o f highwa y r o bbe ry — i f on e may vent u r e t o d e si g
—
n a te road agenc y by so h arsh a nam e h e made
o ne o r t wo m odest essa y s i n ho r se h e r ding and
it w a s i n the midst o f a p r omising ente r p r ise o f
t his cha racte r and j ust as h e had taken the tide
in his a ffai r s a t its flood that h e mad e shipw r eck
F o r o n a misty m oon light n ight M r B re n t sh aw
r o de up alongside a pe r son wh o wa s evidentl y leav
ing that part o f th e cou nt ry laid a hand upon the
halter connecting M r Gi lso n s w r ist with M r
Ha r pe r s ba y mare t apped hi m familia r l y on the
cheek with the ba rr el o f a nav y r evolve r and re
quested the pleasu r e o f his compan y i n a d i re c
tion the exact opposite o f that i n which h e w as
tra veling
I t w a s i ndeed r ough on Gilson
On th e m o r ning after his a rr est he was t r ied
c o nvicted and sentenced I t onl y r emains so
far as conce r ns his ea r thly ca r ee r t o hang him
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S U CH T HI N GS
CA N
112
BE ?
cert a i n persons had asse r ted that du r ing his l ife
the testator had r obbed thei r sluice boxes ; the r e
fo r e i f d u r ing the five y ea r s n ext succeeding th e
date o f this inst r u ment an y one sho uld make p r oo f
o f such a sse r tion befo r e a cou r t o f law such pe r
so n was to receive a s repa r ation the enti r e pe r
s o nal and real estate o f which the testator died
seized a nd possessed minu s the expenses o f
cou r t a n d a stated compensati on to the executo r
H en ry Cla y B re nt sh a w ; p r ovided that i f m o r e
th an o n e person made su ch p r oof the estate was
t o be equally divided between or am ong them
But in case n o ne shou ld succeed in so establish
ing the testato r s gu ilt then th e whole prope r t y
minus cou r t expenses as afo resaid sho uld go to
the said Hen ry Clay B re nt sh aw for his own u se
a s st ated in the will
The synt a x o f the rem a rkable d o cu ment wa s
perhaps o pen t o critical objection bu t that was
cle ar l y enough the m eaning of it The o rt h og ra
phy conformed t o no r ecognized s y stem bu t
being m a inly phonetic it was not ambigu ou s As
the pro b a te j udge rem a rked it wou ld take five
ac r es t o be a t it M r B re nt sh aw smiled good
h u m o re dly a nd after perfo r ming the last sad rites
with amu sing o stentation had himself d uly swo r n
as execu t or a nd conditional legatee u nder the
provisi o n s o f a law hastily passed (at the instance
o f t he member f r om Mam mon Hill ) b y a facetiou s
legisla tu re ; which law w a s a fterwa r d discovered
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T HE
F A M O US
GIL S ON B E ! UE S T
1 13
‘
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t o h a v e al s o cre at ed t hree o r fou r l u crat ive
o ffices an d a u th o rized the expend itu re o f a co n
s i d e rab le s um of p u b l ic m on ey for t he co nst ru c
t i on o f a cert ai n r a ilw a y bridge tha t with g r eater
a dva n ta ge m igh t perh a ps h a ve be e n erected on
t he line o f so m e a ctu a l r a ilw a y
Of cou rs e M r B re nt sh aw e x pec t ed n either
pr o fit fr o m t he will n o r li t ig a ti o n i n c o nseq u ence
o f i ts u nusual provisi ons ; Gilson a l t hough f r e
q u ently flu sh had been a m an wh o m a ssessors
a nd t ax c o llect o r s were wel l satisfied t o l o se n o
m on ey by
Bu t a c a reless a nd m erely f or mal
s e a rch a m on g his p a pe r s reve aled the t itle deed s
t o v a luable estates i n th e E ast a nd cert ificate s
o f depo s it f o r i nc r edible s u ms in b a nks less
s everely s cru pulou s th a n t hat o f M r J o Be nt ley
The a s t o und in g new s got a b r oad direc t ly
t hr o wi n g t he H il l i nt o a fever o f excitement
The Mammon H ill Pa t r i ot wh o se edi to r h a d been
a le a ding s pirit i n the p r oceedings which res u l t ed
i n Gi lso n s dep a rt u r e fr o m N ew J eru sa lem pub
li sh e d a m o st c o mplimentary obi tuary n o tice of
t he dece a sed a nd w as good en o u gh t o c al l att en
ti on t o the fac t t h a t his degra ded c o n t emporary
t he Squ a w G u lch Cla r i on wa s bringing vi rtu e
into con t emp t by beslavering with fla tte ry the
m em ory o f o ne w h o in l ife had spu rn ed t he vile
shee t as a n uisance f r om h is d o o r U ndeterred
b y the press however claim a nts u nder the will
wer e no t s lo w i n pre s entin g t hem s e lv e s wi t h t heir
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S U CH T HI N GS B E ?
CAN
1 14
evidence ; and g r eat as wa s t he Gils o n est a te it
appea r ed conspicu ousl y palt ry conside r ing th e
vast n u mber o f sluice boxes f r om which it w a s
ave rr ed to have been obtained The cou nt ry r ose
as o ne man !
M r B re nt sh a w was equal to the em e rgenc y
With a sh r ewd application o f h umble auxilia ry
devices he at once e r ected above the bones o f his
benefactor a costl y mon u men t ove r topping eve ry
r ough headboa r d in the cemete ry and on this he
j ud iciousl y cau sed to be insc r ibed an epitaph o f
his o wn composing eulogizing the honest y public
spi r it and cognate vi r t u es o f him who slept b e
neath a victim to the u nj u st aspe r sion s o f Slan
de r s vipe r b r ood
Mo r eove r he emplo y ed th e best l egal talent in
the Te rr ito ry to d efend the m emo ry of his de
pa r ted f r iend and fo r five long y ea r s th e Te rr i
t o ri a l cou r ts we r e occu pied with the cau se s g r ow
ing o u t of the Gilson bequ est To fine fo r ensic
abilities M r B re nt sh aw opposed abilities m o r e
finel y fo r ensic ; in bidding fo r p u r chasable favo r s
h e o ffe r ed p r ices which utte r l y de ranged th e
ma rket ; the j udges fou n d at his h ospitable boa r d
ente r tain ment fo r man and beast the like of
which had never been sp r ead in the Te rr ito ry
with mendaciou s witnesses he confronted wit
nesses of su pe r io r mendacity
N o r was the battl e confi ned to the temple of
the blind godde ss— i t i n v a ded t he press t he p ul
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1 16
S U CH T HIN GS
CA N
BE ?
a nalyze c a me M r B re nt sh aw An a ltered man
was M r B re nt sh a w Five yea r s o f toil anxiet y
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and wakefulness had dashed his black locks with
s t reaks and patches o f g r a y bowed his fine figu r e
drawn sha r p and angula r his face and debased his
walk to a dodde r ing shu ffl e Nor had this l u s
t r u m of fie r ce contentio n wr o ught less u pon his
he a rt a nd intellect The ca r eless good hu mo r
th a t h a d p r ompted him t o accept the t r ust o f the
d ead man had given place to a fixed habit of
m elanchol y The firm vigo r o us intellect had
o ve rr ipe ned into the m ental mellowness o f second
childh o od
H is b ro ad unde r standing had na r
r o wed t o the a ccom modation o f a single idea ;
a nd i n place o f the qu iet cynical incred ulit y o f
former days the r e was in him a hau nting faith i n
the s upernat u r al that fl i tt e d and flu tte r ed abou t
his soul s hadowy batlike omino u s o f i nsanit y
Un settled i n all else his u nde r standing clung to
o ne c o nviction with the despe r ate ten a cit y of a
wrecked in t ellect That was an u nshaken belief
In
the entire blamelessness of th e dead Gil
so n
H e had so often swo r n to this in cou r t and
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d
asse r te it in p r ivate co nve r sation had so fre
quently and s o t r iu mphantl y establi s hed it by
testimon y that had c o me expensive t o h im (fo r
that ve ry day he had paid the last dollar o f the
Gilson prope r ty t o M r J o Bentle y the last wit
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ness t o the Gilson good cha r acte r) that it had
be co m e to him a so r t o f reli g i o us fa i t h It
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T HE FA M O US CILS ON E E OUE S
T
117
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med t o him the o ne g r e at cen t ral a nd b a sic
t ruth o f life — t he s o le s erene ve r ity i n a w or ld o f
lie s
O n t h at n ight a s he s e at ed him s el f pen s ively
u p o n t he pr o st rate m o n u men t t rying by the
u ncerta i n m oo nligh t t o spell o u t the epitaph
which five y e a r s befo re he h a d comp o sed with a
chuckle th at mem o ry h a d n o t rec o rded t e ar s o f
rem or se c a m e i nto hi s eyes a s h e r em embe r ed
t h a t he had been m a inly in s t r u mental in co m
p a ssing by a false a ccu sation this g oo d m a n s
d eath ; for d u ring s om e o f the leg a l pr o ceed ing s
M r Harper fo r a conside rati o n ( fo r gotten ) h a d
c o m e f o rwa r d and sw o rn tha t i n the little t ra ns
a c t io n with hi s bay m a re th e deceased had a c t ed
i n stric t a cc or dance with the Ha rpe ri an wishes
confidentially com m u n ic a ted t o the d ece as ed and
b y him faithfully concealed at the cos t o f life
All t h at M r B re nt sh aw h a d since d o n e f o r the
de a d man s m em ory seemed pitifully in a dequate
m o s t m ean p a ltry a nd d eb a sed with s elfishness !
As he s at there t o r tu ring him s elf with futile
regret s a fain t shad ow fell a cr oss hi s eyes
Looking t o w a rd the m oon hanging lo w in th e
we st he s a w wh a t seem ed a vagu e w a tery clou d
obscu ring her disk ; bu t as it m o ved so that her
be a ms l it u p o n e sid e o f it h e perceived the
cle a r sharp o utlin e o f a h u m an fig u re The
appa r ition bec a m e m o ment a rily m ore d is t inct
a nd grew v isibly ; i t was d r a wing n e a r D a zed
see
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1 1
8
CA N
S UCH THINGS B E ?
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a s were his senses hal f locked u p with te rr o r and
con fou nded with d r eadfu l imaginings M r B rent
shaw y et co uld n ot bu t pe r ceive or think h e
perceived i n this u nea r thl y shape a st r ange sim il
i t u d e t o the mo r tal pa r t o f the late M ilton Gilson
as that pe r s o n had looked when taken f r om The
T r ee five y ea r s befo r e The likeness was i ndeed
complete even to the full ston y e y es and a
ce r tain S hadow y ci r cle about the n eck I t w a s
withou t coat o r hat p r ecisel y as Gilson had been
when laid i n his poo r cheap casket b y the not
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u ngentle hands of Ca r penter Pete for whom
someon e had long since pe r fo r m ed the s a m e s a d
o ffice The specte r i f su ch it was seemed t o
be a r s o mething in its hands which M r B re nt sh aw
cou ld not clea r l y make ou t I t drew nea r e r a nd
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paused at last beside the co ffi n containing the
a shes of the late M r Gilson the lid o f which was
aw r y h a lf d isclosing the u nce r tain interior
Bending over this the phan tom seemed to shake
i nto it from a basin som e da r k substance o f d ubi
o u s consistenc y then glided stealthil y back t o the
lowest pa r t o f the cemete ry H e r e the r eti r ing
flood had stranded a n u mbe r o f open co ffi n s
abou t and am ong which it gu r gled with low so b
bings an d still y whispe r s Stooping ove r o n e o f
these the appa r ition ca r efu ll y b r ushed i t s con
tents int o th e basin then r et u r ning to i t s own
casket emptied the vessel into that as befo r e
This my s te r iou s o pe r ation w as r epeated a t eve ry
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T HE
S T O RY O F A
C A P T AIN
C O NS C IE NC E
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HA RT R O Y st ood
a t t he
advan ced p o st o f h i s p i cke t gua r d talking in low
t o ne s with t h e sentinel This post w a s o n a
tu r n pike which bisected the c a ptain s c a mp a
hal f m ile i n rear though th e camp w as not in
s ight fr o m th a t point The o ffi cer w a s a pp a r
—
e n tly giving t he soldier ce r tain instr u ction s was
perh a ps merely inqui r ing i f all we r e qu iet i n front
As the two s to od talking a m a n appro a ched them
fr o m the di r ection of the camp c a relessly whist
ling an d w as p r omptly halted by the soldier
H e w a s qu i t e evidently a civilian — a tall pers o n
c o a r sely cl a d in th e home-m a d e stu ff o f yello w
gray cal l ed bu ttern u t which w a s men s only
we a r in the latter d a ys o f th e Confederacy
On his head was a slouch felt h a t o nce white
fro m beneath which h u n g masses o f u neven hair
seemingly u n a cqu a inted with either sciss or s o r
comb The m a n s face was ra ther st r iking ; a
b r oad fo r ehe a d high nose and thin cheeks the
m o uth invisible i n the full da r k beard which
s eemed a s ill-c a red for a s the hair The eye s
PA R R O L
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CA N S UCH
122
THIN GS
BE ?
were la rge a nd h a d t h a t ste a di n es s a nd fix i t y o f
attentio n which so f r equ entl y ma r k a c o nside r ing
intelligence and a will not easil y t u rned f r om its
pu r pose— so say th o se ph y siognomists w h o have
that kind o f e y es On the whole this was a m a n
whom o ne would be likel y t o observe and be
obse r ved b y H e c arr ied a walking stick f r eshly
cu t f ro m the fo r est and h i s a iling c o wskin b o ots
we r e white with d ust
Show you r p a ss said t he Federal soldier a
tr ifle m o r e impe r i o u sl y pe r haps t han he would
h a ve thought necessary i f he had n o t been u nder
t he e y e o f hi s c o m mander wh o with folded ar ms
lo oked o n f r om the roadside
L o wed y o u d re c le ct m e g i ne ral s a id the
w ay f a rer t ranqu illy while prod u cing the paper
from the p o cket o f his c oa t The r e w as som e
—
t hing i n his to n e perhap s a faint suggestion of
ir o ny— which made hi s elevation o f his obstruct o r
t o ex a lted r ank less a g r eeable t o that worth y
w a rrior t h an pr o mo t i o n fo r gallant ry is commonly
“
fo u nd t o be
Yo u u ns h a ve to be pu rt y p e rt i ck
ler I reckon he a dded in a m o re c o ncili a tory
t on e as i f i n hal f ap o l o g y f o r being halted
H a ving re a d the pass with his r ifle resting o n
t h e gr o u nd th e s oldier handed the docu m en t
b a ck withou t a w o rd sh o uldered his weapon and
retu rned to hi s c om m a nder The civilian passed
o n i n th e m iddle o f t h e r oa d a nd when he had
pe n e t r at ed t he circ u mj a cent C o n fede r acy a few
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II
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C A P T A IN HART R O Y
he l d an i n depe n den t co m
m a nd
H is f o rce c o nsis t ed o f a compan y o f
in fa n t ry a s qu a d ro n o f c a valry a nd a section of
a rt illery d et a ched fr o m th e ar my t o wh ich they
bel o nged t o d efend a n i mp or t a n t d efile in the
Cu mbe r land M o u nt a ins i n Tenn essee I t w a s a
field o fli ce r s c o mm a nd held by a line o fli ce r
pr o m o ted from the r anks whe r e he had quietly
“
served u n t il di s c o vered
H is post w a s on e of
excep t ional peril ; i ts defense entailed a heav y
re s p o nsibility and he h a d wisel y been given co r
resp o nding d iscretionary p o we r s a ll t h e m ore
nece ssa ry bec a use o f his d ist a nce fr o m the m a in
a rmy the p r ec ar iou s n a tu r e o f his co m m u n i ca
t i o ns a nd t he l a wles s character o f the enemy s
irregul a r t r o ops in festing th at regio n H e h a d
s tr o ngly f or tified hi s little cam p which embra ced
a village o f a h a l f d ozen dwellings and a cou n t ry
s t or e and had collected a conside r able quantit y
o f s u pplies To a few resident civi lians o f kn o wn
lo yalty with wh o m it was desi r able to trade a nd
o f whose services i n v ar io u s cap a cities he s ome
t ime s a v a iled h imsel f he had given w r itten passe s
a dmi tt ing t hem withi n his lines I t is e as y t o
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T HE
S T OR Y OF A
CON S CIE N CE
.
1 25
u nd erstan d t h at a n a b u se of t his privilege i n t h e
interest o f the enem y migh t en t ail seriou s co nse
C
a
p
t
a
i
n
H
a rt ro y h a d issu ed an order
u
n
s
e
e
c
q
to the e ffect t h a t a ny o n e so a b us ing it wo u ld b e
su mmarily s h ot
While t he s en t i n el h a d bee n e xa mining t he
civilian s p a ss t he c a p ta in h a d eyed the latter
n a rr o wly H e th o ught hi s a ppe a rance familiar
and had at fi r s t n o do ubt o f having given him the
p a ss which h a d s at isfied the s e n tinel I t w as n o t
u ntil the ma n had got o u t o f s ight a nd hearin g
that his identity w a s disclosed by a reve a ling
l ight f r om m em ory With soldierly pr o mptness
o f decisi o n t he o fli ce r h a d a c t ed on t he revel a ti o n
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a ny b ut a singula r l y self-pos s essed man the
appa r ition o f an o ffi ce r o f the milita ry fo r ces
fo r midabl y clad bea r ing i n o ne hand a sheathed
swo r d and i n th e o ther a cocked revolve r and
ru shing in fu r iou s p u r suit is n o d oubt d isquieting
t o a high deg r ee ; u pon the m an t o whom the
p u r su it wa s i n t hi s instance di r ected i t appea r ed
to have n o o ther effect than somewha t t o i nt e n
s i fy
his t ra nqu illity
H e m ight easil y en o ugh
h a ve escaped int o th e fo r est t o the r ight o r the
left bu t chose an oth e r cou rse o f action — tu r ned
and quietly fa ced the captain sa y ing as h e cam e
up : I r eck o n y e m ust have something to say to
m e which y e disremembe r ed What m ou t it be
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neighbor ?
Bu t the n eighbo r did n ot answer being
engaged in t he u n neighbo r ly act o f c o ve r ing him
with a cocked pistol
Su rr ender said the captain as calm ly as a
slight breathlessness f r om exe r tion would pe r mit
“
o r you die
There w as n o m en ace in the m anner o f this
demand ; that w a s all i n the m atte r and in the
me a n s o f enf o rcing it There w as t o o s omething
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1 26
,
CA N S UCH T H IN GS B E ?
1 28
‘
l ife is fairly y o u rs bu t i f y o u wish it tak e n in a
mo r e formal wa y than by you r own hand and i f
are
will
ing
t
o
spa
r
e
m
e
the
indignity
o
f
ou
y
ma rching int o camp at th e m u zzle of y ou r pistol
I promise y ou tha t I will n either resi st esc a pe
nor r em o nstra te bu t will su bmit t o wh a tever
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penalty may be imposed
The o fli ce r l o wered his pist o l u ncocked it and
th rust it into its place i n his bel t B r un e ad
v a nce d a step exte n ding hi s right hand
I t is the h an d o f a tra it o r a nd a spy said th e
a nd did n ot t ak e it The o ther
o fli ce r c o ldly
bowed
C o me s a id t he c a p ta in l e t u s g o to c a mp
y o u s h a l l n o t die u ntil t o m o rr o w m o rning
H e tu rned hi s b a ck u p on h is prison er a nd
t hese t w o extrao rdin a ry m en re t raced their steps
a nd s oon pass ed the s en t inel wh o expre s sed h is
gene r al sense o f things b y a needless a nd e x ag
gerated sa l ut e t o hi s c o m m an der
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o n t he m o r n ing a ft er t he s e eve nts the
t w o men capt o r a nd captive s a t in the tent o f
the former A ta ble w a s between them o n which
l ay a mong a n u mber o f letters o fficial and
priv a te which the cap t ain h a d w r itten d uring the
n ight the in crimin a ting pape r s fou nd upo n th e
spy Th a t gentleman had slept th r ough t he
night i n a n adj oining tent u ngu a r ded
Both
having bre a kfa sted we r e n ow smoking
”
“
M r Brune
s a id Captain Hart roy
yo u
p r obabl y d o n o t u nde r stand why I recognized
you in y o u r disgu ise nor h o w I w as a ware o f
”
you r n a m e
“
I have n o t s ought t o learn Capt a in t h e
p r isone r said with qu iet dignit y
“
Neve r theless I should like y o u t o know— i f
the sto ry will n o t offen d Yo u will pe r ceive that
m y kn o wledge o f y o u goes back t o the autu m n of
1 86 1
At that tim e y o u we r e a p r ivate in an
Ohio r egiment — a b r ave and t r usted soldier To
the su r p r ise and g r ief o f y o u r o ffi ce r s and co m
rades y ou dese r ted and went ove r to the enem y
Soon afte r wa r d y o u we r e captu r ed i n a ski r mish
r ecogni zed tried by cou rt -ma r tial and sen tenced
E A R LY
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1 29
GAN S U CH T HI N GS B E ?
3°
to be s ho t Pending th e execution o f the s e n
tence y o u were con fined u n fette r ed in a f r eigh t
ca r s t andin g o n a S ide t rack of a railwa y
At G r afton Vi rginia said Bru n e pushing th e
a sh es f r om h is cigar with the little fi nger o f the
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hand holding it and withou t looking up
At G r afton Vi r gi nia the captain repeated
One da r k and sto r m y n ight a sold i e r was placed
o n gua r d over y o u w h o h ad j u st r et u r ned f ro m a
long fatigu ing ma r ch H e sat on a c ra cker box
inside the car n ea r th e d oo r his r ifle loaded and
the ba y onet fixed Y o u sa t in a co r n e r and his
o r de r s we r e t o kill y o u i f y ou attempted to r ise
Bu t i f I a sked t o r ise he might call the co r po r al
of the gua r d
Y es As th e long sil en t hou r s wore away the
soldie r yielded t o th e demands o f natu r e : he
himself incu rr ed the death penalty b y sleeping at
h i s post o f d ut y
Y ou did
What ! y ou r ecognize me ? you h ave known
m e all along ?
The captain had r isen and was walking the floor
o f his t ent visibl y excited H i s face w a s flushed
the g r a y e y es had lost the cold pitiless look which
they had had when B r u ne had seen them over the
pistol ba rr el ; the y had softened wonde r full y
I knew y ou said the spy with h i s customary
“
t ranqu illit y the m omen t y ou faced m e demand
ing m y su rr ender U nder the ci r cu m s tances it
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CA N
1 32
S U CH
T HI N GS
EE I
falli n g in t o l i n e ; th e vo i ces o f the se rge a nt s call
ing t he ro l l ; the tapping o f the d r u m m e rs a s t h ey
b r aced thei r d r u m s The captai n spoke again :
I o u gh t t o h a ve con fes sed my fa u l t i n orde r
t o re l ate the s t o ry o f y ou r magn an imity ; i t m ight
have secu r ed y ou r pa r don A hu n d red ti m es I
resolved t o do so b u t sh am e prevented B e
s ide s
yo u r senten c e was j u s t a n d r ight e o us
We l l He ave n f orgive m e ! I said no thing and
my regimen t w a s s o on a fterw a rd o rd ere d t o
Tennessee and I neve r h ea rd
I t w a s a ll r ight si r said B r u n e wi th o u t
v isible emotion ; I esca ped and ret u r n ed t o m y
—
t he Con fede r ate col o rs
I sho ul d li k e t o
colo r s
add t hat befo r e de serting f r o m the F ed e ral service
I had e ar nestly a s k ed a d ischa rge o n t h e gro u n d
o f alte red c o n victions
I w a s a n s w er e d b y p u n
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i shm e nt
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“
Ah bu t i f I had su ffered t h e penal t y o f my
—
c r ime i f y ou had n o t ge ne r ou sl y g ive n m e t he
li fe which I accepted withou t gra t i t u de you
would not be ag a in i n th e sh a d o w an d Im m i n ence
o f d ea t h
The p r ison er st a r ted s l ightly an d a l o ok of
anxiety cam e in t o hi s face One w o u ld h av e s a i d
t o o th at h e was su r prised
At th at m o men t a
li eutenan t the a d j utant a ppea r ed at the ope ning
"
o f th e tent a n d sal uted
Captain h e s a id th e
b a t t alion is fo rmed
Cap t ain Hart ro y had rec o vered his c o mposu re
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T HE
S T OR Y OF A CON S CIE N CE
I 33
.
H e t u r ned t o the officer a nd sa id : Lieu tenant
go to Captain Grah a m a nd say that I direct him
t o assu m e Command o f the battalion a nd pa r ad e
it outsid e th e p a rapet This gentleman is a
dese r te r and a spy ; he is t o be s hot to death in
the p r esence o f the troops H e will a ccompany
y o u u nbou nd a nd u ngu a r d ed
While the a dj ut a nt waited at the d o o r the t w o
men insid e the ten t r ose and e x changed ce re m o
n i o u s bo w s B r un e immediately reti r ing
H a lf an hou r later a n o ld negro co o k the only
pe r son left i n camp excep t the com mand e r w a s
so sta r tled by t h e sou nd o f a volley o f mu sket r y
that he dropped the kettle that he w as lifting f r om
a fi r e Bu t f o r his conste r nation and th e h i ss
i ng which the contents of the kettl e m ad e among
the embers h e might a lso have heard n eare r at
hand the single pis t ol S h ot with which Captai n
Ha rt ro y ren ou nced the life which i n conscience
he cou ld n o longer keep
I n compliance with the term s o f a note th at
he left fo r th e o fli cer w h o succeed ed h im i n
command h e was bu r ied like the d ese r ter and
spy withou t m ilit ar y hono rs ; and in the solem n
shadow o f the m ou ntain which knows no m o r e o f
w a r the t w o sleep well in long-f o rgot t en g r ave s
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1
6
3
CA N
S UCH THIN GS B E ?
m o u th o f Macarg e r s Gulch the hil l on t he r igh t
a s y o u a scend is C loven by another gulch a S ho r t
d ry o ne a n d a t the j u nction o f the two is a level
sp a ce of two o r t h r ee acres an d the r e a few yea r s
a go st o od a n o ld bo ar d h o u se contain ing o ne
sm a l l r o om H ow t he c o mponent p ar ts o f th e
house few a nd s imple a s they were had been
assembled a t that almost inacc essible point is a
p r oblem i n the sol ution o f which there w o ul d be
g r eater satisfaction than a dvantage Possibly the
c r eek bed is a refo r med road I t i s certain tha t
t h e gulch was at one tim e p r etty thor o ughly
p r ospected b y m ine r s who m u s t h a ve h a d s o me
mean s of getting i n with at le a st pack a nim a l s
ca rry i ng to o ls a nd supplie s ; th ei r pr o fits app a r
entl y we r e n o t such as wou ld have j u stifie d a ny
conside rabl e o utla y to con nect M aca rg er s Gulch
with an y cente r o f civilization enj o y i ng the di s
tinction of a sawmill The h ou se howeve r w as
the r e m ost of i t I t lacked a d oo r a nd a wi nd ow
fr ame a nd the chimne y of m u d a nd st o nes h a d
fallen into an u nlovel y heap ove r g r own with r a nk
weeds Such h u mble fu r nitu r e as the r e may o nce
have been and m u ch o f the lowe r weatherb o ar d
ing had se r ved as fu el in the camp fi r es o f h u nt
e r s ; as had also p r obabl y the c u r bing of an old
well wh ich at th e t im e I w r ite o f existed i n the
form of a ra ther wid e but n ot very deep d e pres
sion near b y
One afternoon in th e su m mer o f 1 8 7 4 I p a ss ed
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T HE S E CR E
T
OF
M A CA R GE R S GUL CH
1 37
up M aca rg e r s Gu l ch f ro m th e narro w valle y int o
which it open s by following th e d ry be d o f th e
b r ook I w a s qu ai l shooting and had made a bag
o f abou t a d ozen bi r ds b y th e t im e I h a d reach ed
the house desc r i bed o f whose existenc e I w as
u ntil then u nawa r e
Afte r rathe r ca r ele ssl y
inspecting the r u in I r esu m ed m y spo r t and
having fai rly good su ccess p r ol o nged it u nt il
nea r ly sun set when it occu rr ed to m e th a t I was
a l ong way f ro m any h u man habitation — t o o far
to r each on e b y n ight fall But i n my gam e bag
was food an d the o ld hou se would a ffo rd shelter
i f shelte r we r e n eeded o n a w ar m and dew less
n ight i n the foothill s of the Sierr a N evada wher e
one m ay slee p in com fo r t on the pin e n eedle s
witho ut cove r ing
I a m fond o f solitu de a nd
love th e n ight so m y resol ution to camp ou t
was soon taken a nd b y t h e time t hat it was d a rk
I had m ade m y bed o f b o u ghs a nd g ra sses in a
co r ne r of the r oom an d was roasting a quail at a
fi r e which I had kindled o n the hea r th The
smoke esca p ed o u t o f th e r u i ne d chim ney the
light il lu minated the r o om wi t h a kindl y glow
a n d as I ate m y simpl e m e a l of plain bi r d and
d rank th e rem ain s o f a bottle of r ed wine which
had se r ved m e all th e a fte r n o on in pl ace o f t h e
w ate r which t he r egion d id n ot a ffo r d I e x pe ri
e n ce d a sense of co m fo r t whi ch bette r fa r e and
acc o m modations d o n o t always g ive Ne vert h e
le ss the r e was so methi n g la cking
I h a d a s e n se
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1
CA N S UCH
8
3
THIN GS
BE ?
c o m for t b u t n o t o f secu rity
I detec t ed
m y sel f sta r ing m o re frequ entl y at the open doo r
wa y and blank window t han I could find wa rr ant
fo r doing
O utside these ape r tu res all was
black and I w a s u nable t o rep r ess a ce r tain feel
ing of apprehensio n a s m y fanc y pict u r ed the
oute r wo r ld a nd filled i t with u nf r iendl y exist
—
n
nat ural and su pe r nat u r al chief a m ong
e ce s
which in thei r r espective classes we r e th e g r izzl y
bea r which I knew w a s occasio nall y still seen in
that r egion and th e ghost which I had r eason t o
think was not U n fo r tu natel y ou r feelings d o
not alwa y s respect the law of p r obabili ties an d
t o me th a t evening the possible and the i m possi
ble we r e equ all y disqu ieting E ve ryone w h o has
had expe r ience in the matter m ust have obse r ved
that o n e con fr on ts the actu al a nd imagina ry pe r ils
o f the night with far less app r ehension in the open
air than in a house with an open doo r wa y I felt
this n ow as I lay o n my leafy couch i n a co r n er
o f the r oom nex t to the chimney and pe r mitted
m y fi r e to die ou t S o strong becam e my sense of
the p r esence o f s omething malign and m enacing
i n the place t hat I found m y self almost u nable
to withd r a w m y e y es from the opening as i n th e
deepening da r kness it becam e m o r e and mo r e
distinct And when the l a st little flam e flicke r ed
and went ou t I g r asped the shotgu n which I had
laid a t m y side and actuall y t u r ned th e m u zzle in
th e directio n o f the n o w i nvisible ent r ance my
of
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CA N S U CH
1 40
THIN GS
BE ?
a nd fo r t uitou s ; it h ad a definite me t h o d
I
t u rned f r om o ne street int o a nother with o u t
hesit a tio n and th r eaded a maze o f int r icat e p as
sages devoid o i the fe a r of losing m y w ay
P r esentl y I stopped b e fo r e a low d o o r in a pl a i n
s t one hou se which m igh t h a ve been the dwell i ng
t he b etter sort a nd withou t
o f a n ar t is a n of
a nn ou ncing m y self entered The ro om r ather
s pa r ely fu r nis h ed a nd l ighted by a single win dow
with sm al l d i a m ond -shaped panes h a d b u t tw o
o ccup a nts : a man and a woman They t o ok no
n otice o f my int ru si o n a circ u mstance wh i ch in
the m a nner o f dreams appea r ed ent irely n at u ral
The y were n ot c on versing ; they s at a part u n oc
cu pi e d a nd s ullen
The wom a n w a s yo u ng a n d ra ther sto u t w i th
fine l a rge e y es a nd a ce r t a in g r ave b ea u ty ; m y
mem ory o f he r exp r ession is exceedingly viv i d
b u t i n dre a m s o n e does not O bse r ve th e d et a i ls of
faces Abo u t he r sh o u ld ers w as a p l aid shawl
The man w a s older da r k with an ev i l face m a d e
m ore fo r b i ddi n g by a l on g sc a r ex t endin g from
near the left te m ple d i ago na lly d o wnward int o
the black m u st ache ; thou gh i n my d re a m s i t
seemed r ather t o h au nt th e f ace as a t h ing a p a rt
-I c a n exp r ess it n o ot h e r wise — th a n t o bel o n g t o
it The moment tha t I fou nd the m a n and woman
I knew t h e m t o be h u sban d and wife Wha t
fo llo w e d I r emembe r in d istinctly ; it was co n
f u sed a nd inc o ns i s te nt —m a d e so I t hi nk by
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T H E SE CR E T OF
M A CA R GE R
’
S G UL CH
1 41
.
leam
s
o f c o n sci o u sness
It
w
as as i f two pic
g
tu r es th e scen e o f m y dream and m y actual
s u r r o undin g s had b ee n b l ended o ne o ve r l y in g
t he othe r u nti l the form e r gradually fading dis
appe ar ed a n d I w a s b ro ad awa ke in the dese r ted
cabi n e nti rely a nd t ran qu il ly consciou s o f m y
situ at i on
M y foolis h fea r was g on e and opening my e y es
I s a w th a t m y fi r e no t al t oget her bu r ned o u t
h ad rev i ved by the fa l lin g of a stick and w a s a gain
I h a d p r o b abl y slept b u t a
li g hting t h e room
fe w min utes bu t m y comm o n p lace d r eam had
s omehow so s tro ngl y i mp r esse d m e th a t I was no
l onger d rowsy b u t a fte r a l itt l e while rose pu shed
the e m be r s o f m y fi r e t ogether and l ighting my
pipe p r oce eded in a rath e r ludicrousl y m ethod ic a l
w ay t o m edit at e u po n m y visi o n
I t wo u ld have
p u z zled m e t h e n t o sa y i n wh at r espect it w a s
wo r th at t e n tion I n the fi rst m omen t o f se r iou s
t ho ugh t t hat I gave t o t h e m a t te r I recogn ized
t he cit y o f m y d r eam a s E di n bu r gh wh ere I h a d
never bee n ; so i f the d r eam w a s a m em o ry it
w as a m em o ry of pict u res a n d d esc r ipti o n
The
recogn itio n so m ehow deep l y im p r es s ed m e ; it
was as i f somethi ng i n m y m ind i n sisted r eb el
li ou sly a gai n s t w i ll a nd r ea son on the i mpo rt an ce
o f a ll this
And t ha t facul ty wha tever it was
asserte d al so a contr ol o f my spe ech
Su rel y
I sa id alou d qu it e i nvo lu nt aril y th e M a cGre g
O rs m u st h a ve co m e h er e f r o m Ed inbu rgh
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S UCH T HI N GS
CA N
I42
BE ?
A t th e m o ment neither the sub sta nce of t his
rema r k n or the f a ct o f my making it surprised
me i n the least ; it seemed e ntirely natu r al that I
should kn o w the n ame o f my d re a m fo lk an d
something o f their histo ry Bu t the absu r dity o f
it all soon dawned upo n m e : I l aughed a ud ibl y
knocked the a she s fr o m m y pipe and agai n
stretched m y sel f upon my bed o f b o ughs a nd
g rass where I la y sta r ing absently into m y failing
fi re with n o fu rther thought o f either m y d r eam
o r m y s u r r o u ndings
Suddenl y the single rem a in
ing fl a m e c r ou ched for a m o ment then sp r inging
upward lifted itself clear o f its embe r s and
expired in ai r The d a r kness seemed abs o lu t e
At that instant almost it s eemed before the
gleam o f the blaze had faded f ro m my eyes
the r e was a d u ll dead sou nd as o f s om e heavy
b o dy falling upon the floo r which shook be n eath
m e as I lay I spra ng t o a sitting postu re an d
g r oped a t my side fo r my gu n ; my notion w as
th a t so me wild beast h a d l eaped i n th r ough t h e
open windo w While the flimsy stru cture w a s
still shaking f r om the i mpact I hea r d the sound
o f blows th e sc u ffl ing of feet upon the floor a nd
—
then i t seemed to come f r om almost within
reach o f m y hand the sha r p sh r ieking o f a wo man
in mo r tal agon y So ho rr ible a cry I had never
hea r d nor conceived ; it utte r l y u nne rved me ; I
was consci ou s for a m oment o f n othing bu t m y
own te rr o r ! Fo r tu nately m y hand n ow fou nd the
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CA N
1 44
S U CH
T HI N GS
EE I
man named M o rgan t o whom I had a note of
in tr oduction f r om a f r iend i n San Francisco
Din in g with him one evening at his home I
t r ophies upo n the wall indi
o bse r ved va r iou s
cating that h e w a s fond o f shooting I t t u r ned
o u t that h e was and i n r elating some o f his feats
he mentioned h a ving been i n the region o f my
o w n adve n t ure
Mr Mo rgan I asked ab r uptly
d o yo u
know a place u p t here called M acarg e r s Gulch ?
I have g oo d reason t o h e replied ; it w a s
I w h o g ave to the n ewspape r s last y ear the
a cco u nts o f th e fi nding o f the skeleton t he r e
I had not hea r d o f it ; the accou nts had been
published i t a ppeared while I was a bsent in t he
E as t
By t h e w a y s aid M o rgan the name o f the
gulch is a corruption ; it sho uld h a ve been called
My d ea r h e added speaking t o
hi s wife M r E ld e rso n has upset his wine
—
Th a t was hardly a ccu ra te I had s imply
d ropped it gl ass an d all
“
There w as a n o ld sh a nty o nce i n th e gulch
M o r ga n re su m ed wh en th e ru i n wrought b y my
“
a wkw a rd nes s had been repai r ed but j u st previ
or
o u sly t o m y v isit it had been blown down
ra ther bl o w n a wa y fo r its deOr i S w as scatte r ed all
abo ut the ve ry floor being pa r ted plank from
plank Between t w o o f the sleepers st ill in posi
t i on I an d my c o mpan i o n o b s erv ed t he r emnant
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T H E S E CR E T OF M A CA R GE R S G UL CH
’
1 45
.
o f an o ld pl a id s h awl a nd e x amining it f ou nd t h at
i t wa s w ra pped abou t the s h o ulder s o f the b o dy
o f a wom an o f which bu t l ittle remained beside
t he b o nes pa r tly c o ve r ed wi t h f ragmen t s o f
—
clothing a nd b r own d ry skin b ut w e will s pare
M r s M or g a n he a dded with a s mile The l a dy
h a d indeed exhibited signs o f d isgus t r a ther t h a n
symp a thy
“
I t is necess ary t o say h o wever he wen t o n
t hat th e skul l was f r act u r ed i n seve r al places a s
b y blow s o f som e bl u nt inst r u men t ; and t h a t
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instru ment itsel f— a pick handle still stained with
—
blood lay u nder th e boa r ds n ear by
M r Mo r gan t u r ned t o his wi fe
P a rdo n m e
my dea r h e said with a ffected solem nit y f o r
mentioning these disag r eeable pa r ticul ars t he
natu ral though regrettable in ciden t s o f a conj ug a l
qu arr el r esulting d oubtless f r om the wife s
insubordination
I ought t o be able t o ove r lo o k it t he l a dy
repl ied with comp o su re ; y ou have so m a ny
t imes a sked m e t o in those ve ry words
I thought h e seemed rather glad t o go o n with
his story
From these a nd other ci rcu m sta n ces he said
the co r one r s j u ry foun d that the deceased J anet
Ma cGre g o r cam e t o her d eath from blows i n
fli ct e d by som e person t o the j u ry u nknown ; but
it was added that the evidence pointed s tr ongly
to her h u s b a nd Th o ma s M acGreg o r as t he g u ilty
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14
6
CA N
S U CH T HIN GS
BE ?
person But Th o m as MacGre g o r h as never bee n
fou n d n o r heard o f I t was learned tha t the
—
coup l e c a m e f r o m E dinbu rgh bu t n ot m y dear
d o y ou not observe tha t M r E lde rs o n s b o ne
plate h a s water in it ?
I had dep o sited a chic k en b o n e i n my finger
bowl
I n a little cupb o ard I f ou nd a pho to gra ph
o f MacGreg o r bu t it did not lead to h is capt u r e
“
Will yo u let me se e it ? I said
The pic t u re showed a da r k man with a n evi l
f a ce m a d e m or e f or bidding b y a long sca r extend
ing from n ear the t emple diagonall y d o wnwa r d
in to the black m u stach e
“
By the wa y M r E ld e rso n said m y a ffable
host
ma y I know why you asked abou t
Ma ca rg er s Gulch
I lost a m u le n ear there once I r eplied and
—
—
the mischance h as has qu it e u pset me
My dear said M r M o rgan with the m echan
ical intonation o f an inte r p r eter t ranslating the
loss of M r E lde rso n s m ule has peppered his
co ffee
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1 48
S UCH T HI N GS
CA N
—
s ervice
EE I
h a rd
pe rhaps t o som e extent o f ha r d
d r ink for bless m y sou l ! w e did shed th e blood
o f the g ra pe and the g r ain abu ndantl y d u r ing the
I remembe r thinking Gen e r al G r ant who
w ar
c o uld n ot have been a bove fo r ty-fiv e a p r ett y
well p r ese rved old chap conside r ing his habits
As t o m e n of middle age— sa y fro m fift y to sixty
— why they all looked fit to personate the Last
o f the H ittites o r the M a dag asca re ne Meth u selah
i n a m u s eu m Depend u pon it m y f r iends m en
o f tha t t im e we r e g r eatl y y ounger than men are
t o-d ay bu t looked m uch o lde r The ch a nge is
q u ite rem arkable
I s a id t hat p r actic a l joking h a d n o t then gon e
ou t o f f a shion I t had n ot at least in the
army ; t hough possibl y in th e m o r e se r ious li fe o f
t he civilian i t had n o place except in the fo r m o f
t arring a nd feathe r ing an occasional obnoxiou s
“
coppe r head
Y o u all kn ow I suppose what a
c o ppe rhead w as so I will go di r ectl y at m y
s t ory with ou t i nt rodu cto r y rema r k a s is m y w ay
I t was a few da y s befo r e the bat t l e of Nash
ville The enemy had d r iven u s u p o u t of n o r th
e r n Geo rgi a and Alabama At Nashvi lle w e had
t u r ned at ba y and fo r tified while old Pap
Thomas o u r com mande r h u rr ied down r ein fo r ce
m ents and supplies f r o m Lou isville M eantim e
Hood th e Con fede r ate commande r had pa r tl y
i nve s ted u s an d la y close enough t o have tossed
A s a ru l e h e
she l l s i n t o t he h e a r t o f t he to wn
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T HE M Aj OR S
’
TA LE
1
.
49
abs t ain ed — h e w a s af r aid o f killing t he f a milie s o f
his o wn soldie r s I supp ose a grea t many o f
wh o m had lived there I s o me t imes w o ndered
what we r e th e feelings o f th o s e fell o ws g a zing
over o u r head s at their o w n dwellings where thei r
wives a n d child ren o r their aged parents were
pe r haps su ffe r ing for the necessa r ies o f life a nd
ce r t a inl y (so their re a soning w o uld run ) cowe r in g
u nde r the t y ranny and p o wer o f th e ba rba r o u s
Yankee s
T o begin t hen at t h e begin ning I w a s serv ing
a t that tim e o n the sta ff o f a d ivisi o n commander
whose nam e I shall n ot disclose for I am r elating
facts a nd th e pe r son upon whom the y bear h a rd
es t m a y have su rviving r elatives w h o w o u ld n ot
ca r e t o h a ve hi m t r aced O u r headqua r te rs we r e
in a la r ge d w e lli ng w h i ch st o od j u st beh ind o u r
line o f wo r ks I t had been hastil y abandoned by
the civilian occu pants w h o had left eve ry thing
p r ett y m u ch as it w a s— had n o place to s t o re it
probabl y and t r usted th a t H e a ven wo uld pre
s erve i t f r om Fede r al cu pidit y and Con federa t e
sh ells With reg a rd t o t he l att er we were a s
s olicitous a s the y
Ru mmaging ab o u t in s o m e o f t he ch a mbe rs
and closets o ne even ing some o f u s fou nd an
abundan t suppl y o f lad y gea r— g o wn s s hawls
b o nnets hats pettico a ts a n d the Lord knows
what ; I cou ld n o t a t th a t t ime have n a med th e
h a lf of it The sigh t o f a l l t hi s pretty plu n der
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1
5
CAN S UCH T HI N G S B E ?
0
inspired o n e o f us with what he w a s pleased t o
call an Idea which when submitted to the other
scamps and scapeg race s o f the sta ff met with
instant and enthusiastic approval
We p r o
cee d e d a t once to a ct up o n it fo r the u ndoing of
one of ou r companions
O u r selec t ed victim w as an aid Lieu tenant
Ha b e rt o n so t o call him
H e was a good soldie r
— as gallant a chap as eve r wo r e spu r s bu t h e had
;
an intole r able weakness : he was a lady kille r an d
like m ost o f his class even i n those day s anxiou s
that all should kno w i t H e never ti r ed of r elat
ing his amato ry exploits a n d I need n ot say how
dismal that kin d o f nar r ative is t o all but th e
nar ra to r I t would be dismal even i f sp r ightly
a nd vivacious for all men a r e rivals i n woman s
favo r an d to relate y ou r successes t o another
man is to r ou se i n him a d u mb r esentment tem
pe r ed b y disbelief Yo u will not convince him
that y ou tell th e tal e fo r h i s ente r tainment ; h e
will h ea r n othing in it but an exp r ession o f y ou r
o w n van it y
Mo r eove r as m ost men whethe r
r akes o r n ot a r e willing to be thought so he is
ve ry likel y to r esent a st upid and unj ust i n fe r ence
which he suspects y ou t o have d r a w n f r om his
r eticence in the matte r of his own adventu r es
namel y that he has had none I f on the othe r
hand he has n o sc r upl e i n th e matte r and his
reticence is d ue to lack o f oppo r tu nit y to talk o r
o f n imbleness i n t aking advanta g e of it w h y then
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CA N S UCH T HIN GS B E ?
152
a re the y res t rained by the consid era t ion th at
he is their friend ; the qualities wh ich have
engaged thei r o wn admi r ation make it necess ary
t o wa r n awa y those t o whom the allu r ement
would be a pe r il So the man of cha r ming pe r
so n a li ty while loved b y all the ladies who know
hi m well y et not t o o well m ust end u re with such
f ort itud e a s he ma y the consciou sn ess that those
“
o thers w h o know him only b y reputation co n
s ider h im a shameless reprobate a viciou s a nd
—
u nw o rthy man a t y pe and example o f m o r al
dep r avit y To nam e the second disadvantage
entailed b y his cha r m s : he com monl y is
I n o rde r to get fo r ward with o u r bus y st o ry
and
in
m
y
j
u
dgm
ent
a
st
o
r
y
o
nce
begu
n
shou
ld
(
not su ffer impedition) it is necessa ry t o explai n
t h a t a you ng fellow a ttached t o o u r headqu a r te r s
as an o rderly w a s notably e ffem inate i n featu r e
a nd figu r e H e was n ot m o r e than seventeen and
h a d a pe r fectl y smooth fa ce a nd la r ge lust r ou s
e y es which m u st have been the env y o f man y a
be a utifu l w o man in tho s e da y s And h o w beau
t ifu l the w o me n o f those days we r e ! and h o w
g raci o us ! Th o se of the Sou th showed in t heir
demean o r to ward us Y ankees something of
It a u t eu r bu t fo r m y pa r t I fou nd it less i n su p
portable than t he studiou s indi ffe r ence with which
one s a ttentions a r e r eceived by th e ladies of this
n ew gene r ation wh o m I cert a i n ly t hink d estit u t e
o f sentim en t a nd sen s ibility
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TA LE
T HE M Aj OR S
’
1 53
.
This y oung o r de r l y whose nam e w a s Arm a n
we pe r suad ed — b y what a rgum ents I am n o t
bou nd to say — to cloth e him sel f in female attire
and pe r sonate a lad y When we had him a rra y ed
t o o u r satisfaction — and a cha r ming gi r l he looked
he was cond ucted to a sofa in the o f fice of the
a dj u tant gen e r al T hat o ffi ce r w a s in the secret
as ind eed we r e all excepting Hab e rt o n and the
gen e r al ; within th e awful dignit y hedging the
latter la y possibilities o f disapprov a l which w e
we r e u nwilling to con f r ont
When al l w as re a d y I went to Hab ert o n and
said : Lieutenant the r e is a y ou ng woman in th e
a dj utan t gene r al s o ffice She is the daughte r o f
the insu r gen t gentleman w h o owns this h ouse
and has I think called to see abo u t its p r esen t
o ccu pancy We n one o f u s kno w j u st h o w t o
t a lk to he r bu t think pe r haps y ou would say abou t
the r ight thing— at l east y ou will say things in th e
right wa y Would y ou m ind coming d own ?
The l ieu ten a nt wou ld not m ind ; he made a
hast y toilet and j oined m e As we we r e going
along a passage towa r d th e Presence we e nco u n
t e re d a fo r m idable obstacle — th e gen e r al
I sa y B r oad w ood he said add r essing m e in
the familiar m anne r which m e a nt that h e w a s in
excellent h u m o r the r e s a lad y in Lawson s
o ffice Looked like a devilish fin e gi r l — cam e o n
som e e rr and o f me r c y o r j ustice n o d oubt
H ave the goodness to condu ct her t o my qu a r
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CA N S UCH T HIN GS B E ?
154
t e rs I w o n t saddle y ou yo u ngste r s with a ll th e
busines s o f this division he added faceti ousl y
This was awkwa r d something had to be d o n e
I did not think the lad y s
Ge n e ra l I said
bu siness o f su ffi cien t imp or tance t o bother y o u
with it She i s o ne o f the Sanitary Commission s
n u r ses and m e r el y wants t o se e a bou t some sup
plies fo r the s mallpox hospital where she is o n
d ut y I ll send her in at o nce
You need n ot m ind sa id the genera l m oving
on ;
I da r e s ay L a ws o n will attend t o the
m atter
Ah the gallant genera l ! how li t t le I th o ugh t
as I looked afte r his r et r eating figu r e and laughed
at th e success o f m y r u se that within the week
he would be dead o n t he field o f hon or ! N or
was he the onl y one o f o u r little m ilita ry house
h old above whom gloomed the shad o w o f the
d eath angel an d who might al most have hea r d
the beating o f his wings
On that bleak
Decembe r m o r ning a few da y s late r when f ro m
an h o u r before dawn u ntil ten o clock w e sat on
horseback o n those i cy hills waiting fo r Gene r al
Smith t o O pen th e battle miles awa y t o th e r ight
the r e we r e eight o f us At the close o f the fig h t
ing there we r e th r ee The r e is now on e Bear
with him y et a littl e while o h th r ifty gene r ation ;
he is bu t o ne o f the ho rr o r s o f wa r st r a y ed f r om
his e r a into y ou r s H e is onl y the ha r mless sk e le
ton at you r feast a nd p eace dance r esponding t o
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156
CA N S UCH
THINGS
EE I
o f pr o per ty r ights — am ong them as t o the i mmi
nent pe r il o f o u r bu r sting sides w e pa r tl y ove r
he ar d the looting o f her own wa r d r obe — the look
o f sympatheti c a gon y in H a b e rt o n s handsom e
face w a s the very flower and f r u it of hist r ionic a r t
H is deferential and assenting nods at each seve r al
statemen t were so exqu isitel y pe r formed th a t on e
could n ot help r eg r etting thei r u nsubstantial
n a tu r e a n d t he impossibility o f preserving them
u nder gl a ss f o r instruction and d elight o f poste r
it y And a ll t he time th e wretch w a s d r awing
his ch a i r nea r er a nd nea r er Once or twice h e
lo o ked ab o u t t o see i f we we r e obse r vi ng bu t w e
we r e in appea r ance blankl y oblivio u s t o all but
The low
o n e an othe r and o u r seve r al dive r sions
h u m of o u r conve r sation the gentle tap -tap o f th e
ca r ds as the y fell in play and the f u r io us sc r atch
ing o f the adj utant gene r al s pen a s he t u r ned o ff
cou ntless pages o f wo r ds witho ut sense we r e the
—
only sou nds hea r d N o the r e was anothe r ; a t
l o ng inte r vals th e distant boom o f a heav y gu n
followed by the approachin g r ush o f the sh ot
The enem y was am u sing himself
On these occasions the lad y was pe rhap s n ot
the onl y m embe r o f that compan y w h o w a s
sta r tled bu t sh e was sta r tled m o r e than the
othe r s someti mes r ising f r om the sofa and
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stan ding with clasped hands th e au thentic por
t r ait o i te rr o r and i rr esolution I t was n o more
than n a tu ral that Ha b e rt o n S h ould at these time s
,
.
T HE
M AJ OR S
’
T A LE
15
.
7
re s e at h er wi t h in fini t e t end erne ss a ss u ring her o f
her sa fe t y an d regret t ing her pe r il i n th e sa me
bre a th I t w as perhap s r ight th a t h e sh o uld
finally p oss ess h im sel f o f he r gloved h a nd a nd a
se at beside her o n the s o fa ; but it ce r t a inly w as
highly impr o pe r for h im t o be i n the ve ry ac t of
f
pos s e ss ing him s elf o f bot /t h a nd s when — b o om
,
.
,
w h i z, B AN G !
We a ll sp r ang t o o u r fee t A sh ell h a d cra shed
in to the hou se and exploded i n th e room ab o ve
us
Bush els o f pl a ster fell am o n g u s Tha t
m odest and m u rm u rou s yo u ng lady le a ped erec t
“
J u mping J e ru salem sh e cried !
Hab e rt o n w h o had also risen sto o d a s on e
— a s a statu e o f himsel f erected o n th e
e
t
r
i
fi
e
d
p
site o f hi s ass a ssin a tion H e neithe r spoke n o r
m oved n or once t ook h is e y e s o ff th e face o f
O r de r ly Arman w h o w as now flinging h is gi r l
ge ar right and left exposin g his cha r ms in th e
m ost sh ameless w ay ; whil e o u t u pon the night
a nd away over the lighted camps i nto th e black
spaces between th e h ostile lines r o lled th e billows
o f o u r inexhau stible laught er !
Ah wha t a merry
li fe it w a s in th e o ld he r oic days when m en had
n ot fo r gotten h o w t o laugh !
H ab ert o n slowl y cam e to himsel f
H e lo o k ed
a bou t him less blankl y then b y d egrees fashioned
his visage into th e sickliest g r in that eve r libeled all
smilin g H e S hook his head and l ooked kn o wing
h e s aid
You c an t f ool m e
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1 60
CA N
S U CH
THIN GS
BE?
h a d d ied o n t he sa me d ay at t he h ou s e o f t h e
—
y ou ng lad y s fa t her i n Devonshi r e a ci r cu m
stance i n itsel f su fli ci e nt ly u ncom mon t o remain
ra ther distinctly in my mem o ry even h a d it not
a f t erw a rd tr anspired i n c on ve rs ati o n with the
y o ung l a dy th a t the na me o f th e m a n w as Wil
liam J arrett the s a me a s my o wn I knew t h a t a
bra nch o f my fa mily h a d s e t tled i n S o uth C a r o
lina bu t o f them an d their h i st ory I w as a lt o
gether ign o ran t
Th e M or r ow sa i l ed fr o m the m o uth o f the
Merse y o n the 1 st h of J u n e and f o r s eve ra l week s
w e h a d fair bree ze s a nd u ncl ou ded skies
The
s kippe r a n a d mir a ble S eam a n b u t no thing m o re
f a vored u s with very li tt le o f hi s so ciety exc ep t
at his ta ble ; a nd the y ou ng w o m a n M iss J anette
H a rford a nd I bec a m e ve ry well acquain t ed ;
we were i n t ru t h n e a rly a lway s t o gether and
being of a n introspect ive t u r n o f m ind I often
endeavored to a nal y ze a nd define the n o vel feel
—
ing with which she in s pi r ed m e a sec r et subtle
bu t p o werfu l a ttra c t i o n which c o ns ta ntl y impelled
m e to s eek her ; bu t th e at tempt w as hopeless
I could only be s u r e th a t at l e as t it w as n o t love
H aving a ssu red m ys el f o f t his a nd being reas on
abl y ce r tain th a t she w a s qu ite a s wh o le-hearted
I ventu r ed o ne evening ( I remember i t w as o n th e
3d o f J uly) a s we s at o n deck t o a sk her laugh
i n g ly i f sh e c o uld ass i st m e t o re so lve my ps y ch o
l o g ic al d oubt
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A P S YCHOL O GI CA L S HI P
WR E CK
1
.
61
Fo r a m o me nt sh e w a s s ilen t , with averted
and I beg an t o fe a r I h a d been extremely
fa ce
rude
a nd indelic ate ; t hen sh e fixed he r e y es gravely
on my o wn In a n in st an t my mind was d om
i na t ed by as s tra nge a fa ncy a s ever e ntered
h u m a n c o n s ci ou sness I t s eemed a s i f sh e were
l oo ki n g a t m e n o t w i th b u t th oug h those e y es
— fr o m an i mme a su ra ble dist a nce behind them
a nd t h at where sh e sat a n umber o f oth er people
men w o men a nd children upon wh o se faces I
au
g
t
s
t
r
a
ngely
f
a
miliar
ev
a
n
escent
expre
s
sion
s
h
c
cl ustered a b o u t her st r uggling with gentle eager
n e ss to loo k at m e t hrough the sam e o r bs Ship
—
o ce an sky a ll had v a n is h ed I was c o nsciou s o f
n ot hi n g bu t t h e figures In this ex t ra o rd ina ry and
fa n ta st ic s ce n e Then all at once darkness fell
u pon me a nd a no n from o u t of it a s t o o n e w h o
gro ws a ccu sto med b y deg r ees t o a d im mer light
my f o rm er su rr o u ndings o f deck and m a st and
c o rdage sl o wl y resolved themselves M iss Ha r
fo rd h ad clo sed her e y es a nd was leaning b a ck in
he r chai r a pp a rentl y a sleep th e book sh e had
bee n re a di n g open in her lap I mpelled b y su rely
I c annot say w hat m o t ive I glanced at th e top o f
the p a ge ; it wa s a cop y of that ra r e an d cu r iou s
w or k
a nd the lad y s
D e n ne k e r s M edit a tions
index finge r r ested on t his pa ssage :
To s u ndry it IS g i ven t o be d ra wn away a nd
to be a p art f r om t he bod y fo r a seas o n ; fo r as
c oncerning rills which wo uld flow acros s e ach
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62
CA N
S U CH T HIN GS
BE ?
ot her the weaker is born e alo ng by t he st r o nger
so there be ce r tain o f kin whose paths inter s ec t
i ng their sou ls do bear comp a ny the while their
”
b o dies g o f o re -appointed ways u nknowing
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,
Miss Harford a ros e sh uddering ; th e s u n had
su nk below t h e h o rizon b ut i t w as n o t cold
There w as n ot a bre a th o f wind ; t he r e were n o
clouds in the sky ye t n o t a s t a r was visibl e
A hu r r ied t r a mping so u nded o n the deck ; th e
c a p t ain s u m moned f r om below j oin ed the first
o ffice r wh o s tood l ookin g a t the b ar o m e t er
“
G oo d Go d ! I heard h im exclaim
An hou r l a ter th e fo r m o f J anet t e H a rfo rd
invisible i n th e da r kness and s p r a y wa s t or n
from my gra sp by the c r u el vortex o f the sinking
s hip a nd I fainted in the co r d a ge o f the fl o ating
m ast to which I had l a shed m ys elf
I t was b y lamplight tha t I awoke I lay in a
berth a mid the familiar su rro u ndings o f the state
r o om o f a steam e r On a cou ch opp o site sat a
man hal f u nd r essed f o r bed reading a b oo k I
recognized the face o f my friend Gordo n Do y le
whom I had met in Live r pool o n the day o f m y
emba rkation when he wa s himsel f about t o sail
o n the ste a mer Ci t
o
wh
ich
he
had
P
r
a
e
n
u
o
y f
g
u rged m e to accompan y him
After some m om en ts I n o w s poke his nam e
H e s imply said Well and t u r ned a le a f i n his
boo k wi t h ou t rem o ving hi s eye s fr o m t he p a ge
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CA N S UCH T HIN GS B E ?
1 64
d o y ou kno w o f J an e tt e H a r fo rd ? he ask ed
v ery c a lmly
“
First tell m e wh at y ou k n o w o f her ?
M r D o yle g a zed a t m e f o r s o m e m o me nts as
i f to a sce rta i n wh at t o d o then s e a ting him s elf
ag a in o n the c o u ch s aid
Why sh o u ld I n ot ? I a m eng a ged t o m a rry
J an ette H a rf o rd wh o m I m et a ye a r ago in
L on don H er family o ne o f th e wealthies t in
Dev ons hire cu t u p r o ugh a bou t it a nd w e eloped
— a re eloping ra ther for o n the d a y that you and
I w a lke d t o the landing stage to go aboa r d this
ste a mer sh e and her faithfu l se r vant a n eg r ess
passed u s d r ivi ng t o th e ship M or row She
wou ld n ot consent t o g o in the same vessel with
m e a n d it had been deemed best th at S h e take a
s ailing vessel in o r de r t o av o id observ a tion and
lessen the r isk of detection I am n ow alarmed
lest this cu r sed breaking o f o u r m achinery ma y
detai n u s so long th at the M or r ow will get t o
N ew Y o r k befo r e u s and the poor girl will n ot
kn ow whe r e to g o
—
I la y still in m y berth so s t ill I h ar dly
breathed indeed Bu t t he subj ect w a s evidentl y
n o t d isplea s ing t o D oyl e a nd after a shor t p a use
he re s u med
“
By the w ay sh e is o nl y an a dop t ed daughter
of t he H a rf o rds H er m other w a s killed at thei r
place b y being thrown fr o m a horse while hu nting
and her f at her m a d wi t h g r ief m a de a way with
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A P S YCH OLOGI CA L S HIP
16
WR E CH
.
5
himself the s a m e d ay N 0 o ne eve r claimed the
child and after a re a s o n a ble tim e they a d o pted
”
it So rry to dep r ive them really
”
Do y le wh a t book a r e y o u r eading ?
Oh it s called D e n nek er s M editat io n s
It s a r um lot J anette g a ve it t o m e ; sh e hap
pened to have t wo copies W a nt t o see it ?
H e tossed m e th e volu m e which open ed as i t
fell On one o f the exposed p a ges w a s a m arked
p a ssage
To su nd ry it is given t o be dra wn a way a n d
t o be apa r t f r om the b o d y for a seas o n ; f or as
conce r ning rills w h ich would fl o w acros s each
othe r the weake r is b o rn e a long by th e st r onger
s o the r e be certai n o f kin who s e path s inte r sec t
ing their sou ls d o bear comp a ny th e while thei r
bodies go fo r e -appointed wa y s u nkn o wing
—
—
S h e had sh e h a s a singular t a ste in re a d
ing I managed t o say mas t ering m y agitation
Yes
And now perhaps y o u will have th e
kindness t o explain how y ou knew her n a me an d
that of the ship S he s a iled in
Y o u talked o f her i n yo u r sleep
I said
A week l a ter we were towed into the p o rt o f
N ew Y o rk
B ut t h e M or r ow w as n ever he a rd
fr o m
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1 68
CAN
T HIN GS B E ?
S UCH
O n e a c q u a in t ed with th e n ice t ie s o f
m ilit a ry etiqu e t te wou ld have s aid that b y hi s
m an ner he att e s ted a sen s e o f the r ebuke that he
h a d inc u rred I t is o ne o f the imp o rt a n t u se s o f
civility to signify re s en t ment
Whe n t he general h a d j o w ed h i s st a ff and
e s cort a w a iting him a t a l i t tle dis ta nce t he wh o l e
cavalcade moved o ff tow a rd the right o f t he gun s
and vanished in the fog C a pt a in Ransom e w a s
alone S ilent m o tionless as an equ est r ian statu e
The g r a y fog thi ckeni ng every m o me nt cl os ed
i n a b o u t hi m li k e a vi s i b l e d oo m
m ali ty
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II
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W HA T
U ND E R
NO T
C IR C U M S T ANC E S M E N D O
W IS H
TO BE
S HO T
.
fighting o f t h e da y bef o re h a d bee n
desult or y a nd indecisive At the p o in t s o f co l
li s i o n the smoke o f battle had hu ng i n blu e shee ts
a m ong the b r anches of th e t ree s t ill beaten int o
nothing by the falling rain I n the so ften ed e a rth
the wheel s o f cann on and a mm u niti o n wagon s cu t
deep ra gged fu r rows a nd m ovement s o f infa n t ry
s eemed impeded by the m u d th at clu ng to the
s o ldier s feet as with soaken ga r m ent s and rifles
impe r fectly protected by cape s o f ove r coats th ey
wen t dragging in sin u o u s l ines h ithe r and th ither
th r ough d r ipping f o rest a n d flooded field
M ou nted o fficers their h eads pro tr uding f ro m
rubber p o nchos th at glit t e r ed l ike black a r m o r
picked thei r way s ingly a nd in lo os e gr oups
a mong the m en c o m ing and going with appare nt
aimlessness a n d c o m manding a tten ti o n f r om
nobod y but o ne a nothe r H ere a nd th ere a dead
man his cl o thing d e file d with ea r th his face
cove r ed with a blanket o r sho wing y ellow and
clay like i n the r a in a dded his di sp i ri t i ng i n flu ence
t o t h at of t he ot her dis mal fe at u res of t he s ce n e
T HE
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CA N S UCH T H IN GS B E ?
1 7a
a nd au gmen t ed t he general disc o m fort with a
p a rticul a r de j ec t i o n
Very repu lsive these
w r ecks l oo ked — n ot at a l l her o ic and nobod y
w as a ccessible t o the in fection o f t heir p a tri o tic
example De a d upo n the field of hono r yes ;
but the field o f h o nor w as so ve ry we t ! I t make s
a di ffe r ence
The genera l eng a gement that all expec t ed did
not o ccu r none o f the small a dvantages accruing
now t o this side and n ow t o that in isolated and
accidental c o llision s being followed u p
Half
he ar ted a tt a cks pro voked a sullen resistance
which was s atisfied with mere repu lse O rders
we r e obeyed with mech a nic a l fidelity ; n o o ne
did an y m or e th a n his d uty
The a rm y is c o wardly to-da y s a id G ene r al
Cam e r on the comm a nder o f a Fed e r al b r igade
to his a dj u tant general
“
The army is cold replied the o fficer a d
“
—
d r essed a n d yes it d o e s n t wish t o be like
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that
H e p o inted to on e o f t he d ead b o dies l y ing i n
a thin pool o f y ell o w w at er its face and clothing
bespattered with m u d from h oof and wheel
The a r my s weapon s seemed t o sh a re its mili
ta ry delinqu ency The rattle o f rifles sou nded
flat and contem ptible I t h a d n o me a ning a nd
sc a rcel y roused to a ttentio n a nd expectanc y the
u nengaged part s o f th e lin e o f battle a nd the
w a i t i n g re s erv e s H e a rd at a li tt le di s t an ce the
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CA N S UCH T HIN GS B E ?
72
as t hey c ou ld witho u t the a bsen t s pad e an d t h e
n o isy a x One o f these points was held b y C a p
t a in Ransome s b a ttery of si x gu ns Pr o vided
a lw ays with int r enching tools his m en h a d
l a b o red with diligence d u r ing the nigh t a nd n o w
his gu ns th r ust thei r bl a ck mu zzles through th e
embra su res o f a really f o rm idable e ar thwo r k I t
c r owned a s light a cclivity devoid o f u nde r g ro w t h
a n d a ffo rding a n u nobstru cted fire th a t would
sweep t he g r ou n d f o r a n u nkn own dis ta nce i n
front The p o siti on c o u ld h a rdl y h a ve be e n
better chosen I t h a d this peculi ar i t y which
C a ptain Ransom e w h o was greatl y a ddic t ed t o
the use o f t he comp a ss had not failed t o o bserve :
i t fa ced n o r t hward whe r eas h e knew t h a t the
gene r al line o f th e ar m y m ust face e a stw a rd I n
“
—
fact that part of the line was refu s ed th a t is
t o s ay bent b a ckward aw a y f r om the enem y
This implied t h a t C a p t ain R a ns o m e s b a t t e ry w a s
so mewhere near th e left fl a nk o f t he ar my ; f o r a n
a rm y i n line o f battle retires i t s fl a n k s if t he n at u re
o f the grou nd will permit the y being its vulner
a ble points Actually Captain Ransom e ap
f
t
o
h
o
ld
the
ext
r
em
e
left
the
lin
e
n
o
eare
d
o
p
t r oops being visible in that direction bey o nd his
own
I m mediatel y i n re ar o f his gu ns occu rr ed
that conve r sation between him a nd his b r igade
commande r the conclu ding and m o re pic t ure sq u e
p a rt o f which i s rep o r t ed a b ov e
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H O W T O PLAY T H E
CA NNO N
W IT H O U T NO T E S
.
C A PT A IN R ANS O M E sat m otionless and silen t
o n ho r seback
A few ya r ds awa y his m en were
standing at thei r gu ns S o mewhe r e — eve ry whe r e
—
within a few m iles were ahund r ed thousand men
f r iends and enemies Y et he w a s alon e The
m i st had isolated him a s completel y as if he had
been i n the hea r t o f a dese r t H is world w as a
few squa r e y a r ds o f w e t and t r ampled ea r th abou t
the feet of his ho r se
H is com ra des in that
ghostl y domain w e r e invisible a nd inaudible
These we r e conditions favo r able t o thought an d
he w a s thinking O f the n at u r e of his thoughts
his clear-cut handsom e feat u r es y ielded n o attest
ing sign H is face w as as insc r utable a s that of
the S phinx Wh y should it have mad e a reco r d
which there was n o n e t o obse r ve ? At the sound
o f a footstep h e m erel y t u r n ed his e y es in the
d i r ection when ce it came ; o ne o f his se r geants
l ooking a gian t in stat u r e in the false pe r spective
o f the fog approached and when clea r l y d efined
and redu ced t o his t r u e dim ensions b y p r opin
uit
q
y sa l ut ed a nd stoo d a t a t t e nt io n
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x
S UCH T H IN GS B E ?
CA N
74
Well M o r r is sai d the o ffi cer re tu r n ing hi s
su b or d inate s s al ute
Lieu ten a nt P r ice direc t ed m e t o t el l y ou sir
t hat the i nfantry h as bee n withd ra wn We h a ve
"
n o supp or t
Yes I kn o w
I am t o say t h at s o m e o f o u r men h av e bee n
o u t o ver th e w or k s a h u ndred y a rd s an d rep o r t
t hat o u r front is no t picketed
"
Yes
The y were so fa r f o rw a rd t h at t hey he a rd t he
enemy
Ye s
The y hea r d the r a ttle o f the whee ls o f a r t i ll ery
a nd the commands o f o ffi ce r s
Yes
The enem y i s m o ving towa r d o u r wo rk s
Captain Ransome w h o had been facing t o the
re ar o f his line — towa r d the point where the
b r igad e c o mmander and h is cavalcade had bee n
s wa llowed u p by the fog— reined his h or se abou t
a nd faced the o ther w ay Then he sat mo t ionle ss
as befo r e
Wh o a r e th e men who made t h a t sta t emen t ?
he in qui r ed with o u t loo k ing at the se r geant ; his
e y es we r e di r ected st raight into the fog over the
h ead of his ho rse
Corpo r al Hassman an d Gun ne r Man ning
Captain Ransome was a m oment silent A
slight pallor came into his face a slight comp r es
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T O INT R O D U C E GE NE RA L
MA S T E R S O N
.
S E AR CH ING fo r hi s division comm a nder Gen
era l Cam er o n and his escort had fol l owed the lin e
o f battle fo r nea r l y a mile to the right o f Ran
so me s batte ry and the r e le a rned tha t the d ivision
c o mmander had gone in sea r ch o f the co r ps c o m
m a nder I t seem ed that everybod y was l ooking
—
f o r his immediat e s upe r ior a n o minou s ci r cu m
s t a n ce It m eant that n obod y w a s quite at ease
S o Gen eral C a me r on rod e o n fo r an othe r half
mile whe r e b y good lu ck he m et Gene ra l M aster
s o n the division c o m mande r retu r ning
Ah Came r on s a id the higher o ffice r r eining
u p a nd throwing his right leg across the pomm el
o f hi s saddle i n a most u nmilitary w ay —
an y
thing u p ? F o u nd a g o od position for y ou r
—
batte ry I hope i f o ne place is better than
another i n a fo g
Yes general said t he other with t h e greate r
dignit y appropriate to his less exalted rank m y
b a ttery is ve ry well placed I w i sh I could sa y
t hat i t i s a s well c o mmanded
“
E h wh at s t h a t ? Rans o me ? I think h im a
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x 76
KIN D
ON E
f e llo w
fine
I n t he a rmy
.
OF F I CE R
OF
we
1
.
77
s h oul d b e pr ou d of
”
h im
I t w as c u sto m a ry fo r o fficer s o f t he reg ula r
“
a rmy t o s pe a k o f i t as t he a rmy
A s the
g r e a te st citie s a re m o s t pr o vinci a l s o t he self
c o mpl a cency o f a rist o cra cie s is m ost fra nkly
plebei a n
“
H e i s too f on d o f hi s o pin i o n By t he w ay
i n o rder t o o ccu py t he hill that he h o ld s I h a d to
extend my lin e danger o u sly The h ill i s on my
left — t ha t is t o s ay the left flank o f the army
Oh n o H art s b r ig a de is bey o nd I t was
o rdered u p from Dryt o wn d u ring th e nigh t an d
di r ec t ed to h o ok o n to y o u Be t ter go a nd
The s entence w as u nfinished : a lively cann o n
a de h a d broken o u t o n the left a nd b o th o fficers
foll o wed by their retin u es o f aid s a nd o rde r lie s
m a king a great j ingle and clank r o de ra pidly
t o w a rd the s po t Bu t they were s oo n impeded
for they were compelled by the fog t o keep
withi n s igh t o f the line o f b at tle behi n d which
were sw ar ms o f m en a ll in m o tion a cro ss t heir
E ve rywhere the lin e w as as su ming a
way
sharper a nd h a rder definition a s the m en s p r ang
t o ar m s and th e o ffi cers with dra wn sword s
“
dressed the r a nks Color bea r ers u nfu r led t h e
flags bug l er s blew the as sembly h o spital at
t e n da n t s appe ar ed with s tre t che rs
Field o ffice rs
dism o un t ed a nd sen t their h ors e s t o the rear i n
o f n e g r o s ervant s B ack i n t he g h os t ly
ca re
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CA N
S U CH
T H I N GS B E ?
a es o f t h e for e st co uld be he ar d
sp c
m u rm u r
of
the
reserves
,
t he
d
ru st le a n
pulling themsel v es
No r wa s all th is p r epara tio n v ai n fo r sca r ce ly
five min utes h ad passed since Capt ai n Ranso me s
guns had broke n the t r uce o f doub t be fore the
whole region was ar oa r : the enemy h a d at t acked
with inco nceiv a bl e fu ry e ve ryw here
“
‘
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1
80
CA N
S U CH
T H IN GS B E ?
seri o us a nd feverish a ctivit y From his s t ati o n a t
t he parapet Capt a in R a nsome n ow sa w a g r eat
m ultitu de o f di m g r ay figu r es taking shape i n the
m ist bel o w hi m a nd s warming up the slope Bu t
t he wo r k o f the gu ns was now fast and fu r iou s
They s wep t the populou s declivit y with gusts o f
g r ape a nd caniste r the whirring o f which could
be he a rd t hr o u gh the thu nder o f the explosions
I n this a wfu l tempest o f i ro n the a ssailants
st ruggled f o rward f o o t b y fo o t acr o ss their dead
firing int o the emb r asu r es r elo a ding firing again
a nd at l a s t f a lling in thei r t u r n a little i n advance
o f th os e w h o h a d fallen before Soon th e smoke
w as den s e en ough t o cover all
I t settled down
u p o n t he at tack a nd d r ifting back i nvolved the
d efen s e The gu nn e r s could ha r dl y se e to serve
t heir piece s and when occ a sional figu r es of the
—
enemy a ppea r ed up o n the parapet h a ving had
t he good l uck to get n ea r enough to it between
t w o emb ras ures t o be p ro tected fr o m the gu ns
they l o oked so u nsubstantial that i t seemed
h a rdly w o rth while to g o to work u po n them with
saber a nd revolver a nd t u mble them b a ck into
the d itch
As the commander o f a battery in a c t ion can
find s omething better t o d o than c r acking individ
ual skulls Captain Ransom e had r eti r ed f r om the
parapet t o his p r o per post in rea r o f his gu ns
whe r e he s tood with folded a r ms his bugler
b e s i de hi m
Here d u rin g t he h ott est of t h e
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ONE
KIN D
OF OF FI CE R
1 81
.
figh t h e w as app r oached by Lieu t en a n t P rice
w h o had j ust s a be r ed a da r ing assail a n t i n side t he
w or k A spirited coll o quy ensued be t ween t he
—
t w o o ffice rs
spi r ited at least o n t he p a rt o f the
lieutenan t w h o gestic ula t ed with energy a nd
sh o uted a g a in and again int o his c o m m a nder s e a r
i n the att emp t t o m a ke himsel f he a rd a bove the
in fernal di n o f the gu ns H i s gest ures if c oo lly
n o ted by a n a ct o r w o uld h a ve been pronou nced
t o be th o se o f p ro testation : o ne w o uld h a ve sa id
that he w as o pposed t o the p r o ceeding s
Captai n R a nsom e li s tened with o u t a ch a nge o f
cou ntenance o r a ttit u de a nd when t he other m a n
h a d finished his h a rangu e l oo ked him c o ldly in
t he e y e s a nd d u ring a s e a s o nable a b a tem en t o f
t he u pro a r s aid :
“
Lieu tenant Price it is not permi tt ed to y o u to
kn o w el m/ti l i ng I t i s s u ffi cient t ha t y ou o bey my
"
o rde rs
The lieu t e na nt wen t t o h is p ost a nd t h e p a ra
pet being now appa r entl y clea r Cap ta i n Ran so m e
retu r ned t o it t o have a l oo k over As h e
mou n t ed t he b a n quette a man sp ra ng upon the
crest w a ving a g r e a t brilliant flag The captain
d r ew a pi s tol f r om his belt and sho t him dead
Th e body pi t ching f o rw a rd h u ng o ver the inn er
edge o f the emb a nk me n t the a rm s st r aight down
wa r d both hand s still grasping the flag Th e
m an s few followers t u rned a nd fled d o wn th e
s l o pe L oo kin g o v e r t h e pa r a pe t t h e c apta i n
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1 82
CA N S UCH
T H I N GS B E ?
n o l iving thing H e ob se rv ed als o t h at n o
b u lle ts were c o m i ng i n t o th e wo r k
H e mad e a sign t o the bugler w h o sou nded the
c o mm a nd to cea s e firing At all o ther points t he
a cti o n h a d a lre a dy ended for th e tim e being with
a repulse o f the C o n federate a t t ack ; with the
ces s ation o f t hi s c annona de t he s ile n ce w as
a b so lu t e
sa w
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x 84
CA N
S UCH
T HIN GS B E ?
C a p ta i n R a n so m e
t he w o rd s fe ll s h a rp a nd
h ars h like the cl as h o f s t eel blades
Y o u have
been fig h ting o u r o w n men — o u r ow n m en sir ;
d o y ou he a r ? H a rt s brig a de !
“
General I kn o w that
—
Yo u kn o w i t yo u kn o w t ha t a nd y o u sit
here smoking ?
Oh d — n it Ham ilton I m
—
i
l o s ng my temper
this to his prov o st ma r shal
"
Sir— Capt a in R a ns o m e be g o od enough to say
—to sa y w h y yo u fought ou r o w n m en
Th at I a m u nable to say I n my o r de rs th at
i nf o rm a ti o n w a s withheld
App a rently the genera l did no t comp r ehend
“
Who wa s the agg r ess o r in thi s a ffair yo u o r
Genera l H ar t he a s ked
I was
And c ou ld y o u n o t h a ve k n o wn — c o uld yo u
n ot see s ir th a t y o u were a tt a cking o u r o w n
m en ?
The reply was a s t o u nding !
“
I knew it general I t a pp eared t o be non e
o f my busines s
Then bre a king t he de a d silence that followed
his answer h e s a id :
I m us t re fer y o u to General Cam er o n
Gene r al C a me ron is dead si r— as dead as he
—
a s de a d as a ny m a n i n this a r m y H e
ca n b e
l ie s back yonder u nder a tree Do yo u m ean to
s a y th a t he h a d a ny t hing to d o with t his h or rible
b us in e ss ?
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ONE
KIN D
OF
OF F I CE R
1
.
85
C a p t ain Ransom e did n o t r eply Observing
the alte r cation his m en had gathe r ed about to
watch the outcom e The y we r e g r eatl y excited
The fog which had been pa r tl y dissipated b y the
fi r ing had again closed i n s o da rkl y about th em
that t he y d r ew m ore closel y t ogethe r t ill th e
j udge o n ho r seback and t h e accused standing
calmly befo r e him had bu t a na rr ow space free
from int r usion
I t w a s th e most in fo r mal o f
cou rts ma r tial bu t all felt that the fo r mal o ne t o
f o llow would bu t a fli rm its j udgment I t had
n o j u r isdicti o n
but i t had its signific a nce of
p r ophec y
Captain Ran so me th e gene r al c r ied impe t u
o u sly bu t with something in his voice that w a s
almost ent r eaty i f y ou ca n sa y a n y thing t o pu t
a bette r light upon y ou r ext r ao r din ary cond uct I
beg you will d o so
H aving recove r ed his temper th is gene r ou s
soldier sought fo r something t o j ustify his nat
u ra lly s y mpathetic attit ude t owa r d a b r ave m a n
i n the im minence o f a dishon o rable death
Whe r e is Lieu tenant P r ice ? th e captain s a id
That o ffice r sto od fo r wa r d his da rk sat u r nin e
face looking somewhat fo r bidding u nder a bloody
handke r chief bou nd abo ut his b r ow H e u nder
stood the su mmons and n eeded no invitation t o
speak
H e did n ot look at the captain bu t
add r essed th e gene r al
Du ring the engagement I discove r ed the s tat e
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1
86
CA N S UCH
.
T H IN GS B E
a ff a ir s a nd a pprised t h e c o mm a n der o f t he
b att e ry I ventu red to u rge tha t the fi ring cea se
”
I w as insu lted a nd o rdered to m y p o st
“
Do you kn ow an y thing o f the orders u nder
”
which I w a s acting ? a s ked the capt a in
Of an y o rders u nder which the com mander o f
”
t he batte ry was acting the lieu ten an t contin u ed
“
”
s till addressing th e gene r al I kn ow n o thing
Captain Ran som e felt his w or ld s in k a w ay fr o m
his feet I n those w or d s he hea r d t he m u rm u r o f
the cent u r ies bre a king up on the sho r e of ete r n ity
of
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H e heard the v oice o f d oo m ; i t said i n co ld
“
m echan i cal a n d m e a su r ed t o nes : Read y a i m
fire a nd he felt the bullet s te a r his he ar t t o
s hreds H e heard the sou nd o f the e a rth u p on
hi s coffin a n d (if t he g o od God w as so m erci ful )
the song o f a bi r d a b o ve h is fo r gotten gr a v e
u
ietl
y
det
a
ching
his
saber
f
r
o
m
its
s
uppo
r
t
s
h
e
!
h a nded i t up t o t he pr ovost m a r s h a l
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1 88
CA N S UCH T H IN GS B E ?
a bu ilding of g r e at magni t u de a nd cos t its b e ne v
olent f o u nder the profit o f many a ca rgo o f the
tea s a nd silks and spice s that his ships brought
u p f ro m the u nde r-wo r ld when he was in t r ade i n
Boston ; th o ugh the main expense w a s its endow
ment
A ltogethe r this r eckless pe r son had
r obbed his hei r s-at-law of n o less a su m than half
a m illion dollars a nd flu ng it awa y in rioto us
giving Po s sibl y it was with a view t o get ou t o f
sight o f th e silent big witness t o his ext r avagance
tha t he sh or tly a fte r wa r d disposed of all his
G r ay vill e property th a t remained t o him t u r ned
his back u p o n the scene o f his p r odigalit y and
went o ff ac ro ss the se a in o n e of his own ships
But t he g o s sips wh o got their inspi ratio n m os t
di r ectly fro m heaven declared that he went i n
—
se a rch o f a wife a theo ry not e a sily reconciled
with tha t o f the village hu m o r ist w h o solem nly
averred that the bachelor philanth r opist had
depa r ted this life (left G r a y ville t o w i t ) becau se
the ma rr iageable maidens had made it too hot t o
hold him H oweve r this may have been he had
n o t retu r n ed and although at long inte r vals the r e
had com e t o G r a y ville in a desu lto ry wa y vagu e
r u mo r s o f his wande r ings in st range lands n o o n e
seemed ce r tainl y to know abo u t him and t o the
new gene r ation he was n o m o r e than a name
Bu t from above the po r tal o f the H om e fo r Old
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M en the name shouted i n ston e
Despite its u npr o mising exte r ior t he H o me i s
.
,
T H E A P P LI CA N T
1
.
89
a fairl y c o m m o di o u s place of re t re at fr o m t he i ll s
t hat its inmates have i ncu r red b y being p o or and
A t t he tim e emb r aced i n thi s brief
o ld and m en
chronicle they we r e i n n u mber abo u t a sc o re but
i n a cerbity qu eru lou s ness and general ingra ti
t ud e they c o uld hardly be reck o ned at fewer than
a h u ndred ; at least th a t was the estimate o f the
superintendent M r Sil a s T i lb o dy I t was M r
T i lb o dy s ste a dfa st convicti o n th at a lw ay s in
a dmitting n ew o ld m en t o replace those w h o had
gone t o an o ther a nd a bette r H om e the tru stee s
had distinctly in will the in f r action o f his peace
a nd the trial o f his pa t ience
I n t r u th the
l onger the institu tion w as c o nnected with him
t he s t r o nger w a s his feeling that the f o u nde r s
schem e o f benevolence w a s sadly impai r ed b y
providing any i nmates at all H e had not m uch
imaginatio n but with what he had he w a s a d
dicted t o th e r econst r u ction o f the H om e fo r Old
Men int o a kind o f castle i n Spain with himsel f
a s castellan h o spitabl y ente r taining abou t a sco r e
o f slee k and prospe r ous m iddle aged gentlemen
consu m matel y good -hu m o r ed and civill y willing
t o pay fo r thei r boa r d and lodging
I n this
revised proj ect o f philanth r op y the t r u stees t o
whom h e w a s indebted fo r h is o ffice and re spo n
sible for his con duct had n ot th e happiness to
appea r As to them it was held b y th e village
hu mo r ist afo r em entioned that in thei r manage
men t of the g r ea t Cha r it y P r oviden ce h ad
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CA N S U CH T H I N GS B E ?
1 90
th o ught full y s upplied an incentive t o t h r ift
With the i n fe r ence which h e expected t o b e
drawn fr o m that view we have n othing t o do ; it
had neither suppo r t n or denial from the inmates
The y lived
w h o ce r tainl y we r e m ost conce r ned
o u t their little r emnant of life c r ept into g r aves
neatl y nu mbe r ed and were succeeded b y other
o ld men as like them as cou ld be desi r ed b y th e
Adve r s a ry of Peace I f the H om e w as a place o f
pu nishment for the sin of u nthri ft th e veteran
o ffen ders so ugh t j ustice with a pe r sistence tha t
attes t ed t he since r it y o f their penitence I t i s t o
o ne o f t hese t h a t t he reader s a ttenti on is n o w
i nvited
I n t he m a t t er o f at tire this pers o n w as n o t
a lt o ge t her enga ging Bu t for th e seas o n which
w a s midwi nte r a c a reless observer m ight have
looked u p o n hi m as a clever d evice o f the hu s
b a ndman indisposed to sh ar e the f r u its o f his toil
with the cr o ws that t oil not n eith e r spi n — an er r or
th a t might not have been dispelled with o u t longer
a nd cl o ser obse r vati o n than he seem ed to cou rt
fo r hi s prog r e s s u p A b e rsu sh Street toward the
H om e wa s n ot in the gloom o f th e wi nter even
ing visibl y faster than what m igh t have been
expected o f a scarecr o w blessed with y ou th
health a nd discontent Th e man was i n d i spu t a
bl y ill -clad y et n ot withou t a certain fitness an d
good taste withal ; fo r he w as obviou sly an
a p lican t fo r a dm it t a nce
t
o
t
he
H
o
m
e
wher
e
p
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CA N S U CH T H I N GS B E ?
1 92
di s tingu ish i t f ro m a n u ntimely su mmer
squash e ffused so gen ial a glow that it seemed a
pity that h e c o ul d n ot have lain down i n it
basking in th e c o nsciousness of his o w n identit y
H e was hatted booted o ve r coated and u mb r el
la e d a s becam e a pe r son who w a s abou t to
expose himself t o the night a nd th e storm o f a n
e rr and o f charity ; f o r M r T i lb o dy had j us t
pa r ted f r om his wife and children to go d o wn
town a nd p u r ch a se the whe r ewithal t o c o nfi r m
the a nn ual fa lseho o d a b o u t th e hu nch -bellied
s a int w h o f r equ ents the chimn e y s t o rewa r d little
b oy s a nd gi r l s w h o a re g oo d an d especially t r uth
ful S o h e did n o t i nvite the o ld m a n in bu t
s aluted him cheerily
H ello ! j u s t i n t ime ; a m o men t later a nd yo u
wou ld h a ve missed m e C o m e I have n o tim e to
w a ste ; we ll walk a little w ay together
Thank y o u sa id th e o ld man u pon whose
thin a nd white but n o t ignoble face the light f r om
the open d o o r s h owed an exp r ession th a t was
pe rhaps disappointment m a de vi s ible ; bu t i f the
t r ustees — i f my application
The tr ustees M r T i lb o dy said closing m ore
doors than o ne a nd Cutt i ng o ff t w o kinds o f light
have ag r eed th a t yo u r appli cat i o nn disag r ees
”
with them
Ce r tain s en timents a re inappropri a t e t o Ch r ist
m a s t i d e bu t H u mor like De a th h as all s e aso ns
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to
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fo r h i s o wn
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,
T H E A P P LI CA N T
I 93
.
Oh m y Go d c r ied the o ld man i n so th in
a nd hu s ky a tone th at the inv o ca t ion w a s a n y
thing but impre ss ive a nd to a t l east o ne o f his
t w o a udit o rs s o u nded indeed so mewh a t ludic ro u s
—
T o the Other bu t t h a t is a m att er which laym en
a re devoid o f the ligh t t o exp o u nd
“
Y es continu ed M r T i lb o dy a cc o mm o dating
h is g a it t o th at o f h i s comp a nion w h o w as
mechanic a lly and n ot ve ry successfull y ret r acing
the track t h at h e had m a de th rough the sn o w ;
“
they h a ve decid ed t h a t u nder the ci r cu mstances
— u nder the very peculiar ci r cu mstances y o u
u nderstand — i t w o u ld be i nexpedien t to admi t
cz
o secretary
As
supe
r
in
t
endent
and
z
o
u
ex
O
y
fi
o f th e h o nor a bl e boa r d — as M r T i lb o dy
r ead
hi s titl es cle a r t he m a gnitude o f th e big bu ild
ing s een thr o ugh its veil o f falling sn ow ap
—
r
e
a
e
d
f
f
i
t
o
s
u
er
s
o
mewhat
in
compa
r
ison
t is
p
my d uty t o i nfo r m you t hat i n the wo r ds of
De a con Byra m the chairm an you r p r esence in
the H om e would — u nde r the ci r cu mstances — b e
peculia r ly embar ra ssin g
I felt it my du t y t o
s ubmit t o the h o n o ra ble boa r d th e st a tement that
yo u made t o m e y esterda y o f y o u r needs y ou r
ph y sical condition and the t r ials which i t has
pleased P r ovidence t o send upon y ou in y ou r
ve ry p r ope r e ffort to present y o u r claims in pe r
s o n ; but
after ca r eful and I m a y say p r a y erful
conside r ation o f y ou r case with som ething t o o
I t r ust o f t he large charitableness app ro p r iate t o
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CA N S UCH T HI N GS B E ?
1 94
—
s
e
ason
i t wa s decided th at w e s h oul d n o t b e
th
j u st ified i n doing an y thing likely t o imp a ir t he
o f t h e instit u t i on intru s ted ( u n der
u s ef u lnes s
”
Pr o vidence) to ou r c a re
T hey h ad n o w p ass ed out o f t he gr o u nd s ; t he
s t reet l a mp o pp o site t h e gate w as dimly v isible
t hr ou gh the s n o w Alre a dy t h eo ld m an s f o rmer
tra ck w as o bliterat ed a nd he seemed u ncer ta in
as t o which w ay he s hou l d g o M r T i lb o dy h a d
d rawn a li t tle aw a y fro m him b u t p a u se d a nd
t u rned hal f towa r d him a pparen t ly rel u c ta nt t o
fo rego th e cont i n u i ng oppo r tu nity
“
”
U nder th e circ u m s t a nces h e re s u m ed t he
d ecisi o n
But t he o ld man was in a ccessib l e t o t he suasi o n
o f his verb o sity ; he h a d c r ossed the s tr ee t into a
v a c a nt l o t and was going fo r ward rather devi
t o w ar d n o w he r e i n pa r ticular— which h e
o u sly
h a ving n o where i n pa r ticular t o go t o wa s n o t so
ked
rea so nless a proceeding a s it lo o
An d th a t is h o w it happened th at th e next
m orning when the ch u r ch bells o f all G r a y ville
we r e r inging with an added u nction approp r iate
t o th e da y the stu r dy little so n o f Deac o n B y ra m
breaking a w ay through th e sn ow t o th e place o f
worship s tr uck his foot ag a in st t he bo dy o f Am asa
A b e rsu sh phi lant hr o pi st
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1
6
9
CA N S U CH T H I N GS B E ?
an d he bore a J i t is by n o me a n s cer ta i n th a t
the le t te r s ought n ot t o h a ve been tran s posed
D uring ou r boyhood ou r parents t r ied to distin
guish u s m ore obviously b y o u r clothing and
othe r simple devices bu t w e would so f r equently
exchange suits and otherwise ci r cu mvent the
en em y that the y ab a ndoned all su ch i n e fl e ct u al
attempts and d u r ing all the y ears that w e lived
togethe r a t hom e eve ry bod y r ecognized the d i ffi
,
.
,
,
culty o f the sit uation and made the best o f it by
c a lling u s both J e n ry
I have o ften wonde r ed
a t my fathe r s fo r bea r ance in n ot b r anding u s
conspicu ousl y u pon o u r u nwo r thy brows but as
we we r e tole rabl y good bo y s an d used o u r powe r
o f emba rr assment and an no ya nce with commend
able m ode r ation we escaped th e i r on M y father
was i n fact a singu la r l y go o d -natu r ed man a nd
I think qu ietl y enj o y ed natu r e s p ractical j oke
Soon afte r w e had com e t o Califo r nia and
s ettled at San J ose (whe r e th e onl y good fo r tu ne
that awaited us was o u r m eeting with so kind a
f r iend as y ou ) the fam il y as y o u know w as
b r oken u p b y th e death o f both m y pa r ents i n
o n e week
My f a the r died insolvent and the
homestead w a s sac r ificed t o pa y his debts My
sisters ret u r ned t o r elations in the E ast bu t
owing to y ou r kindness J ohn and I then twent y
two years o f age obtained emplo y men t in San
Fra ncisco in d ifferen t quarte rs o f the t own
Circ u m s t an ce s did not pe r m it u s t o live t ogethe r
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ON E OF
a nd we
T
WIN S
1
.
97
e a ch o ther in frequ ently som eti mes
n ot o ftener th a n once a week A s we h a d few
acquaintances in com m o n the f a ct o f o u r ext ra
o r dina ry likeness was little kn o wn I c o me n o w
to the matte r o f you r in qu i ry
One da y soon afte r w e had com e t o this city I
w a s walking down M a r ket St r ee t lat e i n th e
a fte r noon when I was acco s ted by a well -dressed
man o f middle age w h o after g r eeting m e cordi
all y said : Stevens I kn o w o i c o u r se tha t y o u
d o n ot go o u t m uch bu t I h ave t old my wife
about you and sh e w o u ld be glad t o see y ou at
the h o use I have a n otion t o o tha t my gi r ls a re
wo r th kn o wing Suppose yo u c o m e o u t to
m o rr o w at si x and din e with u s en f a m i li e ; a nd
then if the ladies can t am use y ou afte r w ar d I ll
stand in with a few gam es o f billi a rds
This was said with so b r ight a sm il e and s o
engaging a man ne r that I h a d n o t th e he ar t t o
refuse an d although I had never seen the man in
my life I promptly replied : Y ou a re ve ry good
s i r a nd it will give m e g r eat plea su re t o accept
t he invitation Please p r esent my compliment s
t o M rs M a rg o v a n and a s k he r t o expect m e
With a shake o f t he han d and a pleasant p ar t
i ng wo r d the m an passed on That h e had
m istaken m e fo r my b r othe r w a s plain enough
That was an e rr o r t o wh ich I w as accu s t omed and
which it was not m y habit t o r ectify unless the
m a tte r s eemed impo r tant B ut h o w had I kn o w n
sa w
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1
8
9
CA N S U CH T H IN GS B E I
t h at this m a n s n a me w a s M a rg o va n ? I t ce r t a i nly
i s n o t a n am e Which o ne cou ld apply t o a ma n a t
ra ndom with a p r ob a bilit y that it would be r ight
I n p o in t o f fa ct t he nam e wa s a s s tra nge t o m e
a s t he m a n
The n ext m o rn ing I h a stened t o whe r e my
b rot h er was e mplo yed and m et him j ust coming
ou t o f t h e o ffi ce wi th a n u mber o f bills which h e
“
I told him how I had co m
w as t o c o llec t
”
m i t t ed him a nd a dded tha t if h e didn t c ar e t o
k eep t he e ngagemen t I should be delighted t o
c on tin u e the imp ersonation
”
“
That s f u nn y he said though tfully
Mar
i
I
is
the
o
nly
m
a
n
i
n
the
o
f
fice
h
e
r
e
wh
o
m
I
o
a
n
g
kn o w well a nd l ike Whe n h e c a m e i n this
mo rning an d we h a d passed th e u su al g ree t in g s
so m e s ingu la r impul s e p ro mpted m e t o say : Oh
I beg y o u r pard on M r M a rg o van bu t I neg
le ct e d t o a sk y ou r a dd r ess
I g o t the a ddre s s
b ut wha t u nder the s u n I w a s to d o with it I d id
n o t k no w u ntil n o w It s g ood o f y o u t o offer to
ta ke t he c o nsequ e n ce o f you r impu dence bu t I l l
”
e at tha t dinner my s el f i f y o u please
H e at e a n u mber o f dinners at the sam e place
— more th a n we r e good fo r him I m a a dd with
y
o u t dis p
a raging their qu alit y ; for h e fell in love
with Mi s s M a rg o van proposed m a rri ag e t o her
an d w as he ar tlessly accepted
Severa l week s a ft er I had been in formed o f the
e n gagement bu t bef o re it had b een co nv enien t
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CA N S UCH T HIN GS B E ?
coo
A week l at e r J ohn took m e t o the h ou se of hi s
pr o spective fathe r-i n-law and in M iss M a rg ova n
a s you have alread y su r mised bu t t o m y p r ofound
asto nishment I r ecognized the he r oine o f that
discreditable advent u r e A glo r iou sl y beauti fu l
he ro in e o f a d isc r editable advent u r e I m u st in
j ustice a dmi t t hat sh e w as ; bu t that fact has only
this imp orta nce : her be a u ty w as such a su r p r ise
t o m e th a t it cast a dou bt upo n he r identit y with
the you ng woman I had seen before ; how cou ld
the m a rvelou s fascin ation o f her face have failed
t o st r ike m e at that time ? But n o— t he r e w as n o
p o ssi b ilit y o f e rr o r ; th e d i fference w as d u e t o
c o stu me light and general su r rou nding s
J ohn and I passed the even ing a t the h o u s e
end u r ing with the fo r titu de o f l o ng experience
such delicate enough bante r as o u r likene s s na t
When the y ou ng lady and I
u ra lly sugges t ed
we r e left alone fo r a few m in u tes I lo o ked her
squa r el y in the face and said with s u dden gravity
Y o u too M iss M a rg o va n h a ve a do uble : I
saw her last Tu esday afte r noon in U nion Square
She t r ained her great g r a y e y es u pon m e fo r a
moment bu t her glance w a s a t r ifle l ess stead y
than m y own and she withd r ew it and fixed it o n
the tip of her sh o e
Was sh e ve ry like me ? sh e asked with an
indi ffe r ence which I thought a littl e ove r done
"
S o like s a id I that I g r eatly a dmi r ed he r
a nd being u nwilling t o lose sight o f her I confes s
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ONE OF T
WIN S
20 !
.
I foll o wed her u ntil — M i ss Marg ovan a re y ou
su re that y o u u nd e r st a nd
She was n o w pale bu t pe r fectly c a lm
She
again r aised he r eyes t o mine w ith a l oo k t h at
d id n o t fal te r
Wha t d o y o u wish m e t o d o ? sh e a sked
Yo u need n o t fear t o nam e y o u r te r m s
I
a ccep t them
I t w as plain even in th e b r ief t ime give n m e f o r
reflection t h a t i n dealing w ith this gi r l o r din a ry
m ethods would n o t d o a nd ordina ry exacti ons
we r e needless
Miss Ma rg o van I s aid d o ubtless with so m e
t hing o f the comp a ssion in my vo ice that I had
"
in m y h eart it is impossible n o t t o think y ou
the vic t im o f som e ho rr ible compulsi o n Rather
t han imp os e n ew emba r rassm ents u pon y ou I
would p r efer t o aid y o u t o r egain yo u r freed o m
She shook h er head sadly and hopele ss ly a n d
I continu ed with agitation
Y ou r be a uty u n nerves m e I a m dis ar med by
y ou r f rankness and y ou r d ist r ess I f y ou ar e f r ee
t o act u pon con science you will I believe d o
what y ou c o nceive to be best ; i f y o u are n o t
well H eaven help u s all ! Y o u have nothing t o
fea r f r om m e bu t s u ch opposition to this ma rr iage
—
n
as I can t ry t o j ustify o
o n other g r ou nds
These we r e n ot my exact wo r ds bu t that w as
the sense o f them as nea r l y a s my sudden a nd
conflicting emotions pe r m itted m e t o e x pre ss i t
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CA N S UCH T HIN GS B E ?
3 03
I ro s e a nd left her withou t an o th er lo ok at her
met the othe r s as the y re-ente r ed the r oom and
said as calmly a s I could : I have been bidding
Miss M a rg ovan good -evening ; it is later than I
thought
J ohn decided to go with m e I n the st r eet h e
asked if I had observed an y thing singula r i n
J ulia s m a nner
I thought he r ill I repl ied ; th a t i s w h y I
left
Nothing m o r e w a s said
The next evening I cam e lat e t o m y lodgings
The events o f th e p r evious evening had made m e
ne r vo us and ill ; I had t r ied t o cu re myself a nd
attain t o cle a r thinking b y walking i n th e ope n
ai r bu t I was opp r essed with a ho rr ible presenti
—
m ent o f evil a presentim ent which I could no t
fo r m ulate I t Wa s a chill foggy n ight ; my cloth
ing and m y hai r we r e damp and I sh ook with cold
I n m y d r essing gown a nd slippers befo r e a bla zing
g r ate o f coals I was even mo r e u ncom fo r t a ble I
n o lo nger shive r ed bu t shuddered —there is a
di ffe r ence The d read o f som e impending calam
it y w as so strong and dispiriting that I tried t o
d r ive it a w ay by inviting a real s or r o w— tried to
d ispel th e conception o f a ter r ible futu re by
substituting the m em ory o f a pain fu l past : I
r ecalled the death o f m y p a rents a nd endeav o red
vainly to fix m y m ind upon the l a s t s ad scenes at
t hei r bed s ides an d thei r g ra ves I t all s eemed
v a g u e an d u nre a l as h a ving o cc u rred a ges a g o
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CA N S UCH T HIN GS B E ?
204
there
I n o ne chambe r lay J uli a Marg o van
hou r s dead b y p o ison ; in another J o hn Stevens
bleed ing fr o m a pistol w o u nd in the chest inflicted
by his o wn hand As I bu r st into the room
pushed a side the ph y sicians and laid my hand
upo n his f or ehe a d he u nclo s ed his e y es sta r ed
bl an kly cl os ed t hem s lowly a nd died with o u t a
s ign
I k n ew n o m o re u nt il si x weeks a fte rw a rd when
I h a d bee n n u rs ed b a ck t o life by y o u r o w n
sa intly wife in you r o wn beau tifu l home All o f
t ha t y ou k no w b u t wha t y o u d o no t kn ow is thi s
—which h o wever h as n o be ar ing upon t he subj ect
—
o f y o u r psychological resea r ches at le a s t no t
u pon th a t b ra nch of them i n which with a deli
cacy a nd c o nsideratio n a ll y o u r own y o u have
a sked f o r les s a ssist a nce than I think I have
gi v e n y ou
One m oo n l igh t nigh t several ye a rs a fterwa rd I
w as p ass ing thr o ugh U nion Squ a re The hou r
Ce r tain mem
w a s l a te a nd t he s qua r e dese r ted
or fes o f the p a st n a tu rally c a m e i nto m y m ind as
I came t o the spot where I had o nce witne s sed
th a t fa teful a ssignation and with that u nacco u nt
a ble pe r versity which p r omp t s u s t o dwell upon
thoughts o f the m ost pain fu l ch a racter I s eated
m y self up o n one o f the benches to indulge them
A man entered the squa r e and cam e along the
walk towa r d m e H is hands we r e clasped behind
him hi s he a d w as b o wed ; h e s eemed t o o b s erv e
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ON E OF T
n ot hing
WI N S
205
.
A s he appro a ched t he sh a d o w i n which
I sat I recognized him as the m a n whom I had
seen meet J u lia Ma rg o v an ye a rs before a t that
—
spo t Bu t he w a s terribly altered g ray w or n
a nd haggard
D issipation a nd v ice were in
evidence in every look ; illness w as n o les s appa r
ent H is cloth ing w as in d is o rder his hair fell
a c r o ss his forehead in a d e r angeme n t which w as
at o nce u nc a nn y a nd pictu r esqu e H e looked
—
fitter for rest ra i nt than libe r ty the re s tra int o f a
hospital
With n o defined p u rp o se I rose an d c o nfron t ed
him H e raised his head and looked m e fu ll i n
the face I h a ve n o wo r ds t o desc r ibe the gh a stly
change that came ove r his o wn ; it wa s a look o f
—
u nspe a kable terror h e thought him s elf eye t o
e y e with a ghost Bu t h e w a s a m an o f c o u ra ge
D — n you
J oh n Steven s ! h e c r ied and
l ifting his t r embling arm h e d a shed his fis t feebly
at m y face and fell headl o ng u p o n t he g ravel a s
I walked away
Someb o d y fou nd h im there st o ne de ad
N othing m ore is kn o wn o f h im n o t even his
n am e To k n o w o f a m an th at h e i s de a d sh o uld
be en o ugh
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208
CA N S U CH T H I N GS B E ?
a fl u m e ; fo r
flu m e
cou r s e
i s fl u m en
Among the advantages o f which the m o u ntains
c a nn o t deprive th e gold h un ter is the p r ivilege o f
speaking Latin H e sa y s of h is de a d n eighbor
H e has gon e Up the flu m e
This is n o t a bad
w ay to say
H i s li fe h a s re t u rned to the F o u n
t ain of Li fe
While p utt ing o n its arm o r ag a ins t th e as sau l ts
o f the wind this snow h a d n eglected n o coign of
va n ta ge Sn o w pu r su ed b y the wind is n ot wholly
u n l i k e a re t re a ting ar m y I n th e o pen field it
ran ge s i t sel f i n r a nks and ba t t a lions ; where it can
get a footh o ld i t makes a stand ; wh e r e it can
t a ke c o ver i t d oes so You may see whole
pl atoo n s o f s now cowe r ing behin d a bit o f broken
w a l l Th e devi ou s o ld r o ad hewn o u t o f the
m o unt a i n side w a s full of it Squadr o n upon
s qu a dr o n h a d st ruggled to escape by thi s lin e
A m o re
when s udden ly pu rsu it had ceased
de solat e and d r eary spot than Deadm a n s Gulch
i n a win t er midnight it is impossibl e t o i magine
Yet M r H ira m Bee so n elected t o live the r e th e
so le inh a bi tant
Aw ay u p t he s ide o f the N o rt h M o u n t ain h is
l i tt le pi n e -l og shanty proj ect ed f r om its single
p a n e o f g las s a l o ng t hin beam o f l igh t and
loo k ed n o t alt o ge t her u nlike a black beetle
fastened to t he hillside with a bright new pin
Wi t hi n i t sat M r Bee s o n him s e l f be fore a roa r ing
fire sta ri ng i nto it s h o t he a rt as if he had never
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T H E N I GH T -D OIN GS A T
D E A D M AN S
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20
9
bef o re seen su ch a t hing i n a ll his life H e wa s
n ot a c o mely man He w as g r a y ; he w as ragged
a nd slovenly in his at tire ; his face was wan and
h a gga r d ; his e y e s were t o o b r ight As to his
age if o ne had att emp t ed t o guess i t o n e migh t
h a ve sa id fo r ty-s even t hen c o r r ected himself
a nd sa id s eventy-fo u r H e w as r eally twenty
eight E m a ciated he w a s ; as m uch pe r haps as
h e dared be with a needy u nder t ake r a t Bentle y s
Fla t a nd a b r and -n ew c or oner a t Son o r a Pov
e rt y and zeal ar e an upper and
a nether m ill
sto ne I t is d a ngero u s t o make a t h i rd i n th a t
kind o f s a ndwich
As M r Bees o n sat t here with his ra gged elbows
o n hi s r a gged knees his lean jaws bu r ied in his
lea n h a nds and with n o appa r en t intention o f
going t o bed he looked as i f the slightest move
ment would t u mble him in pieces Yet d u r ing
the last hou r he had winked n o fewer than t h r ee
times S uddenly the r e w as a sha r p rapping at
the d o or A ra p at that tim e o f night an d i n that
weather m ight have su r p r ised an o r dina ry morta l
w h o h a d dwelt tw o y ea r s i n t he gu l ch withou t
seeing a h u m an fa ce and w h o cou ld n ot bu t know
that the cou ntry was absolutely impassable ; bu t
M r Beeson did n ot so m uch a s p ull his e y es o u t
o f t he coals An d even when the door w as
pushed ope n he only sh r ugged a little mo r e
closel y into himself as on e does who i s expecting
s omethin g tha t h e w oul d rat h er not se e Yo u
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CA N S U CH T H I N GS B E ?
2 10
m ay o b s erve this m ovem en t i n w o men when in
a m ort u ary chapel t h e c o ffi n is b o ne u p the a isle
behind them
Bu t when a long o ld m a n in a blanket o ve r c o at
his head tied up i n a handke r chief a nd nea r l y his
enti r e face i n a m u ffl er wea r ing g r een goggles
and with a complexion o f glittering whiteness
where i t could be seen s t r ode silentl y into th e
room l aying a hard gloved hand o n M r Bees o n s
sho ulder the latte r so far forgot himself as t o
l o ok up w ith an appea r ance o f n o small astonish
ment ; whom ever he may have been expecting
h e had evidentl y n ot cou nted o n meeting anyon e
like this N everth el ess the sight o f this u n
expec t ed guest p r od u ced i n M r Beeson the
following s equence : a feeling o f astonishment ; a
sense o f g r ati fication ; a sentiment o f p r ofound
good will Rising f r om his seat he took the
knott y han d f r o m his shou lde r and sho o k i t up
and down with a fe r vo r qu ite u naccou nt a ble ; for
i n th e o ld man s aspect w a s n othing t o a ttra c t
m u ch t o repel H owever att r acti on i s too ge n
e r al a p r ope r ty f or r epulsion to be withou t it
The m os t att ractive obj ect in the wo r ld is t he
face w e instinctivel y cover with a cl o th When
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i t bec o m es s til l more att ractive fascin a ting
w e p ut seven feet o f earth above it
Si r said M r Beeson r eleasing the o ld gen
t le m a n s hand which fell passi vel y against his
t hi g h with a qu iet cl ack i t i s an ext remely di s
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CA N S U CH T H I N GS B E ?
I2
with a cu ttin g c r ust wou ld be a peculia r ha r dship
B y wa y o f r epl y his gu est u nb uttoned the blanket
o ve r coat The host laid f r esh fu el on th e fi r e swept
t he hea r th with the tail o f a wol f and added
Bu t ! think y o u d bette r skedaddle
The o ld man t ook a seat by the fi r e sp r eading
his b r oad soles to th e h eat withou t r emoving his
hat I n t h e m ines th e hat is seld om removed
except when the boot s a r e
Withou t fu r ther
r ema r k M r Beeson also seated h imself i n a chai r
which had been a b a rr el an d wh ich r etaining
m uch o f its o r iginal cha r acter seem ed t o have
been designed with a v iew t o p r ese r ving his du st
i f i t should please hi m t o c r u mble Fo r a
m omen t the r e was silence ; then f r om som ewhe r e
a m o ng t he pines cam e th e sna r ling y elp o f a
a nd sim u ltan eou sl y the door r attled i n its
coy ot e
f r ame The r e was n o othe r co n nection between
t he two incid ents than that t h e coy ote has an
ave r sion t o st o rms an d th e wind was r ising ; y et
the r e seemed somehow a ki nd o f supe r natu ral
conspi r acy between th e two and M r Beeson
shu dde r ed with a vagu e sense o f te rr or H e
r ecove r ed himself in a m omen t a nd again
a dd r essed his gu est
The r e a r e st r ange doings he r e I will tell y ou
eve ry thing and then i f y ou decid e t o go I shall
hope to accompan y y o u ove r th e wo r st o f the
wa y ; as fa r as whe r e Bald y Pete r son shot Ben
—
Hi ke I d ar e sa y you know the place
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T H E N I GH T D OIN GS A T
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D E A DM A N S
2 13
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The o ld gentleman n odded emphatic a lly a s
intimating n ot me r ely that he did but th a t h e
did indeed
Two yea r s ago beg a n M r Bees o n I with
t wo compan ions o ccupied thi s ho use ; bu t whe n
t he rush t o the Flat occu r r ed we left a l ong with
the rest I n t en h ou r s th e Gu lch w as d ese r ted
Th a t evening h o w ev e r I d isc o ve r ed I had left
behind m e a valu a bl e pistol (that is it ) a nd
retu rned for it passing the nigh t he r e qu ite
a lone as I have p a ssed eve ry nigh t since
I
m u s t explain that a few day s bef o re we left o u r
Chinese dome s tic had the m isfort u n e t o d ie while
the g r ou nd was frozen so h a rd th a t it was qu ite
impossible t o dig a grave in the u sual way S o
on
th e day o f o u r hasty depa r tu re w e cu t
th r ough the flo o r the r e and gave hi m su ch bu r
ial as we cou ld Bu t befo r e pu tting h im down
I had th e ext r em el y bad taste to cu t o ff his cu e
and spike it t o that beam above his g r ave whe r e
yo u may see it a t this m o m ent o r p re fe ra
bl y when w a rmth h a s given y ou leisu re fo r
obse r vation
I stated did I no t th at th e Chin a man cam e
t o his death f r om natu r al cau ses ? I had of cou r se
nothing t o d o with that and r etu r ned th r ough n o
i rr esistible attr ac t i on o r m o r bid fascin a tion bu t
onl y bec a u se I h a d forgotte n a pistol This is
clea r to you is it n ot si r ?
The v i s it o r n o dded gravely H e appea r ed t o
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CA N
214
S UCH
T HI N GS B E ?
be a m an o f few w o rds if a ny
M r Bee so n
c o ntin ued
Acc o rding t o t h e Chinese fa ith a m an is like
a kite : he c a n not go t o heaven withou t a t a il
Well to sho r ten this tediou s story -which h ow
ever I th o ught it m y d u t y t o r elate o n that
night while I was he r e a lon e and thinking o f
a nyth i ng bu t him th a t Chin a m a n cam e b a ck for
hi s pigtail
H e did n o t get i t
A t this point M r Bee so n re la p s ed int o blan k
s ilence
Pe r hap s h e was fatigu ed by the u n
wonted exe r cise o f speaking ; perh a p s he had
c o nj u red u p a m em o ry t hat d emanded his u ndi
v i de d
a ttention
The wind w as n ow fai r l y
a b r o a d a nd th e pines a long t he m ou nt a in side
s ang wi t h s ingul a r distinctness The na rr at o r
c o ntin u ed :
Y o u sa y you d o n o t see m uch in th at a nd I
m u st c o n fe ss I d o n ot m y self
“
”
Bu t he keeps coming !
There was anothe r long silence d u r ing which
both st ar ed in t o the fi r e withou t the m ovement
o f a limb Then M r Beeson b r oke ou t almost
fie r cely fixing his eye s o n wh a t h e cou ld se e of
t h e impassive fa ce o f his auditor
“
Give it him ? Si r in this m atter I have n o
intention o f t r oubling a n y one fo r advice Y ou
will pard o n m e I am su r e —h e r e he becam e
s ingularly pers ua sive
bu t I have ven t u r ed t o
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216
CA N S
UCH
T HIN GS B E ?
e y es wi t h an e ffo r t made a single rem ar k a nd
fell int o a deep sleep What he said was this
They a r e gobbling m y d u s t !
Then the a ged st ra nger w h o h a d n o t u ttered
o n e w o rd since his a rr ival ar ose f r om his s e a t
a nd deliberatel y l aid o ff his outer clothing ; look
ing as a ngular i n his flanne ls as the late Sign o r in a
F est o ra zzi an I r ish woman si x feet i n height
and weighing fift y si x pou nds w h o u sed t o
exhibi t he r sel f i n h er chemise t o the people o f
S a n Fra ncisco H e th en c r ept into o ne o f th e
bu nks havi ng fi r s t placed a r evolver in easy
re a ch a cc o rding t o the cu st o m o f th e cou nt ry
This revolver h e took f ro m a shelf and it wa s the
o n e which M r Bees o n had m entioned as t h at f o r
whic h h e h a d retu rned t o th e Gulch t w o ye a rs
bef o re
I n a few m oments M r Beeson a woke a nd
s eei n g th a t h is gu est h a d reti r ed h e d id likewise
Bu t before d oing s o he app r oach ed the l o ng
p l ai t ed wisp o f pagan h a ir a nd gave it a powerfu l
t u g t o a ssu r e him sel f that it w a s fast a nd fi r m
—
The t wo beds m e r e shelves cove r ed with blan
kets n ot ove r clean — faced each oth e r f r om o pp o
site sides o i th e r oom ; th e litt le squa r e t r apdoor
that had given access t o the Chinam a n s g ra ve
being m idway between This b y th e w ay w a s
c r ossed by a do uble r ow o f spike h eads I n his
resistance t o th e supe r nat u r a l M r Bee s on had
not disdained the use o f m a te r ial p r ec a u ti o n s
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T HE N I GH T-D OIN GS A T
The fire w as n o w low t he fl a mes bu r ning blu ely
a nd petu l a ntl y with occ as ional fla s hes proj ecting
s pectra l shad ow s on the w a lls — shad o ws that
m o ved myste r io usl y a bo u t n o w d ividin g now
u niting
The shad ow o f the pendant cu e
h owever kept m o o dily a pa r t n ear the ro o f a t the
fu rthe r end o f the ro om whe r e it l o oked like a
n ote o f a dmi ra tion The song o f the pines o u t
side h a d n ow risen t o the dignity o f a t r iu mph a l
hym n in t he p a use s o f which t he s ilence w as
d re a d f u l
I t w a s d u r in g o n e o f these in t erva ls t h at the
t rap in t he flo o r beg a n t o lift Slo wly a nd s t e a d
il y i t r o se a nd s l o wl y a nd s te a dily r o se the
s waddled he a d o f t he o ld gentleman in the bu n k
t o observe it Then with a cl a p t hat s h o ok the
ho u s e t o it s f oun da t ion it was th r own cle a n
b a ck where it l a y with it s u nsightly s pike s poin t
ing t hre at eningly upward M r Bees o n a w o ke
a nd with o u t risin g pres s ed his finger s i nt o h i s
eye s H e s h u ddered ; hi s t eeth chattered H i s
guest w a s now reclining o n on e elbow watching
t he pr o ceedings with g o ggles t h at gl o wed like
lamps
Suddenly a h o wling gus t o f wind s woo ped d o w n
the chimney s c a ttering a she s a n d smoke i n eve ry
d i r ection fo r a m o m ent obscu ring eve rything
When the fire li g h t a g a in illu m inated the r o om
there was s een sitting ginge r ly on the edge o f a
sto ol by the he a rthside a sw ar thy little m an o f
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218
CA N S UCH
T HIN GS B E ?
prep oss e ss ing a ppearance dres s ed with faultle s s
t aste a nd n o dding t o the o ld man with a familiar
“
a nd m os t engaging smile
From San F ra ncisco
evidently thou ght M r Bee s on w h o having
somewh at rec o ve r ed from h is fright w as groping
his w ay t o a solution o f the even ing s events
But n ow a nothe r actor a ppe a red u p o n the
s cene Out o f th e square black hole i n the
middle of the floo r protruded th e he a d o f th e
dep a rted Chin a m a n hi s gl a ssy eye s t urned u p
w ar d i n their angular slit s a nd fastened o n t h e
d an gling cu e a bove with a l oo k o f ye ar ning
u nspeak a ble M r Beeso n gr o aned a nd again
s p r ead h is hands upon his fa ce A m ild odor of
o pi u m pervaded the pl a ce The phant o m cl a d
o nly i n a sh o rt blu e t u nic qu ilted and silken bu t
c o vered wi t h g r ave mold r os e sl o wl y as if pushed
by a we a k spira l sp r i ng I ts knees were a t
the level of t he floor when with a quick upward
imp ulse like t he s ilen t leaping o f a fl a m e it
g r asped the one with b o th h a nd s d r ew u p its
b o dy a nd too k t he tip i n i ts ho rr ibl e y el low
teeth T o this i t clu ng with a seeming f r en z y
g r im a cing ghastly s u r ging and plu ngin g f r om
side t o side i n i ts e ff o rts t o disengage i t s p r opert y
f r om t he be a m b u t u t te r ing n o sound I t w a s
like a c orpse arti ficially convulsed b y m ean s o f a
galv a nic b a tte ry
The co ntrast between its
supe r hu m a n a ct ivi t y an d i ts silence w as n o less
than hi d eo u s !
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CA N S U CH T HIN GS B E ?
220
brea st o f it s victim S t r o ngly att ached t o the
sam e beam w as what a ppeared to be a n end o f a
rope o f b r aided h o rsehair which had been cu t b y
the bullet i n its pass a ge t o the kn ot N othing
else o f inte r est w as n oted excep t ing a su it of
m o ldy a nd incongru ou s cl o thing severa l a r tic les
of which were afterward identified by positive
witnesses a s t hose i n which ce r tai n d eceased
citizens o f Dead man s had been bu r ied y ea rs
befo r e Bu t it is no t eas y t o u nderst a nd h ow
t hat could be u n less indeed t he ga r ments had
been w o rn as a disgu i s e by De a th him s elf— which
is h a rdly credible
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W ID O W E R
T HE
T U R MO R E
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circu m s tances u nder which J o ra m T u r
m o re bec a m e a wid o wer h a ve never been po pu
I kn o w them natu ra lly fo r I
la rly u ndersto o d
a m J ora m T u rm o re ; a nd my wife the late E li za
beth M ary T u rm o re is by n o m e a n s ign o ra n t o f
t hem ; bu t a lth o ugh sh e doub t les s relates them
yet the y rem a i n a s ecret f o r n ot a so u l ever
believed her
When I m a rried E liz a beth M a ry J ohni n sh e
w a s very wealth y ot herwise I could h a rdl y have
a ffo rded t o marry for I h a d n o t a cent and
He a ven had n o t put into my hea r t any in t ention
to ea r n o ne As r elated elsewhe r e Lives o f the
Gods Beec r o ft San J u rasco) I held the Pro
fe sso rsh i p o f Ca t s i n t he U niversity o f Gra y
m a n lk i n a n d schol a s t ic pu rsu it s h a d u n fit t e d m e
for t he heat and bu rden o f business o r labor
M o r eove r I c o uld n o t fo r get that I w as a Tu r
—
more a member o f a family whose m ott o f r om
the time o f William o f N ormandy ha s been
La bor a r e est er m r e
The o nly known i n f r actio n
o f the s ac r ed famil y t ra dition occu rr ed when Sir
Aldeb ar an T u rm o re d e Pete r s-T u rm o re an ill u s
t ri ou s m ast er b u rglar o f the seven t ee n th ce nt u ry
T HE
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32!
S U CH
CA N
222
T H IN GS B E ?
per so n a lly a ssi s ted at a d i fficu l t o pera tio n u n der
taken by some o f his wo r kmen That bl o t up on
o u r escutcheon cann ot be contemplated withou t
the mos t poignant m o rt i ficat i o n
My i ncu mbency of the Chair o f C ats i n th e
Gray m a u lk i n U n ive r sity h a d n o t o f cou rs e bee n
ma rked b y any i n s t ance o f m ean ind u s t ry There
had n ever a t an y o ne tim e been m o re tha n two
s t udent s o f F eli no lo gy a nd by me r ely repe a ting
th e m a nu script lectu r es o f my predecess o r which
I h a d f o u nd amo n g hi s e ffects (he died a t sea o n
h is way to M a lt a) I could su fli ci en t ly s at e their
fa mine f o r kn o wledge withou t re a lly earning even
th e dis t inc t i on which served in pl a ce o f s a l a ry
N a tura lly u nder the stra itened ci r c u m sta nce s
I reg a rded E liz a beth Mary as a kind o f speci a l
Provide n ce Sh e u nwi s ely refu s ed t o sh a re her
f o rt u n e wi t h m e b u t for t ha t I c a red n o thing ;
f o r al t h o ugh by the l a w s o f th at cou ntry (a s is
well kn o wn ) a wife h a s c o ntr o l o f her sep a ra te
property d uring h er l ife i t p a s s e s to t he h u sband
at her de a th ; n o r ca n she dispose o f i t o the r wise
by will The m o rt a lity a m o ng wives i s c o n s ider
a ble bu t n ot exces s ive
Having mar r ied E liz a be t h M a ry a nd a s i t
were en nobled he r by m a king her a T u rm o re I
felt tha t the m a nn er o f her de a th o ught in s o m e
sense t o m a tch her so ci a l distinction I f I shou ld
remove her by an y o f t he o rdin a ry m ar it a l
m e t h o ds I s h ou l d i nc u r a j u s t re pr o ach as o ne
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CA N
224
S U CH
T H I N GS B E ?
which twis t ed i n to a j u mping rope h ad serv e d
—
t he youth o f six kindred gene r ations memento s
an d souvenirs preciou s be y ond the estimates of
i m a ginati o n a nd the p o wers o f exp r essi o n bu t by
th e s a cred mandate s of tradition and sentim en t
forever i nalienab l e by sa le o r gift
A s t he head o f the fa mil y I w a s c ustodi a n o f a ll
the s e priceles s hei r lo o m s an d f o r their safe keep
ing I h a d constru cted i n th e b a semen t o f m y
dwelli ng a st r ong-ro o m o f m a ssive m a so nry
wh os e so lid s t o ne w a ll s and single i r on do o r could
defy alike the e a rt h q uake s sh o ck the ti r eless
as sault s o f Tim e a nd Cu pidity s u nh o l y ha n d
T o t hi s t hes a u ru s o f th e so ul redolent o f s enti
ment and t endern e ss a nd rich i n s uggesti o ns o f
crim e I n o w rep a ired f o r h in t s u pon a ssassin a
tion T o my u n s pe a kab l e a s to nishmen t and
grief I foun d it empty ! E ve ry shelf every chest
eve ry co ffer h a d been r ifled Of that u niqu e and
inc o mparabl e collecti o n n o t a vestige remain ed !
Yet I s a tisfied m y sel f th at u ntil I h a d m y sel f
u nloc k ed the massive me ta l door n o t a bolt n o r
bar had bee n d ist u rbed and t he se a ls up o n the
lock had been intact
I passed the n ight in al t ern at e l a men t ati o n and
resea r ch equally fru itles s ; the m y stery w as i m
penetra ble t o c o nj ec t u r e the pain i nvincible t o
balm Bu t n ever o nce through o u t that d r ead fu l
n ight did m y firm spirit relinquish it s high d esign
a g ain st E li zabe t h M a ry a nd d ay break fou nd m e
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WID O WE R
T UR M OR E
2 25
.
m o re res o l ute than befo r e to harvest the f r u its o f
my m arr iage M y g r e at los s seemed bu t to b r ing
me i nt o nea r e r spi r itu a l relati o ns with my dead
a nces t ors and t o la y up o n m e a n ew and m or e
inevitable obliga t ion t o prove m ys el f obedien t t o
t he s uasi o n t h a t s p o ke i n eve r y globu le o f my
bl oo d
My pl a n o f a c t ion w a s so on f o rmed a nd pr o
c u ri n g a stout c o rd I entered my wife s bedr o om
fi nding h er as I expected i n a sou nd sleep
Befo re she was awake I had her bo u nd fast hand
a nd fo o t She w as greatl y su r p r ised and pained
bu t heedless o f her remo nst r ances delivered i n a
high key I c a rried he r i nto the n ow r ifled strong
room which I h a d never su ff ered her t o ente r and
o f wh o se t re as u res I had n ot app r i s ed her
Se a t
ing her st ill bou nd i n a n angle o f th e wall I
p a ssed the n ex t two days and n ights i n conve y ing
b r icks a nd mortar to the spot and o n the m orning
o f the third d a y had her secu rel y walled in f ro m
floor to ceiling All this t ime I gave n o fu r ther
heed to her pleas for m erc y than (on her assu r ance
o f n on -resistance which I am bou nd t o say sh e
h o no r abl y observed ) to g rant h e r the f r eedom o f
her limbs The space allowed he r w a s abou t fou r
feet b y si x As I inse r ted the last b r icks of the
t op cou r se i n contact with the ceiling o f the
str o ng-room she bade rn e fa r ewell with w h a t I
deemed the composu r e of d espai r an d I re st e d
from my wo r k feeling that I h a d faith full y
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2 26
S U CH
CA N
T H I N GS
BE ?
o b s erved t he traditi o n s o f a n ancien t a nd il l u st ri
o us famil y M y o nly bit t er reflection so far as
m y o w n cond uct w as concerned came o f th e
con s ciousness that i n the pe r fo r mance o f my
d esign I had lab o red ; but tha t n o living s o u l
would ever kn o w
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After a night s rest I wen t t o the J udge o f the
C o u r t o f S uccessions and I nhe r itances and made
a t r u e and swo r n r elation o f all that I had done
except t h at I asc r ibed t o a se r vant the m anu al
labo r o f bu ilding the wall H is hon o r appointed
a c o ur t com missione r w h o made a carefu l exam
i na t i o n o f the wo r k and upon his r epo r t E liz a
beth Ma ry T u rm o re w a s at the end of a week
fo r mall y p r o no u nced dead B y d ue p r ocess of
law I was put into possession o f her estate and
although that was not b y h u nd r eds o f thousands
o f d olla r s as valuable as
my lost t r easu r es it
raised m e f r om p ove r t y t o a ffluence and b r ough t
me the r espect o f the g r eat an d good
Som e si x m onths afte r these events st r ange
ru mo r s r eached m e th at the ghost o f m y deceased
wife had been seen i n va r iou s places abou t the
cou nt ry bu t alwa y s at a conside r able distance
f r om Gray m a u lk i n These r u m ors which I w a s
u nable to t race to an y authentic sou r ce di ffe r ed
widel y i n man y pa r ticu la r s b ut we r e alike i n
asc r ibing to the appa r ition a ce r tain high deg r ee
o f appa r ent wo r ldl y p r ospe r it y combined with an
a udacit y most u ncom m on in ghosts Not onl y
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2 28
CA N
S U CH
T H IN GS
BE ?
win e cella r in one co r ner o f wh ich I h ad built t he
n ow long disu sed st r ong r o om I n m oving a cask
o f Madei r a
I st r u ck it with conside rable fo r ce
against the pa r tition wall and w a s su r p r ised t o
obse r ve that i t displaced two la rge squa r e stones
fo r mi ng a part o f th e wall Appl y ing my hands
t o t h e se I easily pu shed them o u t o f the wall
enti r el y and looking th r ough sa w that the y had
fallen i nto the n iche i n which I h ad immu r ed my
lam ented wi fe ; facing the opening which th eir
fall left a nd at a distance o f fou r feet w a s the
brickwo r k which my o w n h ands had made for
that u nfo r tu nate gentlewoman s rest raint
At
th i s significant r evelation I began a sea r ch o f the
wine cella r Behind a row o f casks I fou nd fou r
histo r icall y inte r esting bu t int r i nsicall y val ueless
obj ects
Fi rst th e m ild ewed r ema i ns of a d u cal r obe of
st ate ( Flo r entine) of the el eventh centu ry ; s e c
o nd
an illu minat ed vell u m b r evia ry with the
nam e o f Si r Aldeba r an T u rm o re de Pete rs
T u rm o re i nsc r ibed i n colo r s o n the title page ;
third a h u man skull fashioned int o a d r inking
cu p and deepl y stained with wine ; fou rth th e
i r on c r oss of a Knight Commande r o f the Impe r ial
Au strian Orde r o f Ass as sins b y P oison
—
That was all not an obj ect having comm er
ci a l value
n o papers — nothing Bu t this w a s
enough t o cle ar u p th e m y stery o f the st rong
ro o m
My w i fe had e ar l y d ivined th e existen ce
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WID O WE R
a nd pu rp o se
T UR M OR E
9
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that ap ar tment a nd with a skill
amou nting to genius had e ffected an entrance by
loosening the two stones in the wall Through
that opening she had at va r iou s times abst ra cted
the enti r e c o llection which d o ubtless sh e had
succeeded i n co n ve r ting into coin of th e realm
When with a n u nconsciou s j u stice which dep r ives
m e of all s a ti s facti o n in the memo ry I decided t o
build he r into the wall b y som e malign fatalit y
I selected that p ar t of it in which we r e these
m o vable stones and d oubtless be fore I had fai r l y
finished my brickla y ing sh e had removed them
and slipping th r ough int o the wine cella r r eplaced
them as the y were or iginall y laid
F r om the
cellar sh e h a d easil y escaped un obse r ved t o enj oy
he r in fam o u s gains i n distant pa r ts I have
endeavo r ed t o p r ocu r e a wa rr ant bu t the Lord
High Ba r on o f the Cou rt o f A rr est and Co nv i c
tion r eminds m e that she is legall y dead and sa y s
m y only cou r se is to go befo r e the Master i n
Ca da v e ry a nd move for a w r it o f disinte r ment and
r evival So it looks as i f I m ust su ffer witho u t
r ed ress this g r e a t wrong a t th e hands o f a w o ma n
devoid al ike of p r inciple a nd shame
of
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CA N S UCH
2 32
T HI N GS
BE ?
w or k ; the n e ar e r t o the enem y s lines I could
pene tra t e th e m o r e valuable we r e my field notes
a nd the resulting maps I t w a s a bu siness in
which the lives of m en cou nted a s n othing against
the ch a nce of d efining a r oad o r sketching a
b r idge Whole squ a dron s of c a val ry esco r t had
s ometimes t o be sent thu nd e r ing against a pow
e r fu l in fant ry o utpost i n o r d e r that the b r ief tim e
between th e ch arge and the inevitabl e r et r eat
m ight be u tilized i n sou nding a fo r d o r d e t e rm i n
ing the p o int o f i ntersec t ion o f two t u rnpikes
I n som e of th e da r k c or ne r s o f E ngland and
Wales th ey hav e an im m em o rial c u s tom o f beat
i ng th e bou nds of th e parish On a certai n day
of th e year th e wh ol e population t ur ns o ut and
t r avels in proce s sion f r om one land m ar k to anoth er
At th e m o st i m port a n t
o n th e bou ndary li ne
poi nts lads ar e s o undl y bea t en with r ods t o
m ake them rem ember the place i n aft er life
The y becom e auth o r ities O ur frequent engage
m ents with th e Confederate outposts pat r ols and
scouting pa r ties h ad i ncidentall y th e sam e ed u
cati ng val ue ; th ey fixed i n m y m em o ry a vivid
and appa r entl y impe r ishabl e pictu r e o f th e l ocality
— a pictu r e se r vi ng instead of acc u r ate field notes
which i ndeed it was not alwa y s convenient to
take with ca rbines c racking sabe r s clashing and
h o r ses pl u nging all abou t These spi r ited e n
c o unters we r e obse rvati ons entered i n r ed
One m o r ning as I se t o u t at t h e h e a d o f my
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GE ORGE T H UR S T ON
2 33
.
e s co r t o n a n expedition o f m or e th an th e usua l
haza r d Lie utenant Th urston r ode u p a l o ngside o f
me and a s ked if I had any objection t o his accom
panyi ng me t h e c o l o nel c o m ma nding h a ving
given h i m perm issi o n
“
N o ne whatever I replied ra ther g ru flly
bu t i n what capacity will y o u g o ? You a r e n o t
a t o pographical engi neer an d C a p ta in B u rllng
c o m m a nds my e s c o rt
“
I will go as a spect a t o r h e sa id Rem o ving
h is sword belt a nd ta ki ng the pist ols fr o m h is
h olsters h e h a nded them t o his serva nt wh o t ook
th em b ack to h eadqu a rte rs I re a lized th e b ruta l
ity o f my rema rk b ut n o t clea rly seeing my wa y
to a n apology said not h ing Tha t aftern oon we
encou ntered a wh o le regimen t o f the en emy s
caval ry i n lin e a nd a field piece t ha t d omin a te d a
st ra ight m ile of the t u rnpike by which w e h a d
a ppro a ch ed We fought depl o yed i n the w oo d s
on both side s b u t Th urst o n remained i n th e
center of th e roa d which at i nterv a l s of a few
sec o nd s w as swept by gust s o f g rape a nd caniste r
that to r e the a i r wide o pen a s they p as s ed H e
had d r opped the rei n o n th e n eck o f h i s ho r se
a nd s at bolt up right i n the sa ddle with folded
a rm s
S o on h e was d own h is h o r s e t o r n
t o piece s F r om th e side of the ro a d my
pencil a nd field b o o k idle my d uty forgotten I
watched him sl owly disengaging himself from th e
wrec k a nd ri sing A t th at in sta nt the c an non
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CA N S UCH T HIN GS B E I
2 34
having ce a sed fi r i ng a bu r l y Confederate t r ooper
on a spi r ited h o r se dash ed like a th unde r bolt
down the road with d r awn sabe r Th u r ston
sa w him coming
drew himself u p to h is full
height and agai n folded h is a r ms H e w a s
too brave to r et r ea t befo r e th e wo r d and my
u ncivil wo r ds ha d disa r med h im H e w a s a
spectat o r Anoth er m oment and h e wo uld h ave
been split like a macke r el b ut a blessed bullet
tumbled h is assailant i nto th e d ust y r oad so nea r
that th e impetu s sent th e bod y rolli ng to Th u r s
ton s feet
T hat evening wh ile platting m y
h ast y su r ve y I fou nd time to f r am e an apolo g y
which I th ink took th e r ude p r imitive fo r m o f a
confession that I had spoken like a malicious
idiot
A few weeks later a portion of o u r a r my made
an assault upon th e enem y s left T h e attack
which was made upon an u nknown position and
ac r oss unfamilia r g r ound was led by ou r b r igad e
T h e g r ound was so b r oken and the u nde r b r ush so
th ick that all mounted o ffi ce r s and m en we r e co m
— ou r b r igade c om mander
e
ll
e
d
to
figh
t
n
foot
o
p
and his sta ff i ncl uded I n the m elee Thu r ston got
pa r ted f r om th e r est of us and we fou nd h im
h o rr ibl y wou nded onl y when we had ca rr ied the
enem y s last defense H e was som e m onth s i n
the h ospital at Nashville Ten n but fi nall y re
j oined u s H e said little about h is misadventu r e
except that he had been bewilde r ed and had
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2 36
CA N S UCH T HIN GS B E ?
t ry t o m
it ; and i f h e w — e r e p-presen t
—
I w o u ld n t d-d-da r e to d-d-discuss it was th e
mollifying repl y
This i n t r epid m an Geo rge Th u r ston died a n
ignoble de a th The b r igad e was i n cam p w i th
head q u art e r s i n a grove o f i mm ense t r ees T o
a n u pper b ranch o f one of th ese a ventu r eso m e
cli m ber h a d at t a c h ed the two ends of a long r ope
a nd m a de a swing wi t h a l ength o f not less than
o n e h un d r e d feet
Plunging downwa r d f r o m a
he i ght o f fi ft y feet along th e ar c o f a circle with
s uc h a ra dius a nd so ar i ng to an equal altitude
pausing f or on e bre at hless i nstant th e n s weeping
diz zil y backward— n o o ne w h o has n ot t r ied it ca n
co n ceive th e t er r ors o f s u ch sport to th e novice
Th urston cam e o ut of h is tent one da y a n d
a s k ed f o r instruction i n th e m y ste ry o f propelling
th e s wing— the art of r ising and sitting on which
eve ry b o y h as m as tered I n a few m oments he
h a d a cquired th e t rick and wa s swinging higher
than the m o st expe r ienced o f us had d a red We
s h udde r ed to lo o k a t his fe a rful flight s
s aid th e p r ovost-ma r sh al s n a il
S t-t top h i m
i ng l a zil y a l o ng fr o m th e m ess-te n t wh er e he h ad
“
—
bee n l u n chi ng ; h e d-d oe s n t know th a t i f
h — e g -g -g o e s c-c l e a r o v er h — e l l w— i nd up t h e
t-
m -maste r
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i ng
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Wi t h su c h e ne r gy wa s th a t st ro ng
cann on
a ding h imself th r ough the ai r that a t each ex
t re m i ty o f hi s i ncre as i n g are h i s body s t andin g
m an
,
GE OR GE
in
T H UR S T ON
2 37
.
s wi ng w a s a lm ost h o rizont al Sh oul d h e
on ce pass a b o ve the level o f th e r o pe s attach
ment he would b e lo s t ; th e r op e would slacke n
a nd h e would fall vertically to a poin t a s far
below as h e h ad gon e above and th en t h e su dde n
tension of th e rope would w r est it f r om his h a nds
All saw th e peril — all cried o u t t o him t o desis t
a nd gesticulated at h i m a s i ndist i nc t and with a
noise like th e ru s h o f a can non sh ot i n flight h e
s we p t past us th r ou gh th e lower r eaches o f h i s
h ideous oscillation A w o man st a ndi n g a t a li t t l e
distance away fainted a nd fell u nobserved M e n
f r om th e cam p o f a regiment near by ran i n
c rowds to see al l sh outing S uddenly as Th urs
ton was o n h i s upw a rd c urve the sh outs all
th e
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eased
Thurston and th e swing had parted— t h a t is a ll
that c a n be kn own ; both hands a t once had
relea s ed th e rope Th e impetus o f th e ligh t
s wing exhausted i t w a s falling b a ck ; th e man s
m omentu m was carrying him a lm o st e r ect u p
ward and forward n o lo nger i n a n arc but with
a n o utward cu rve I t c o uld h a ve been but an
i n s tant yet it seemed an age I c r i ed o u t o r
“
thought I cried ou t
M y God will he neve r
s t 0 p going u p ?
H e passed close to th e branch
of a t r ee I remember a feeling o f deligh t as I
th ough t h e would cl u t ch it and save h imself I
speculated on th e p o ssibilit y of it sustaining his
wei g ht H e passed a b ov e it and from m y poin t
(t
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2 38
CA N
S U CH
T H I N GS
BE ?
o f vi ew was sharply outlined against the bl u e
At this distance o f twent y y ea r s I can disti nctl y
rec a ll that i mage of a man i n th e sky its head
—
e r ect its feet cl ose togethe r i t s hands I d o not
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its hands All at once with astonishing su d
d e n n ess and r apidity it tu r ns clea r ove r and
pitch es d ownward Th ere is anothe r cry f r om
th e c r owd which has r ushed i nstinctivel y forwa r d
Th e man has becom e m e r el y a whi r ling obj ect
m ostly legs
The n th e r e i s an indesc r ibable
—
s o u nd th e sou nd of an im pact that shakes th e
ea r th and these m en familia r with death i n its
m ost awful aspects tu r n sick Man y walk u n
steadil y awa y f r om the spot ; othe rs s uppo r t
th em selves agai nst th e t r unks of t r ees or si t at
the r oots Death h as taken an u nfai r advantage ;
h e has st r uck with an u nfamilia r weapon ; h e has
executed a new and disquieting st ratagem We
did not kn ow he had so ghastl y resou rces capaci
ties o f te rr or so dismal
Th u rston s bod y la y on its back O ne leg ben t
beneath was b r oken above th e knee and th e b o ne
d r iven i nto th e ea r th The abdom en had bu rst
and th e bowels p r ot r uded The neck w a s b r oken
The a rms were folded tightl y a cross the bre a st
se e
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S U CH
CA N
240
T HI N GS E E I
help him s elf as was o u r cu s tom
H e did s o and
p r esently j oined me at the hea rth a s tranquil as
eve r
This o dd li ttle i ncid en t o ccu rred i n my apart
m ent wh e r e J oh n B a rt i ne was passing an evening
We h ad di n ed t ogether a t th e club had come
h o me i n a hack and— i n sh o rt everything had
been done i n th e m o st prosa ic w ay ; an d w h y
J ohn B a rt i ne sh ould b re a k i n upon the natu ral
a nd es t ablished o r der o f thing s to make h imself
s pec t ac u l ar w i th a display of em o ti on apparently
f o r his o wn e n t ertai nm ent I could n o wise u nde r
st and
The m o re I th ought o f i t while h is
b r illi a n t c o nversati o na l gifts we r e com m ending
themselve s t o my inatten t i o n th e m o r e cu rious I
g r ew and of cou rse h ad n o di ffi culty i n pe rsuadin g
myse l f t h at my c u r i o si ty was friendly solicitude
That i s t he disguise that c uri osity c omm o nly
a ss u mes t o evad e resentment S o I ru i ne d o ne
o f t h e fi nest sen t ences o f his m o n ol o g u e by c ut
t ing i t s h ort with ou t cerem ony
“
J oh n B art i ne I said yo u m u s t try to f o r
give m e if I a m wr o ng b u t wi t h the ligh t th a t I
have at presen t I can n ot concede y ou r r ight to go
al l to piece s wh en as ked th e time 0 night I
c a nn o t a dmit that it is proper t o expe r ience a
mysteriou s reluctance to look your own watch in
th e fa ce a nd to che r ish i n m y presence with o u t
e x pl anat io n p a i nful em otions which are de n ied t o
m e an d wh ich a re non e o f my b usi n ess
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OH N
j
B A R T IN E S
’
WA T CH
24 1
.
T o this r idiculous speech B a rt i ne m a de n o i m
mediate repl y bu t sa t looking g r avel y i nto the
fi re Fearing th at I had o ffended I w a s about
t o apologize and be g h im to think n o m o r e abou t
the matter wh en l ooking m e c a lmly in the eye s
h e s aid
“
My de a r fell o w the levit y o f y o ur manner
d oe s n o t a t all disguise th e h id eous impudence o f
you r demand ; b ut happily I had alread y decided
t o tell yo u wh at yo u wish to kn o w and n o mani
fe st at i o n of y ou r u nwo r th iness to h ea r i t shall
alter m y decisio n Be good enough to pe rsuade
m e to have a f r esh cigar and y o u shall he a r a ll
a b o ut the m atter
“
Th is watch h e said had been in my famil y
Its
fo r t h re e gen erations befo r e it fell to m e
o rigi n a l owne r fo r wh om it was mad e was my
g r eat-grandfather Bramwell Olcott B a rt i ne a
we a lthy planter of Colonial Vi rginia a nd a s
stanch a To ry as ever lay a wake nigh t s co n
t ri vi ng n ew ki nds of maledictions for th e head of
M r Wash ington and new m ethod s o f aidi ng and
a betting good King Geo rge On e day th is wo r thy
ge ntleman h a d th e deep misf o rtu ne to perfo r m
for h is cau s e a se rvice of c a pital imp or tance which
was n ot recognized by th os e w h o su ffe r ed i t s dis
advantages as legitimate It d oes not matte r
what it w a s b ut am ong its mi nor consequences
was m y excellent ancesto r s ar r est o ne nigh t i n
h i s own h o use b y a p a rt y o f M r W ash in g ton s
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2
CA N
42
r ebels
S U CH
T H IN GS
BE
H e was pe r mitted t o say farewell to h is
weeping family and was the n m a r ched away into
the da rkness which swallowed h im up fo r eve r
Not the slenderest cl ew to his fate was ever fou nd
Afte r the war th e m ost diligent i nquiry and the
o ffe r o f la rge rewa r ds failed to t urn up any of his
capt o rs or an y fact c o nce r ni ng h im H e had dis
appea r ed and that was all
Something i n J ohn B art i ne s m a nner th a t w as
n ot i n his wo r ds— I hardly knew what it w as
prompted m e t o ask
What is you r view o f t h e m atter— o i t h e
j us t ice o f it ?
My vie w o f i t h e flamed o u t bringing his
cle n ched hand down upo n th e table as if h e h a d
been in a p ublic h ouse dicing with blackg ua rd s
m y view of it is that it was a characteristic a lly
dastardl y assas s ination b y that d— d trai t or
Wash ington and his rag a m u ffin r ebels
F o r some m in utes noth ing was said : B art i ne
was recove r ing his temper and I w a i t ed Th e n
I said
Was that a ll P
—
No the r e was som ething e l se A few weeks
after m y g r e a t-g r and fath e r s a rr est h is watch was
fou nd l y ing on th e po r ch at th e f r ont doo r of his
d welling I t was w r apped i n a sheet o f lette r
pape r bea r ing th e nam e o f E lizabeth B a rt i ne his
o nl y daughte r my g r andm ot h er I a m wea r in g
t h a t wat c h
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CA N
2 44
S U CH
T H IN GS
BE ?
eleve n t h e desire t o l oo k is g o ne ; I a m e nt irely
indi fferent But the n I can con s ult the thing as
often a s I li k e with n o m ore emotion than y ou
feel in looking a t y ou r own Natu r all y I have
trained m y self n o t t o l o o k a t that w a tch i n
the eveni ng before eleven ; n o thing could induce
m e Yo ur i nsistence this evening upset me a
t rifle
I felt ve ry m uch a s I su ppo se an opi um
eater migh t feel if his yearni ng for h is special and
p a rtic ular kind o f hell we r e t e-enf or ced by o ppo r
t u ni ty and a dvic e
“
N o w that is my sto ry a nd I have t o ld it i n
t he i n tere s t o f yo ur t r umpe ry science ; but if o n
any evening h e r eafter y ou obse r ve me wea r i ng
t h is dam n able watch and y ou h ave th e t h o ugh t
fulnes s to a sk m e th e h our I shall beg leave to
put you to t he i nc o nvenie nce o f being knocked
d o wn
Hi s h umo r did n o t am use m e I could se e
t h a t i n relati ng his hall ucinati on he was ag a i n
s o mewh a t di st u r bed His concl uding sm ile was
p os itively ghastl y and h is e y es had resumed
s o mething m o r e than th ei r o ld r estlessness ; th ey
shifted h ith er an d thither ab out th e room with
apparent aimle s sness a nd I fancied had taken o n
a wild expressi on such as is som etimes obs erved
i n ca s e s of dementia Pe rhaps this w a s m y own
imagi nati o n b ut at any r ate I was n ow pe r suaded
that m y f r iend was a fflicted with a m o s t singu
lar an d in t er estin g m ono m a n i a Wi t hout I trus t
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WA T CH
oHN B A R TI N E S
j
’
245
.
ab at ement o f m y a ffectionate solicit u de f o r
h im a s a f r ien d I began to r egard h im as a p a tient
rich i n p o ssibilities of p r ofitable stud y Why n ot ?
H ad h e n o t desc r ibed h is delusion i n th e i nterest
Ah p oo r fellow h e wa s d o ing m or e
o f s cience ?
f o r sci ence t han h e k new : no t only his sto ry b u t
h imself was i n evide nce I sh o uld c u re h im i f I
c o uld o f c o u rs e b ut fi r st I sh ould make a little
experiment i n psych ol ogy— nay t h e experi men t
i tself migh t be a step i n his r est o r ati o n
Th a t i s very f r ank and f r iendly o f y o u B ar
“
t in e I said c or diall y an d I m r ath er p ro ud o f
y o ur c o nfidence I t i s all ve ry o dd ce rt a inly
D o you m i nd sh owing m e the watch ?
H e det a ch ed it f r om h i s waistcoat ch ai n a nd
al l a nd p a s s ed it to m e with o ut a word The case
w as o f gold ve ry thick a nd s trong and c u ri o usly
eng ra ved After closely exam ining th e di a l and
observing that i t w a s nea r l y t welve o clock I
o pened it at the back and w as i n t ere s ted t o
observe a n i nner c a se o f iv o ry u p o n wh ich w a s
painted a m iniat u re p or tra it i n that exquisite and
delicate m an ner wh ich w as i n v o gue d uring the
eighteenth c entu ry
Why ble ss my soul ! I exclaimed e x peri e nc
ing t h e keenes t a rtistic delight
h ow u nder t he
su n did y ou get th a t d o n e ? I t h o ugh t miniat ure
painting o n ivo ry was a los t art
Th a t h e r eplied g ravel y smi l ing is n o t I ;
i t is my excelle n t gre at-gran df at he r t he l a te Bra m
”
any
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246
CA N S UCH
T H I N GS
BE
wel l Olc o tt B a rt i ne E squi r e o f Vi rginia He w a s
—
y ou nger th en than late r abou t m y age i n fact
I t is said t o r esemble m e ; d o y o u think so ?
Resemble y ou ? I should say so ! Bar r i ng
the costume which I supposed y ou to have
a ssu med o u t of compliment to th e art —o r for
—
o ra z
sem bla nce
and th e n o m ustach e
so to sa y
that face is y ou r s i n eve ry featu r e line and ex
p r ession
N o more was s aid at that time B a rt i ne took a
book f r o m th e tabl e and began r eading I hea r d
o utside th e incessant plash of the rai n i n th e
st r eet The r e we r e o ccasional h u rr ied footfalls on
the sidewalks ; and once a slowe r h eavie r t r ead
seemed to cease at my doo r— a policeman I
thought seeking shelte r i n th e d oorwa y Th e
boughs of the t r ees tapped significantl y o n th e
window panes as if asking f o r admittance I
r emember it all th rough these y ea r s and years o f
a wiser g r ave r life
Seeing m y sel f u n obse rved I took the old
fashioned w a t ch k e y that dangled f r om th e chai n
and quickl y tu r ned back the hands of the watch
a full h ou r th en closing t he case I handed Ba r
tine his prope r t y and sa w him r eplace it on his
pe r son
“
I think y ou said I began with assumed
“
ca r elessness that afte r eleven th e sight o f th e
dial no longer a ffects y ou As it is n ow nea rl y
“
—
—
t welve
lo king at m y own tim epiece
per
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o
2 48
CA N S UCH
T H I N GS
BE ?
Th e post-m or tem ex a mina t ion discl os ed n o t h
i ng ; eve ry o rgan w a s n o r mal and so und Bu t
whe n the body had been p r epa r ed f or b u rial
a faint da r k ci r cle as i f m ade b y contusi on wa s
seen to have developed about the neck ; a t lea s t I
w a s s o assured by seve r al pe r sons w h o said they
s a w it but o f my o w n knowledge I c a n n o t s a y
i f that wa s true
N o r can I a ffi r m my knowledge o f t h e l imi t a
t ions o f th e p r inciple of he r edity
I d o not
know t hat i n th e spi r itual as i n the tem po ral
w o rld natural law s h ave no pos t-f a ct o validity
Su r ely if I we r e to guess at th e fate o f Bramwell
Olc o tt B a rt i ne I sh ould guess that h e w a s hanged
a t eleven o cl o ck i n th e evening and that h e h ad
been allowed s everal h o u rs i n whi ch t o prep a re
f o r the change
As t o J oh n B a rt i ne m y friend my p a tien t for
—
five m i nutes and H eave n forgive me— m y vi c
t im f o r eternity the re i s n o m o r e t o say H e i s
bu ried a nd his watch with him — I s aw t o th at
M ay God rest h i s soul i n Paradise and the sou l of
h i s Virgi ni a n an ce sto r i f i ndeed they a re t wo
sou ls
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R E A LM O F T H E U N R E A L
T HE
.
I
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the dista nce b et ween Aubu rn a nd
Newcastle t h e road— first on o ne s id e of a c re ek
—
and then on the other occupies th e wh ole b o tt om
o f the ravine bein g pa rtly cu t o ut o f t h e steep
hillside and partl y b uilt up w ith bowlde r s t e
m o ved f ro m th e cre ek bed by th e m iners T h e
hills ar e wooded t h e cou rs e of the rav 1n e i s s i n u
In a d ar k nigh t careful d rivi ng i s requi r e d
ou s
i n o rder n o t t o g o off i nt o t h e wat e r T h e night
that I h a ve i n me m o ry was da rk th e Creek a t er
r ent swollen b y a recent st orm I h a d d rive n u p
f r om N ewcastle and w a s with i n abo u t a mi le frotn
Auburn i n th e da rkest a nd n are e st pa rt o f th e
ravi ne lo o king i ntently ah e ad of my h o r se for th e
r o a dway Suddenly I saw t h e fig u re of a man
alm os t u nder th e a ni m al s n o se and reined i n
with a j erk which c a m e n e ar s etti ng t h e Creat u re
upon its hau nch es
“
“
I beg y o u r p a rd on I said ; I di d not see
you si r
"
“
You c ould hardl y be e xpe cte d t o see me
t h e m an repl ied ci v illy en ough a pproa chi n g th e
FOR
a p a rt
of
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3 49
S U CH
CA N
25 0
T H IN GS B E ?
side o f th e bugg y ; and the noise of the creek
p r evented my hea r ing y ou
I at once r ecognized the voice a lth o ugh five
y ea r s had passed si nce I had h eard it I was not
particula r l y well pleased to h ea r it n ow
Yo u a r e D r D o rri m o re I think said I
Y es ; and y o u a r e m y good f r iend M r M a n
—
rich I am mo r e than glad t o se e y ou th e
excess he added with a light laugh being d ue
to the fact that I am going you r way and n a t u
rall y expect a n invitation to rid e with y o u
Wh ich I extend with all my hea r t
It was n ot altogeth e r tru e
D r D o rri m o re thanked m e a s h e se a ted him
self beside me and I d r ove cautiousl y fo rwa r d
as befo r e Doubtless it i s fanc y but it seem s
to m e now that th e remai ni ng distance was made
i n a chill f o g ; that I was u ncom fo rtabl y cold ;
th at the wa y was longer th an eve r befo r e and th e
t o wn wh en we reach ed it chee r less fo r biddin g
and d esolate I t m ust h ave been ea r l y in th e
evening y et I d o n ot r ec ollect a light i n an y of
th e houses no r a living thing i n the st r eets Do r
ri m o re expl a i ned at some length how h e happened
t o be the r e a nd where h e had been d u r ing th e
y ea r s that had elapsed since I had seen him I
r ecall the fact o f th e na rr ative but n one o f the
f acts nar rated H e had been in fo r eign cou nt ries
a nd had retu r n ed— that is all that m y mem o ry
re t ai ns a nd that I a lready kr w As t o m v se lf
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II
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I n p a rti al e x pla n at i o n o f m y f e eli n g s reg a rding
D r D o rri mo re I will rel a te b ri e fly the ci rc u m
st a nce s u nde r wh ich I had m et h i m S o m e yea r s
befo r e One e ve ni ng a hal f-d ozen m en of wh om
I was one were sitting i n the lib r a ry o f the
B o hem i a n Club in San F ra ncisc o Th e conve r
sati o n h a d tu rned t o the subj ect o f sleight -o f hand
a nd th e feats o f the pr est zd zg i ta teu r s o ne o f wh o m
w a s th en exhibiting a t a l o cal t heate r
Th ese fell o ws a re p r etenders i n a d o uble
“
s ense said o ne o f th e pa r ty ; they ca n do
n othing wh ich it is worth one s wh ile to be m a d e
a d upe b y The h u mblest wayside j uggler i n
I ndi a c o uld m y sti fy them to t h e ve rge o f l unacy
F o r ex a mple h o w ? a sked a no t her lighting
a cigar
F o r example by a ll th eir c o mm on a nd familiar
perfo r mances— throwing la r ge obj ects i nto the air
which never come d o wn causi ng plants to sprout
gr o w visibl y and bl o s s om i n bare g ro und ch osen
by spect a tors ; putting a man in a wicker b a sket
pie r ci ng h im th r ough and th r ough with a swo r d
while h e sh r ieks and bleeds a nd th en — the basket
being opened nothing is th ere ; tossing the free
“
2
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R E A LM
T HE
end
OF
T HE
UNR E A L
2
.
53
a silken ladder i nt o t he a ir m o u n t i n g i t
”
a nd dis a ppearing
”
Nonsense ! I sai d rather u ncivilly I fe ar
Y o u surel y d o n o t believe such th ings
Cert a inl y n o t I have s ee n t h em t o o of t en
”
But I d o said a j ou rn a li s t of c o n side r able
l o cal f ame as a pic t uresqu e repo rter
I h ave so
f r eque n tly rel a ted t hem tha t n o thing but obse rv a
ti o n c o u l d s h a ke my convictio n Why ge ntle
”
m en I h ave my o wn wo r d f o r it
N o body laugh ed — all we re lo o king a t so me
t hi ng behind m e T ur ni ng i n my se a t I sa w a
m a n in eve n i ng d r e s s wh o h a d j u st ente r e d t h e
room H e was exceedingly da rk alm os t s warth y
with a t h in face b lack-bearded t o t h e lip s a n
a bundance o f coa r se black h air i n som e d i s o r der
a high nose and e y e s that glitte r ed with as so ul
less a n exp r ession as th o se of a cobra On e o f
the g r oup a r ose and i nt r od uced hi m a s D r D orri
m o r e o i Calcutta As each o f u s w as p r e s ented
i n tu r n he ackn owledged the fact with a pro
found b o w i n the Orient a l manner but with
n othing of O r iental g r avit y H is smile imp r essed
m e as c y nical and a t r ifle c ontem ptuous H is
of
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wh ole d e m ean or I ca n describe only as di sagree
abl y engaging
H is p r esence led th e conversation into ot h er
chan nels H e said little — I d o n ot r ecall an y
t h ing o i what h e d i d say I t h o u g h t h is voi ce
a nd m e lodi o us b u t i t a ffec t ed me
si n u la r l
r
ich
,
g
y
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S U CH
CA N
25 4
T H I N GS
B E ?
i n th e sam e w ay as his e y es and h i s smile I n a
few mi nutes I rose to go H e also rose a nd pu t
on his ove r coat
M r M a nri ch he said I am going yo u r w ay
“
Th e devil y o u a r e ! I though t
H ow d o
y o u know which way I am going ?
The n I s aid
I shall be plea s ed to h a ve y o ur c o mpan y
We left the building togeth er N o cabs were
i n sight the s treet cars h ad g o ne to bed the r e
was a full m o on and th e c o ol night a ir was
delightful ; we w a lked up the Cali fo r n ia Street
h ill I t o ok th a t directi on th inking he would
natu r all y wish to t a ke a nother t o w a rd o ne o f the
hotels
Y o u do n o t believe wh at i s to ld o f t h e H i n d oo
j uggle r s h e said abruptly
How do yo u kn o w that ? I a sked
With ou t repl y ing h e laid h i s hand lightl y up o n
m y ar m and with the oth e r pointed to th e stone
sidewalk di r ectl y i n f r ont The r e alm ost at o u r
feet lay the dead bod y of a man the fa ce u p
turned and white in th e m oonligh t A sw o rd
whose hilt spa rkled wi t h gems stood fixed and
up r ight i n th e b r e a st ; a pool of blood h a d col
le ct e d on th e stones o f t h e sidewalk
I was sta r tled and t e rri fie d— not onl y b y what I
saw but b y th e circumstances u nder which I sa w it
Repeatedl y d u r ing o u r ascent of the hill m y e y e s
I th ought had traversed the whole r each of that
s idewalk fr o m st ree t to st ree t H ow c ou ld t hey
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2
6
3
CA N S U CH
What
me an y o u de v i l ? I de
e n o u gh th o ugh wea k an d t rem
doe s i t
m a nd ed , fierce ly
l
al
,
,
pe o p l e a re p l e ased to c al l
n
a
s
wered
wi
h
a
light
h
a
rd
laugh
h
e
r
i
e
t
u
j gg y
He t ug n ed do wn Du po nt Street and I saw hi m
no m o re u nt i l we m et i n t he Aub u r n ra vm e
It
wh a t
.
T HI N GS B E I
15
,
m ost
,
.
.
On th e day aft er my s ec o nd m eeting wi t h D r
D o rri m o re I di d n o t se e h im : the cle r k i n th e
Putnam House explain ed th at a slight illness co n
fined him t o his room s That afte r noon being a t
the r ailway station I was su rp r ised a nd m a de
happ y b y th e u nexpected a rr ival o f Miss M a rgare t
Co rr a y and he r m oth er f r om Oakland
This is not a l ove sto ry
I am n o story
telle r and love as it is cann ot be port r a y ed in a
lite r atu r e d ominated and enth ralled b y th e deb as
i ng t yr an n y which sentences letters in th e name
of the Y o ung Gi rl U nder the Young Gi r l s
blighting r eign — o r r ath e r under th e r ule o f th os e
false M iniste r s o f th e Censu r e wh o h ave appointed
themselves t o th e c ustod y of h e r wel fare — l ove
.
.
,
,
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,
’
.
v il
e
A nd
,
s
h er
u naw are ,
c dfi
li ty pi
M
sa re
res,
ex
o ra
res,
famished upon th e si fted meal an d dis t illed water
o f a p r ud ish pu r ve y ance
Let i t su ffice th at M iss C or ra y and I were
engaged i n ma rr iage Sh e and h e r m othe r went
to th e h otel at which I lived and fo r t w o weeks
I saw h er daily That I w a s happ y need hardl y
.
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2 S7
25
8
CA N
S U CH T HI N GS
BE
b e said ; th e on l y bar to my perfec t enj oymen t
o f th o s e golde n
day s w a s th e pre s ence o f D r
D o rri m o re wh om I had felt com pell ed to i ntr o
d uce t o th e l a die s B y them he was evidently
h eld i n favor What could I say ? I knew ab so
lu t e ly nothing t o h is disc r edit
H is m a nne r s we r e
those of a cultivated and considerate gentleman ;
and to women a man s man ner is th e man O n
o n e o r two occasi ons wh en I sa w M iss Cor r a y
walki ng w ith him I w as fu ri o us and once had th e
i ndisc r etion to p r otest A s ked for reason s I had
none to giv e and fancied I saw i n h er expression
a shad e of contempt fo r th e vaga r ies of a j ealou s
m ind I n time I g r ew morose and c onsciousl y dis
agreeable and r esolved i n m y m adnes s to r etu r n
t o San Francisco th e nex t day
O f t hi s h ow
ever I sa id n o thi n g
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2 60
CA N
T HI N GS
S U CH
BE ?
tee t h t rying to cont r ol th e impulse to l e a p
f o rward a nd strangle h im A m omen t la t e r a
second figu r e j oined h im and clung to h is arm
I t was M a rga r et Cor r ay !
I cannot r ightl y relate what o cc u r red I kn ow
that I sp r ang fo r w a r d bent upon m u r de r ; I kn ow
t hat I was fou nd i n th e g r a y of th e m o r ning
bruised and bl ood y with finge r ma r ks upon m y
th r oat I was taken to the P utnam H o use wh e r e
for da y s I la y i n a deli r i um All t h i s I know fo r I
have been t old And of m y own knowledge I
know that wh en consciousness r etu r ned with co n
v a le sce n ce I sent fo r the cle r k o f th e hotel
A r e M rs C o rr a y and he r daughter still h ere ?
I asked
What name did yo u say ?
Co rra y
Nobod y o f that nam e has been h ere
I beg y o u will not t r ifle W i th me I said petu
“
la nt ly
Y o u see that I am all right now ; t ell
me the t r uth
“
I give y o u m y wo r d h e r eplied with evident
si nce r ity we have h ad n o guests of that name
H i s wo r ds st u pe fie d m e
I lay fo r a fe w
m oments in silence ; th en I a sked
Where is
D r D o rri m o re P
H e left on th e m o rning of y our figh t and h a s
n ot been heard o f s i nce I t w as a r o ugh de a l he
g a ve y ou
se t
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Such a re t h e f a cts o f t h i s ca se Marga r e t
Co rra y is now my wi fe She h as never see n
Aubu r n a n d d u r ing th e weeks whose hi st o ry as
it shaped itself in m y b rai n I have endea v ored to
relate was living at h e r h om e i n Oakland wonder
ing whe r e h er l ove r w a s and wh y h e did n o t
w r ite Th e o the r da y I saw i n the Baltim ore S u n
th e following parag raph
P r ofessor Valentine D o rri m o re th e h y pnotist
had a large audience last nigh t Th e lecture r
w h o has lived m ost o f his li fe i n I ndia gave som e
m arvelous exhibitions o f h is powe r h y pnotizing
a n y one w h o ch ose to submit h imsel f to the ex
ri m e n t b y m e r el y looking at h im
I
n
fact
h
e
e
p
twice hypnotized the enti r e audience ( r epo r te r s
alon e exempted ) making all e nte r tai n the m ost
ext r ao r din ary illusions The m ost val uable featu r e
of th e lecture was th e discl osu r e o f th e m eth ods o f
the H indo o j uggle r s i n thei r fam ous pe r fo r mances
familia r in th e m outh s of t r avelers The p r o
f osso r decla r es that th ese thaum atu rgists h ave
acqui r ed such skill in th e a r t wh ich h e lea r ned at
thei r feet that the y pe r fo r m th ei r mi r acles by
s imply th r o wing th e spectators i nt o a s t at e of
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a6 x
262
CA N
S UCH
T H IN GS B E ?
hypn osis and telling the m wh a t t o s ee an d he a r
H is a s s ertion th a t a peculi ar ly su s ceptible subj ect
may be kept i n th e realm o f the u nreal fo r
weeks m o nths and eve n y ea r s dominated by
whatever h allucinati o ns th e operato r ma y from
t im e to t im e s ugge st is a trifle di sq uie t ing
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2 64
CA N S U CH T HIN GS B E ?
m a ny explanati ons as th e r e were scientis t s wh o
knew nothing about it B ut the men o f Black
bu rg— m en who fo r man y yea r s had lived r ight the r e
where the r ed snow fell and m ight be supposed
—
to kn ow a good deal about th e matte r sh ook
thei r h eads and said som ething would come of it
And somethi ng did for the next su mm er w as
made memo r able b y the p r evalence of a m y ste r ious
—
disease epidemi c endem ic o r th e Lo r d knows
what t h ough th e ph y sicians did n t— wh ich ca rr ied
away a full h alf of the population M ost o f th e
oth e r h alf ca rr ied itself awa y and was slow t o
r eturn All fi nall y cam e back and we r e n o w
i nc r easing and m ultipl y ing as befo r e b ut Black
bu rg had not si nce been altogethe r th e same
“
Of quite anothe r kind though equall y out o f
the c omm on was the incide nt o f H ett y Pa rlow s
gh ost Hett y Pa rlo w s maiden name had been
B ro w n o n and that i n B la ck b u rg m eant m o r e th a n
o ne would think The B ro w n o ns h ad f r om time
—
i m memo r ial f r om th e ve ry ea r liest o f the o ld
—
colonial da y s been the leading family o f th e
town I t w a s th e r ich est a nd it was th e best and
B la ck b u rg would h ave sh ed th e last d r op o f its
plebeian blood i n d efense o f th e B ro w n o n fair
fam e As few of th e famil y s membe r s had ever
bee n known to live pe r manentl y awa y f r om Black
bu r g alth ough m ost o f them we r e ed ucat e d else
whe r e and nea r l y all had t r aveled ab r oad th e r e
was quite a n u mbe r of them Th e men held most
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T RA M P
A B AB y
26
.
5
th e pu b lic o ffices and th e wom en were fo r em ost
in all good wo rks O f these latte r H ett y w a s m ost
beloved b y r eas o n of the sweetness of he r disposi
tion th e pu r it y of h er characte r and he r singular
pe r sonal beaut y Sh e ma rr ied i n Boston a y oung
scapeg race named Pa r low and like a good
B ro w n o n b r ought hi m to B la ck b u rg f or thwith
and made a man and a town councilman o f him
The y had a ch ild which the y n am ed j oseph and
dea r ly loved as w a s th en th e fash ion am ong
pa r ents i n all th a t regi on Then the y died o f the
m y ste r iou s diso r der alread y mentioned and at th e
age of one wh ole y ea r j oseph se t u p as an o r phan
U nfortunatel y for j oseph the disease wh ich had
cut o ff his parents did not stop at that it went o n
and exti r pated n e ar l y th e whole B ro w no n c ontin
gent and its allies b y mar r iage and th ose w h o fled
d id n ot r etu r n Th e tradition w as b r oken the
B ro w n o n estates passed i nto ali en h ands and th e
only B ro w n o ns r emai ning in that place we r e unde r
g r ou nd in Oak H ill Cemete ry whe r e i ndeed w as
a c olon y o f the m powe r ful enough t o r esist th e
enc r oach ment of su rr ou nding tribes and h old th e
best pa r t o f the g r ounds But a bout the gh ost
O ne nigh t about five y ea r s after the death of
H etty Pa r low a n umbe r of th e y o ung people o f
B la ck b u rg we r e passing Oak H ill Cem ete ry in a
wagon — i f y ou h ave b een th e r e y ou will r emem
be r that th e r oad to G r eenton r uns alongsid e it o n
t h e south Th ey had been a ttending a M a y Day
of
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2
66
CA N S UCH T H I N GS B E ?
festival a t Greenton ; and that se rves t o fix th e
date Alt o gether th e r e ma y h ave b e en a dozen
and a j oll y pa r t y the y we r e conside r ing the legacy
o f gloom left b y the town s recent sombe r e x p e ri
e n ce s
As the y passed th e cemete ry the man
d riving suddenl y r eined i n his team with an e x cla
mati on o f su r p r ise I t w a s su fficientl y su r p r isi ng
no d o ubt fo r j ust ahead and al most at the
ro a dside though i nside the cemete ry stood th e
ghost of H ett y Pa r low Th e r e could be n o do ub t
of it fo r sh e had been personall y known t o every
y outh and maiden i n th e pa r t y That establish ed
th e thing s identity ; its cha r acter as gh ost wa s
a t tested b y all th e cu stoma ry signs— th e sh ro ud
th e long u ndon e h ai r th e fa r a wa y look
eve ry thing
This disquieting appa r iti o n wa s
st r etching o u t its a r m s t owa r d the west as i f i n
supplication for th e evening star which ce r tainl y
w as an allu r ing obj ect th ough obvi ousl y out o f
reach As the y all sat silent ( so th e sto ry goes )
—
eve ry member o f that pa r ty o f me rry make r s the y
had me rry-made o n coffee and lem onade only
“
disti nctly heard that ghost call th e nam e J oey
J oe y ! A m oment later n othing was the r e Of
cou rse one does not beli eve all that
N ow at that m om ent as was afterwa rd asce r
t a i ne d J oey was wande r ing about i n th e sageb r ush
o n th e opposite sid e o f the conti nent n ea r Winn e
mucca i n the State of Nevada H e h ad been
t aken t o tha t town by som e ve ry good people dis
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268
CA N
é UCH
T H I N GS B E ?
a vag r an t and sent e nced to imp r isonm ent i n th e
—
I nfants Sh elte r ing H ome wh e r e h e was washed
r
an
away
f
r
om
the
I
nfants
Shelte
r
ing
H
om
e
Jo
’
.
’
at Whiteville — j ust took to th e woods o n e day
and the Home knew h im n o m o r e fo r eve r
We find him next o r r ath e r get back to him
standing fo rlo r n in th e cold autum n r ai n a t a
sub u r ban st r eet co r n er i n B la ckb u rg and it seem s
r igh t to explai n now that the r ai nd r ops falling
upon hi m th e r e we r e reall y not da r k and gummy ;
the y onl y failed to make his face a nd hands less
was
indee
d
fea
r
full
y
and
wonde
r
fully
b
e
so
Jo
smi r ched as b y the hand o f an a r tist And th e
fo r lo r n little t r amp had n o sh o es ; h is feet we r e
ba r e red an d swollen and wh en h e walked he
limped with both legs As to cloth ing— ah y o u
would ha r dl y have had th e skill to name an y
singl e ga r m ent that he w or e o r say b y what
m agic he kept it upon him That h e was cold all
ove r and all th r o ugh did n ot adm it of a d oubt ;
h e knew it h imself An y one wo uld have been
c old th e r e that evening ; bu t for that r eason
n o one else was th e r e H ow J oe cam e to be
th e r e h imself h e c ould not fo r th e flicke r ing little
life of h i m have told eve n if gifted with a v o cab u
la ry exceeding a dozen wo rds F r om the wa y h e
sta r ed about h im one c ould have seen that h e h a d
no notio n of whe r e ( no r wh y) h e was
Y et he was not altogethe r a fool i n his day and
gene r ation ; being cold and h un g ry and still a ble
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A B AB Y T R A M P
2 69
.
to w al k a lit t le by bending his knees ve ry m uch i n
deed and puttin g his feet down toes fi r st h e decided
t o ente r one of th e h ouses which flanked th e
s t r eet at long inte r vals and l o oked so b r ight a nd
wa r m B ut wh en he attempted t o a ct upon that
ve ry sensible decision a bu r ly d og cam e bowsin g
I nexp r essibl y f r ight
o u t and disputed his r ight
e ned and believing n o d oubt ( with som e r eas o n
too ) that brutes with o ut m eant b r utalit y within
he h obbled awa y f r om all th e h ou s es and with
gra y wet fields to r igh t o f h im and g r a y w et
fields to left o f hi m — with th e r ai n half bli nding
him a nd th e n igh t coming i n m ist and da rkness
hel d his wa y al ong th e r oad th at leads t o G r een
ton Th a t is t o say th e ro ad leads th ose to
G r eenton w h o succeed i n passing the Oak H ill
Cemete ry ! uite a n umber every y e a r d o n o t
did
n
o
t
Jo
The y fou nd h i m th ere the next m or ning ve ry
wet ve ry c o ld b ut n o l o nger h ung ry H e h ad
—
appa r entl y ente r ed th e cem etery gate h oping
pe rhaps that it led to a h o use wh e r e the r e w as n o
—
dog and gon e bl u ndering ab out i n th e da rkness
falling ove r man y a g rave no d oubt u ntil h e had
ti r ed of it all and given up Th e little bod y la y
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upo n one side with o ne soiled ch eek u pon o ne
soiled hand the oth e r h and tucked awa y am ong
th e r ags to m ake it wa r m th e other cheek wash ed
clean and wh ite at last as for a kiss f r om o ne of
G o d s grea t a ngels I t w as obse r ved — th ough
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’
.
CA N
S U CH
T H I N GS
BE ?
n o thi ng was th o ugh t of it a t t h e ti me the b o dy
being as y e t u nidenti fied
th a t the little fel
l ow was lying upon th e gra ve o f H ett y Pa r low
The grave however h ad n ot opened to receive
him
That is a ci r cum stance which without a ct
ual irreverence o ne may wish h a d been o rdered
o therwi s e
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,
HA U N T E D HO U S E S
S O ME
T HE
IS LE
OF
PIN E S
.
.
man y y e a rs th ere lived near t h e t own
a n o ld man named He r man
o f Gallipolis
O
D eluse Ve ry little was known o f his histo ry fo r
h e would neithe r speak of it h imself n o r su f
fe r othe r s It was a com mon belief am ong h is
—
neighbo r s that he had been a pi r ate i f u pon an y
better evidence than his collectio n of boa r ding
pikes cutlasses and ancient flint lock pistols I d o
not know H e lived enti r ely alon e in a small
h ouse of fo u r r oom s falling r apidl y i nto deca y
and neve r r epai r ed fu r th er than was r equi r ed by
the impe rative mandates of th e weathe r It stood
on a sligh t elevation i n the midst of a la rge
ston y field ove rg r own with b rambles and c ulti
v a t e d i n patches and that in the m ost p r imitive
wa y I t was his onl y visible p r ope r t y but could
ha rdl y have y ielded him a living simpl e and few as
we r e his wants H e seem ed alwa y s to h ave r ead y
mone y and paid cash fo r all his pu r chases at the
village sto r es rou ndabout seldom bu y ing m o r e
than t wo o r th r ee times at the sa m e place unt i l
F OR
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S U CH T H IN GS
CA N
2 74
BE ?
a ft er t h e l a ps e of a c o nsider a b l e peri o d H e g o t
n o c o mmendation h owever f o r th i s equi t able dis
t ri b u t i o n o f his patronage ; pe o ple we r e disposed
to r ega r d it as an i ne ffectual a ttempt to conceal
his p o ssession o f so m uch m o ney That h e had
g r eat hoards of ill -gotten gold bu ried s o mewhere
about his tu mble -d own dwelli ng was n ot r eason
abl y to be d o ubted by any h one s t soul conver
san t with th e fac t s o f local t radition and gifted
.
,
,
.
with a sense o f the fitness o f th ings
O n th e 9 t h o f N ovembe r 1 8 6 7 th e old man
died ; a t least h is d ead bod y w a s d isc o ve r ed o n
the l ot h and ph y sicians testi fied th at death had
occur r ed about twent y fou r hou r s p r eviously
p r ecisely h ow th e y we r e u nable to say ; for the
ost m or t em exam ination showed eve ry o r gan to
p
b e absolutely h ealth y wit h no i ndication any
whe r e o i diso rder o r violence Acco r ding t o
them death m ust h ave taken place about n oonday
yet the body was fou nd i n bed The ve r dict o f
the co ro ne r s j u ry was that h e came to his death
by a visit a tion o f God
Th e body w a s bu r ied
and the public ad mi nist rator took cha rge o f the
estate A r igor o us sea r ch disclosed n o thing
mo r e than was al r ead y kn o w n about the de
ceased and m uch patient excavati on he r e and
the r e about th e p r emises by th o ughtful and
th r ift y neighb o rs went u nrew ar ded Th e a dmin
i st ra t o r locked u p th e h ou se agai n st the time
wh en t h e pr o perty re a l a nd per so n a l s h oul d be
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2 76
S U CH
CA N
T H IN GS B E 2
Fo rt un a tel y
for the interests o f t r ut h there was
p r esent at this c onve rsati on M r R o be r t M os ley
Ma r en a lawye r and li t t er a teu r of C o l umbus th e
sa me wh o w r ote th e d elightful M ellowcra ft
Pape r s
Noti ng but apparentl y n o t sh a ring t he
as tonish ment caused by M r G a lb r aith s a n s wer
thi s read y-witted pe r son checked by a ge st u re t h e
exclamatio ns th at wo uld natura lly h a ve f o ll o wed
a nd tranquilly inq u i red
H o w c a m e y ou to g o
i n th ere ?
This is M r M a ren s ver s i on o f M r G alb ra i t h s
reply
I saw a ligh t m o ving a bo ut i n t h e h ous e and
being ne ar l y blinded b y th e sleet a nd h al f fr o ze n
besides d r ove i n at th e gate and p u t u p my
h orse i n the o ld rail stabl e whe r e i t i s n o w I
then rapped at the d oor and ge t ting n o invit at i on
went in wi th ou t o ne The room w a s d a rk b u t
having m atches I fou nd a candle a nd li t i t I
t r ied to ente r the adj oi ning r oom bu t th e d oo r
was fast and a lth ough I heard th e old man s
heavy foo t steps i n th e r e he made no r esp o nse t o
my c a lls There was no fi r e o n th e h earth so I
made one a nd l a y ing !si c! d own before it with m y
o ve r coat u nder m y h ead p r epa r ed m y self fo r sleep
P r ett y soon th e door which I h ad t r ied silentl y
op ened an d the o ld man cam e in ca rry ing a can
dl e I spoke to hi m pleasantl y apologizing fo r
m y int r usi on b ut h e took n o notice o f m e H e
b
h
i
o
e
e
se
ar
chin
for
s
o
eth
ing
thou
h
s
e
m
d
m
t
e
s
g
g
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S OM E
HA UN TE D H o US E S
277
.
ye s were u nm oved i n th ei r sockets I wonde r if
h e eve r walks i n his sleep ! H e to o k a ci r cuit a
pa r t of th e w ay rou nd th e room and the n wen t
Twice m ore before
o u t th e s a me wa y he cam e i n
I slept he cam e back into th e room acti ng precis ely
th e s ame way and depa r ting as at fi r st I n th e
intervals I h e a rd him t r amping all over th e h ou se
his footsteps disti nctly audibl e i n th e pauses o f
the sto r m Whe n I woke i n th e m o r ni ng h e had
”
alread y gone o u t
M r M ar en attem pted som e fu r ther que s tioning
b ut was unabl e l onge r to rest rain the famil y s
tongues ; t he sto ry o f D e lu se s death and bu r ial
came out g r e a tl y t o t h e go o d mi niste r s asto nish
m ent
“
Th e expl a na t ion of y o u r adventu r e i s very
simple said M r Maren
I don t believe o ld
D eluse walks i n his sleep— not i n his pre se nt
—
but y ou evidentl y d ream i n yo urs
o ne
And to this view o f th e m a tter M r Galbra it h
was c o mpelled reluctantl y to assent
N eve r theless a late h ou r o f th e next night
found these two gentlemen acc o mpani ed b y a
in th e r oad i n f r ont o f the
so n of th e m iniste r
There was a light i nside ; it
o ld D eluse h ouse
appea r ed now at o ne wi ndow and n o w at another
T h e three m en adv a nced to the d o or
J u s t as
they r eached it th ere came from th e i nte r io r a
confusion of the most appalling sounds— the clash
of weapons steel a gainst s teel sha r p expl o si o n s
e
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2 78
CA N S UCH T H IN GS B E ?
as o f fire a rm s sh r ieks of women g ro ans and th e
cu r se s o f men i n c ombat ! The i nvestigato r s s t o od
a m om ent irre s ol ute f r ightened Th en M r Gal
I t was fast But the
b ra i th t r ied th e doo r
m inister wa s a m an o f co u r age a man mo r eove r
o f Herculean st r ength
H e retired a p a ce o r two
a nd rush ed against th e d oo r st r iking it with his
right sh oulde r and bu rsting it f r om the hinges with
a loud crash I n a m om ent th e th r ee we r e inside
Da rkness and silence ! The o nly s ound w as the
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beating of th ei r h earts
M r M a r en had p r ovided h i mself wi t h match es
and a candl e With some di ffic ult y begotte n o f
h is excitem ent h e m ad e a light and the y pr o
ce e d e d to expl o r e th e place passing f r om r o om to
r o om E ve ry thi ng w a s i n o r de r l y a r rangement
as it had been left b y the sh e r i ff ; n ot hing had been
distu rbed A ligh t coati ng of d us t w a s eve rywh e r e
A back doo r w as pa r tl y open as i f b y neglect
and th ei r fi r st th o ught was that the autho r s o f the
awful revel ry m ight have escaped Th e d oo r w a s
o pened and th e light of the c a ndle th r own th r ough
u pon th e grou nd The expi r ing e ffo r t o f the p r e
vi o n s night s sto r m had been a light fall o f snow ;
the r e we r e n o footp r i nts ; th e white su r face was
u nb r oken They closed the d oor and ente r ed th e
last room o f th e fou r that th e h o use contai ned
that fa r thest f r om th e r oad in an a ngl e of th e
building H e r e the candle in M r M a r en s hand
w a s suddenly extinguished as b y a d r augh t o f air
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A F R U IT
LE S S
A S S IG N M E N T
.
H E NRY S AYLO R wh o was killed i n Covington
Ky i n a qua rr el with Antonio Fi nch was once a
repo r ter o n the Ci nci nnati Com m er ci a l I n the
y ea r 1 8 5 9 a vacant dwelling o n Vi ne St r eet in
Cincinnati became the c ente r o f a local excite
ment because o f the st r ange sights and sounds
said to be obse r ved i n it nightl y Acco r ding to
th e testimon y of many r eputable r esid ents of th e
vicinit y th ese we r e i nconsistent with an y othe r
h y pothesis than that th e house was h aunted
Figu r es with something singula r l y u nfamilia r
a bout the m we r e seen b y c r owds on th e sid ewalk
to pass in and o ut N o on e c ould say j ust wh e r e
t he y appeared up o n th e open lawn on thei r way
to the f r ont door b y which the y ente r ed no r at
exactly what poi nt the y vanished as the y came
o u t ; o r r ath e r wh ile each spectato r was positive
enough abou t these matte r s n o two ag r eed
The y we r e all simila r l y at va r iance i n th ei r de
Some of th e
scri pt i o n s of th e figu r es th emselves
bolder of th e cu r i ous th r ong ventu r ed o n seve r al
evenings to stand upon th e doo r steps to inte r
cept th e ghostl y visito r s or get a n ea r e r look at
them These c o u ra ge o us m en it w a s said we r e
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2 80
,
S OM E
HA UN T E D H O U S E S
I
.
u nable to fo r ce the doo r b y thei r united st r ength
and i nva r iabl y we r e hu rled f r om t h e st e p s b y
some invisible agenc y and seve r el y i nj u r e d ; t h e
doo r immediatel y afte r wa r d o pe ni ng a ppa r e n tly
o f its own volition to ad m it o r f re e so m e g h o s t ly
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guest The d w ellin g w a s k n o w n as t h e R o s so e
house a fa m il y of t h at nam e havi ng l i v e d t h e r e
fo r some y e a rs and then one b y one d i sapp e a r ed
th e l a st to leave b e in g an o ld woman Sto r ies o f
fo ul pla y and successive m u r de r s had alway s been
r ife but neve r we r e authenticated
One da y du r ing th e p r evalence o f the excite
ment Say lo r p r esented h imself at the o ffice of th e
Com m er ci a l fo r or de r s
He was h anded a n ote
f r om the cit y edito r wh ich r ead as follows : G o
and pass th e night al one i n th e haun ted h ouse o n
Vine St r eet and if an y thing occ u r s wo r th while
make two col um ns
Sa y l o r obe y ed his supe r io r ;
h e could n ot a ffo r d to lose his positi o n o n th e
pape n
App r isi ng th e police o f his i ntention h e e ffected
an ent rance th r ough a r ea r wi nd ow befo r e da r k
walked th r ough th e d ese r ted r o oms ba r e o f
furnitu r e dust y and d esolate and seating hi msel f
at last i n the pa r lor o n an old sofa wh ich h e had
d ragged i n f r om an othe r r oom watch ed the deep
e n i n g of th e gloom as night cam e on
Befo r e it
was altogethe r da r k th e c ur ious c r owd had co l
le ct e d in the st r eet silent as a r ule and expect
ant with he r e and the r e a sco fl e r utte r i ng hi s
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2 82
CA N S U CH
T HIN GS B E ?
i nc r ed u lity and cou r age with sc o r nful r ema rks o r
r ibald c r ies None knew of the anxious watcher
inside H e fea r ed t o make a light ; t h e u n cu r
t a i n e d windows would h ave bet r a y ed his p r esence
subj ecting h im to insult possibl y to i nj u ry
M o r eover h e w a s too consci entiou s to do an y
thing to enfeeble his imp r essions and u nwilling
to alter an y o f th e customa ry c onditions u nde r
which the mani festations we r e said to occu r
I t was now quite da r k but ligh t f ro m th e street
f a intly illuminated th e pa r t o f the r oom that
h e was i n H e h ad se t open eve ry d oor i n th e
whole i nte r io r above and below but all th e outer
o nes we r e locked and bolted Sudden exclama
ti o ns fr o m the c r owd c a used h i m to sp r ing to th e
window and l o o k o u t H e saw th e figu r e o f a
man m oving r a pidly acros s the l awn towa r d th e
b uilding— saw it ascend th e step s ; th en a p roj ec
ti o n o f th e wall c o ncealed it Th e r e was a n oise
a s o f th e o pening a nd clo s ing o f the hall do o r ; he
hea r d quick heavy fo o tsteps al o ng the pas s age
heard th em a scend th e sta irs— heard th em on th e
u nca r pe t ed fl oo r o f t h e chamber im mediately
ove rh ead
Say lor pr o mptly d rew his pistol and g r oping
h i s wa y up t h e stai r s ente r ed th e ch ambe r diml y
lighted fr o m th e street N o one was the r e H e
h e ar d f oo t s teps i n a n adj oining r oom and ente r ed
th a t I t was black da r k and silent H e st r uck
h i s foot ag a ins t so m e o bj ect o n t he flo or knelt by
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CA N S UCH
T HIN GS
BE?
Ca r efull y p utting awa y h is p i stol which all
the time h e had h eld i n h i s hand he went to the
windows and looked out The street w as d e
se rt e d and silent ; th e lamps we r e extinguished
the r oofs and ch i mne y s of the houses we r e sh a r pl y
o u tlined agai nst the dawn ligh t i n the east H e
left the h o use th e doo r y ielding easil y to h is
h and and walked to the Com m er ci a l o ffice T h e
—
cit y edito r was still i n h is o ffice asleep Sa y l o r
waked hi m and said quietl y : I h ave been at the
h aunted ho use
The edito r sta r ed blankl y as if not wh oll y
“
awake
G o od God ! he c r ied a r e y ou Sa y
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lo r P
Y es
n ot ?
The edito r made no answe r b ut c onti nued
st ar i ng
“
—
I passed the night the r e i t see m s
Sa y lo r
The y say that things we r e u nco mm o nl y quiet
out the r e the edito r said t r ifling with a pape r
weigh t upon which h e had dropped his eyes
did an y thing o cc u r ?
“
N othing whateve r
wh y
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T H E T H ING A T
NO LAN
.
the so uth of whe r e the road between Lee s
ville and H a r d y i n th e State of M issou r i c r osses
th e E ast Fo r k of M a y C r eek stands an ab a ndon ed
h ouse N obod y has lived i n it since the su m mer
of 1 8 7 9 and it is fast goi ng to pieces For some
th r ee y ea r s befo r e the date mentioned it was oc en
pied b y th e famil y o f Cha rles M ay f r om one o f
whose ancesto r s th e c r eek n ea r which it stands
took its na m e M r M a y s famil y consisted of a
wife an ad ult so n and two y oung gi rls Th e
—
a
son s name w s J oh n th e nam es of th e d a u g h
te r s a r e unknown to th e w r ite r of this sketch
J oh n M ay was of a m o r ose and su rl y disposi
tion n ot easil y m ove d to ange r but h avin g an
uncom m on gift o f sullen im placable h a te H i s
fathe r was quite othe rwise of a su nn y j ovial dis
position but with a quick hot tem pe r like a su d
den flame which kindled i n a wisp of st r aw co n
su m es it i n a flash and is n o m o r e H e che r ish ed
no r esent m ents and h is ange r gone w a s quick to
make ove r tu r es fo r r econciliati o n
H e had a
b r oth e r living nea r b y wh o was unlike h i m i n
r espect of all this and i t was a cu rr ent witticism
i n the ne i ghbo rhood that J oh n had inhe r ited h is
dis position f r om h is uncle
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8
as
2 86
CA IV S U CH
T H I N GS
BE ?
One day a misunderstanding ar o se between
father and so n harsh wo r ds ens u ed and the
father st r uck th e so n full in the face with h is fist
J ohn quietl y wiped awa y th e blood that followed
the blow fixed his e y es upon the al r e a d y penitent
“
o ffende r a nd said with cold composu re Y o u will
die fo r that
Th e wo r ds we r e ove r h ea r d by tw o b ro thers
named J acks o n w h o were approachi ng th e m en
at the mom ent ; but seeing th em engaged i n
a quar r el th ey retired appa r entl y u nobse rved
Cha r les M a y afterwa r d r elated the unfo r tunate
occu rr ence to hi s wife and explained that h e had
apologized t o th e s o n for th e hast y blow but
with o ut avail ; th e y o u ng m a n n ot o nl y rej ected
his ove r tu r es b u t refused to with d ra w his terr ible
th reat Neve r theless th ere w as n o O pen r uptu r e
r elations J oh n c ontin ued livi ng with th e
of
f a mily and things went o n very m uch as bef o re
O ne Sunday morning i n J u ne 1 8 7 9 about two
weeks after wh a t has been related Ma y senior
left th e h o u s e im mediately after breakfast taking
a spade H e said h e w a s goi ng t o make an
excavatio n at a certai n spring in a wo o d about a
mile a way so that th e cattle could obtai n water
J oh n r emained in th e h ouse for som e hou rs
vari o usly o ccu pi e d i n shaving him self w r iting
lette r s and r eading a newspape r H is manner
—
ve
ry
nea
r
l
y
what
it
usuall
y
was
pe rhaps h e
was
was a t ri fle m o re s ul l en a nd su rly
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2 88
S U CH
CA N
T H I N GS B E ?
s uch a ction at an y ti me as th e circ u m sta nce s
might s eem to wa r rant
On Wednesday all was changed F r om th e
town o f Nolan eight miles awa y came a story
which put a quite di ffe r ent aspect upon the m atter
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Nolan consists of a sch oolh ouse a blacksmith s
shop a sto r e
and a h alf d oze n dwellings
The sto r e was kept b y o ne H en ry Odell a co usi n
of the elde r M ay O n th e afte r noon of the Su n
da y o f M a y s disappea r ance M r Odell and fou r of
his neighbo r s me n of credibilit y we r e sitting i n
the sto r e sm oking and talking I t w a s a wa r m
da y and both th e f r ont and the back doo r we r e
open At abo ut th r ee o clock Cha r les M ay who
w a s well known t o th ree of them ente r ed at th e
f r ont doo r and passed o ut at th e rea r H e was
witho ut h at o r coat He did n o t look at th em
no r r eturn thei r g r eeting a ci r cum stance which
did n ot su r p r ise fo r h e w a s evidentl y se r iously
h u r t Above th e left e y eb r ow w a s a wound — a
deep gash f r om which th e blood had flowed
cove r ing th e wh ol e l eft side of th e face and neck
and satu r ating h is light g r a y sh i r t Oddly enough
th e th ought uppe r m ost i n the minds o f all was
th a t h e had been figh ting and was going to the
b r ook t h at ran di r ectly back of the sto r e to wash
himsel f
Pe r haps th e r e was a feeling o f delicac y— a
b a ckwoods etiquette which r est r ained th em f r om
f ollo w i n g h i m t o offer as sis tan ce ; t he co u r t rec
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f
S OM E
HA UN T E D H O US E S
89
.
o rds f ro m which m ainl y th i s narrat ive is dr a w n
are s ilent a s t o an y thi n g bu t th e fact Th ey
waited for him to ret u r n bu t h e did not re t urn
B o rdering th e br oo k behind t h e s t or e is a f o res t
extending for si x m iles b a ck t o th e M edici n e
Lodge H ills A s s oon a s it becam e known i n th e
neighb o rh oo d o f th e m is s ing m a n s dwelling s
tha t he had been seen i n Nolan th ere wa s a
marked a ltera t i o n i n p ublic sentime n t a nd feeling
Th e vigilance c o m mittee went o u t o f exi s tenc e
with out th e fo r malit y o f a re so l ution Search
a l o ng the w oo ded b o tt o m l a nds o f M ay C r eek
was stopped a nd ne ar l y the enti r e male pO pu la
tion of th e regi on too k to be at ing th e b ush ab o u t
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N olan an d i n th e M edici n e Lodge H ills B ut
the mi s sing m a n was n o t fo u nd
O ne o f th e st r anges t circ u mstance s o f t h is
s trange c as e i s th e formal i ndictment a nd t r ial o f
a man fo r m u rder o f o ne wh o s e b o d y n o h u man
being pr o fessed to ha ve seen — o ne n ot kn o wn to be
dead We are all m ore or le ss f a m ilia r with th e
vaga r ies a nd eccentricities o f f r ontier law b ut th is
i nstance it is thought is uniqu e H oweve r th at
m ay be it is o f rec or d that o n r ecove r ing fro m
his illne ss J oh n Ma y was i ndicted fo r th e m u r der
o f h is missing fathe r
C o u nsel fo r the d efense
appea r s not to have dem u rr ed and th e case w a s
t r ied o n i t s m e r its The pr o secution was spi r it
less and pe r funct ory ; th e d efense easil y estab
li sh e d— with r ega r d t o the deceased — a n a li bi
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CA N
2 90
S U CH
T H I N GS B E ?
I f d uri ng t h e t i m e i n which J o h n M a y m ust h a v e
k illed Cha rl es M ay if h e h ad killed h im at all
Charles M ay was m ile s away f ro m where J o h n
Ma y m u s t h ave been i t i s plai n th at t he dece as ed
m us t h ave com e to hi s d eath a t t h e h a nd s o f
so me o ne else
J o hn M a y w a s a cqui t ted im m edi at ely left th e
cou nt ry and ha s never been h ea r d o f f r om th a t
day Sh o rt ly afterward h is m other a nd si s te r s
rem oved to St Louis The farm havi ng p ass ed
i n t o the po ss essi o n o f a m a n wh o o wn s th e l a nd
a dj oi ni ng and h as a dwelling o f h i s o wn th e M a y
h o use has ever si nce been vacan t a nd h as t h e
so mber r eputation o f bei ng h a u nted
O ne day i n September 1 8 7 9 d i r ect ly a fter t h e
M a y family had left the cou nt ry s o m e b oy s play
i ng i n the woods a long M ay Creek f o u nd c o n
ce a le d unde r a m ass o f dead leaves b u t partly
expo s ed b y th e r ooting of h o g s a s p a de ne arly
new and quite b r igh t except a spo t o n o n e edge
which was ru sted and stained with blo o d The
i mplemen t h ad th e i nitials C M cu t i n to t h e
handle
Th is discove ry renewed i n som e degree the
public excitem ent o f a few m onths bef o re The
ea r th near th e spot whe r e the spade was found
w a s ca r efull y examined a nd th e result w a s th e
fi nding o f th e dead body of a man I t had been
b u r ied under tw o o r th ree fee t o f soil and th e spot
c o vered with a layer of dead le a ve s a nd t wigs
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B O D IE S
O F T HE
T H A T O F G R ANNY
D E AD
M A GO N E
.
.
A B O UT ten mile s to the so utheast of Whites
bu r g Ky i n a little cove of the C umbe r land
m ou ntains lived fo r m an y y ea r s an o ld woman
named Sa r ah ( o r M a ry ) M agone H e r house built
o f logs and containi ng but two r ooms was a m ile
and a half distant f r om an y othe r i n th e wildest
pa r t o f th e c o ve e nti r el y su r r ounded b y fo r est
except o n one sid e wh e r e a little field o r
“
patch o f a bout a h alf-acre served h e r fo r a
vegetable ga r den H ow sh e s ubsisted n obod y
exactl y knew ; sh e was r eputed to be a m iser with
a concealed h oard ; sh e ce r tainl y paid for what
few ar ticles sh e pr o cured o n her r a r e visi t s to th e
village store M any o f h er ign orant neighbo r s
believed her t o be a witch o r tho ught at least
that sh e possessed som e kind of supe r natu ra l
powe r s I n Novembe r 1 8 8 1 sh e died and fo rt u
th e bod y w a s fou nd while y et
na t e ly en o ugh
wa r m b y a passing h unte r wh o locked th e doo r
of the cabin a nd conve y ed the news to the n eare st
s ettlement
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CA N S UCH
94
T H IN GS
EE e
Several perso n s living i n th e vicinity at o nce
wen t to the cabi n to prep ar e for her burial ;
o th er s were to follow the next d a y with a
c o ffi n a nd wh a tever else wa s n eedful Among
th o se w h o fi rst went wa s th e Rev E li a s A t ney
a M ethodist mi niste r o f Wh itesbu r g wh o h ap
pened to be in the neighbo rh o o d visiti ng a r ela
t i o n H e w a s to conduct the funeral s ervice s
o n th e following d ay M r A t n ey is o r wa s wel l
kn o wn i n Whitesb ur g and all that c o u ntry a s a
g oo d a nd pi ous man of good bi r th and ed u c a ti o n
H e w a s clo s el y related t o th e Mars hall s a nd
severa l o ther f a milies o f disti nction I t is f ro m
him th a t th e particula r s h e r e related we r e le a rned ;
a nd th e a cc o u nt is confi r med b y th e a ffidavit s
of J o h n H ersh a w William C W ri g h t m an and
Cath a rin e D o ub re s iden t s o f the vici n ity a nd
eye -wi t nesse s
“
Th e body o f Granny M agon e h a d bee n
laid ou t o n a wid e plank su ppo r ted by tw o
ch a i r s a t t h e end o f t h e p r i n cip a l room o pp o site
the fi r eplace and th e pers o n s m entioned were
“
acting a s watch ers acc ording t o the local cu s
tom A bright fi r e o n th e hearth lighted o n e end
o f th e room b r illiantl y
the other dimly Th e
watchers sat a bout th e fi re talking i n subd ued
tone s when a sudden n oise in the di r ection of the
corpse caused them a ll to tu r n and lo o k I n a
black shadow n ea r th e r emains they saw two
glowing eyes s ta r ing fixedly ; a nd bef o re t hey
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A
L IGH T
S L E E PE R
.
J O HN H OS KIN living i n San Fra ncisc o h a d a
beautiful wife t o whom he was devotedl y at
t a ch e d
I n the spring o f 1 8 7 1 M r s H oskin went
E ast to visit h er relations i n Sp r ingfield Ill
wh e r e a week a fter her ar r ival sh e suddenly died
o f some disease o f th e h ea r t ; a t least th e ph y si
ci a n said so
M r Hoski n was at once apprised o f
h is loss b y teleg raph and h e di r ected that the
bod y be sent t o San Francisco On a rr ival th e r e
the m etallic case c ontai ning the r emains w as
opened Th e body w a s l y ing on th e righ t side
the r ight hand under th e cheek the oth er o n th e
b r east Th e posture was th e pe r fectly n a tural o ne
o f a sleeping child and in a lette r t o the deceased
lad y s fath e r M r M a r ti n L Whitney o f Spring
field M r H oskin expressed a g rateful s ense o f
th e th oughtfulne s s that had so compo s ed th e
remains as to s ofte n th e suggesti on o f death T o
h is su r p r ise h e lea r ned f r om the father th at noth
ing o f the kind had bee n done : th e body had
been put i n th e casket i n the c ustoma ry way
l y ing on the back with the a r ms extended a long
the sides I n the meantime the casket had been
deposited i n the receiving vault at Lau r el H ill
Cemete ry a waiting th e completi o n o f a to mb
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2
96
B ODIE S
T HE
OF
D E AD
297
.
Gre a tl y disquieted b y th is revelati o n H o ski n
did n ot at once reflect that th e eas y a nd natu r al
posture and pl a cid expressi on precl uded th e idea
o f su s pended ani mation s ubsequ ent r evival and
eventual death by su ffocati o n H e i nsisted that
his wife had been m u r dered b y medic a l i nco m
e
n
t
e
and
h
eedless
haste
U
nde
r
the
i
nfluence
c
p
y
o f this feeling he w r ote t o M r
Whitney a gai n
exp r essing i n passionate term s h is h o rr o r and
renewed g r ief Som e da y s afterward s o m eone
having suggested that th e casket had been opened
en r ou t e p r obabl y i n
th e h ope o f pl unde r and
poi nting out t he i mp o ssibilit y o f t he ch ange h a v
i ng occ ur r ed i n th e straiten ed space o f th e c o n
fi ning metal i t was resolved to r eope n i t
Rem oval of th e lid disclosed a ne w h o rror : th e
body now lay upon its lef t side The position
w a s c r amped and t o a livi ng per so n w o uld have
been u ncom fo r table The face w o re an exp r es
si o n o f pain Som e c ostly r i ngs on the finge r s
we r e undistu r bed Ove r c ome b y hi s em oti ons
to which was now added a sharp if m istaken
r emo r se M r H oski n l ost hi s r eason d y ing y e ars
afte r wa r d i n the as y lu m at Stockton
A ph y sician having been summoned to a ssist i n
clea r i ng up the myste r y vi ewed th e bod y o f th e
dead woman p r onou nced li fe obvi o usl y exti nct
and o r de red the casket closed fo r the th i r d and
“
last time
Obvi ousl y extinct
i ndeed : th e
corp s e had in fact been embalm ed at Sp r in g field
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T HE
MY S T E RY O F C H AR L E S
FAR ! U H A R S O N
.
nigh t i n th e s u m mer of 1 84 3 Willi a m
Ha y ner Gord on of Philadelph ia lay i n his bed
“
reading Goldsm ith s Tra vele r by t h e light o f
a candle I t was about eleven o cl ock
Th e
room w a s i n the third sto ry o f th e h o use and had
two windows looking out upon Che s tn ut St r eet ;
there w a s no balcon y noth ing below the wi ndows
b ut other windows i n a sm ooth b r ick wall
Becomi ng d r owsy Gordon laid awa y his book
extinguished h is candle and c omp os ed h imself to
sleep A m o m ent late r ( as h e a fte r wa r d ave rr ed )
h e r emembe r ed that h e had neglected t o place
h is w a tch within r each and rose i n th e da rk to
get it f ro m the pocket o f hi s w a is t c oat which h e
had h ung o n th e back of a chai r o n th e opposite
side o f th e r o om nea r o ne of th e windows I n
c r ossing h is foot came in c o ntact with som e
heav y obj ect and he was th r own to th e floo r
Rising h e st r uck a match and lighted his candle
I n th e center of th e room lay th e c o rpse o f a
man
G or d on was n o c o w a rd a s h e a fterwa r d pr o ved
by h is gallant de a th upon the enemy s parapet
O NE
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2 98
CA N S UCH T HIN GS B E 2
0
°
3
t ime w a s sai d to h a ve occ u r red on th e ve ry nigh t
o f the adventu r e
He w r ote fo r fu r ther pa r ti e
u la rs with especial refe r ence to what dispositio n
had been mad e o f F a rq u h a rso n s bod y
”
Y o u know h e tu r ned Pa r see w r ote Ritcher
i n r epl y ; so his naked remain s were exposed o n
the g r ating of th e Tower of Silence a s those o f
a ll go o d Pa r sees a r e I s aw th e b uzza r d s fighti ng
for th em a n d g o rging th emselve s helpless o n hi s
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”
fragments
On som e p r etense G o rd on and his f r iend s
obtained au t h o r it y to open th e dead man s g r ave
Th e co flfin h ad evidentl y n ot bee n distu rbed
The y u nsc r ewed th e lid Th e sh r oud was a trifle
m oldy There w a s n o b o dy n o r a ny ve s tige o f
o ne
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’
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“
D E AD A N D
GO N E
.
t he m o rning o f th e 1 4 t h d ay o f August
1 87 2
Ge o rge J Reid a young m an o f twent y
o n e ye a rs living at X enia O
fell while walking
across the dining room i n his f a ther s h ouse The
fam il y consisted o f h i s father mothe r two sisters
a nd a c ousi n a bo y of fi fteen All were p r esent
a t th e breakfast t a ble
Geo r ge ente r ed th e
r o om but i nstead of taking h is acc u s tomed s ea t
ne a r th e do o r b y wh ich h e had e nte r ed passed it
and went obliquely t o wa r d o ne o f the windows
with what pu rpose n o o ne kn o w s H e h ad passed
th e table b ut a few s t eps wh en h e fell h eavil y t o
ON
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th e floor and did not agai n breath e The body
wa s ca rr ied into a bed r oom and after vai n e ffo r ts
a t resuscitati on b y th e st r icken f a mil y left l y ing
o n the bed with composed limbs and cove r ed face
I n th e m eantim e th e bo y h ad been h astily dis
patched for a ph y sician w h o ar r ived som e twent y
m i n utes after th e death H e afterwa r d remem
be r ed as an u ncom m on ci r c u mstance that wh en h e
ar r ived the weeping relati on s— fath er m other
and two siste r s— we r e all i n the r oom o u t o f
which th e bed r oom d oor opened and that the
door w a s cl o sed There was n o oth er d oo r to the
bedr oo m Th is d oo r w as at o n ce o pene d b y the
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CA N S U CH T H IN GS E E e
0
2
3
fa ther o f t h e dece a sed a nd as th e phy s ici a n
p a ssed th rough i t he obse r ved th e dead man s
cl o thing lyin g i n a heap o n th e floor H e saw
to o the o utlines o f the body u n der th e sheet th at
h a d been th ro wn o ve r it ; a nd th e profile w a s
plainl y discernible u nder th e face cl oth clear-c u t
and sh a rp as pr o files o f th e dead see m alwa y s t o
be H e a pproached and lifted the cloth There
was no thing t here H e pulled a way th e sheet
N othing
The famil y had f o llowed hi m i nt o th e r oo m
At this astonish ing discove ry— i f so it m ay be
called — th e y lo oked a t o ne anoth er at th e ph y si
ca n a t th e bed i n speech less amazement fo r get
ting to weep A m oment later th e th ree ladies
requi r ed th e ph y sician s c ar e Th e fathe r s c o n
diti on was but little bette r ; h e sto o d i n a s tupor
m uttering in a rticulatel y and st ar ing like an idiot
Having r estored th e ladies t o a sense o f thei r
s u rr oundings the ph y sician went to the wi nd o w
th e onl y one the ro om had opening upo n a gar
den It was locked o n th e i nside with th e u sual
fastening attached to the bott o m bar o f th e upper
sash and engaging with th e lower
N o i nquest was held — there was nothi ng to
h old it on ; but th e ph y sician and m an y oth er s
w h o were c u r ious a s to this o ccu rrence made th e
most sea r ch ing i nvestigati on i nto all the ci r cum
stances ; all with out r esult Geo rge Reid was
“
dead and gone and th at is all th a t is known to
this d ay
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CA N
0
3 4
S UCH
T H IN GS B E ?
a nd i n i ts beard and hai r
Som e Christi a n s oul
had covered it with a blanket b ut when th e
nigh t became prett y sha r p a comp a ni on o f th e
w r iter r em oved this and we l ay bene a th i t o u r
selves
With the excepti on o f o u r picke t s wh o h a d
been posted well out i n f r on t o f th e embankment
every m a n lay silent C o nve rs ation w a s forbid
den to h ave made a fi re o r even st r uck a match
to ligh t a pipe would h ave been a g r ave offense
Stamping h orses m o a ning wou nded— every thing
that made a n oise had been s ent to th e r e a r ; th e
silence was a bsol u t e Th ose whom the chill pre
vented fr o m sleeping neve r theless r eclined as
th e y shivered or sa t with th eir hands o n th ei r
a r ms su ffering but m aking n o sign E veryone
had l o s t f r iends and a ll expected death on th e
m o rr ow These matte r s a re mentioned t o sh ow
the improbabilit y of a nyone going about d uring
th ose solem n h o ur s to commit a gh astly practic a l
j oke
Whe n t h e d a wn broke th e sky w a s s til l cle a r
We shall h a ve a warm da y the writer s co m
pani o n whispered as we rose i n t h e g r ay light
let s give back th e poor devil h is bl a nket
The sergeant s bod y la y in th e sam e place tw o
y ards awa y But not i n the same attitude I t
Th e knee s were d r awn
w a s upo n it s right sid e
up ne ar ly t o th e breast both hands thrus t to th e
w r ist be t ween t h e b uttons o f the j a cke t t h e
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'
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B OD IE S
OF
T HE
D E AD
.
3 5
0
c o llar o f wh ich wa s tu rned up c o nce a ling t h e
ears The s h o ulders were elev a ted th e he a d w as
retracted the chi n rested o n th e collar b o ne
Th e p os tu re was t h a t o f o ne s u ffe r ing from
intense cold B ut fo r wha t had been previ ously
—
o bserved but for the gh as tly evidence o f the
b ullet-h o le o ne m ight h a ve t h ou gh t th e m an
h ad died o f cold
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fl
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CR E AT U R E
A
O F H AB IT
.
H awley s Bar a m ining c a m p ne a r Vi rgini a
Cit y M o nt a gambler nam ed Hen ry G r aham
“
but comm onl y kn own a s Gra y H a nk m et a
mine r named D r eyfuss o ne d ay with whom h e
h a d had a dispute the previ o us nigh t abo u t a
game o f c ar ds and asked him i nto a b a rroom to
h a ve a d r ink The u nfo rtu nate m iner taking thi s
as a n ove rt u r e o f peace gladl y accepted They
st o o d a t th e c o unter and whil e D re y fuss w as i n
the act of d r inking G r aham sh ot him d e a d Thi s
Withi n an h ou r a fter th e m urder
w a s in 1 8 6 5
Gra h a m was i n the h a nds o f t h e vigilan t es and
t hat evening a t su nset after a fai r i f inf o rm a l
trial h e was hanged to the limb o f a tree which
grew upon a little emi nence within s igh t o f th e
wh ole cam p Th e o rigi nal intention h a d been to
st r i ng him up a s is c ustoma ry i n such a ffai r s ;
a nd with a vi ew to that oper a tion th e l o ng r o pe
had been th r own o ver th e limb wh ile a d o zen
pai rs o f hand s we r e ready to h o ist aw ay F o r
so m e reason thi s plan w as ab a nd o ned ; the fre e
end o f th e rope wa s made fa st to a bush and the
victim com pelled to stand on th e b a ck of a h o rse
wh ich at the cu t o f a whip spran g fr o m un der
’
AT
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°
9
3
0
8
3
CA N S U CH T H I N GS B E ?
Spier wh o with two o th er ph y sicians had p r o
n o u nce d th e man dead and had been reti r ing to
th e camp He m oved as di r ectl y towa r d th e dead
m an as th e now somewhat less rapid and e rr atic
m ovements of the latte r would pe r mit an d seized
h im i n his arms E ncou raged b y th is a sco r e of
men s prang sh outing to the free end o f th e r ope
which h a d not been d ra wn enti r el y over the limb
and laid h o ld o f it i ntending t o make a fi n ish o f
their w or k They ran with it towa r d the b ush to
which it h ad been fastened but the r e was no re
si st a nce ; the physician h ad cu t it f r om the m ur
I n a mom ent th e bod y was l y in g
de re r s neck
o n its back with c o m posed limbs and face u p
tu r ned to the kindling sta r s i n the m oti onless
ri g i dity app r op r iate to death The hanging had
—
bee n done well enough th e neck w a s b r oken
“
Th e dead a r e c r eatu r es o f habit said D r
“
Spie r
A co r pse which when on its feet will
walk a nd r u n wi l l lie s t ill when pl a ced on its
b ac k
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MY S T E R IO U S
D IS A PPE A R
A NC E S
T H E D IF F IC U L T Y
”
.
OF C R O S S ING A FIE L D
.
m o rning i n J ul y 1 8 54 a plante r n a med
Williamso n living six m iles f r om Selma Ala w as
sitting with h is wife and a ch ild o n th e ve r anda
of his dwelling I m m ediately i n f r ont of th e
h ouse w a s a lawn pe rh aps fi ft y y a rds i n extent
between th e h ouse and p ublic r oad o r as it was
called th e pike
Be y ond th is ro a d la y a close
c r opped pastu r e of som e ten ac r es l evel and
witho ut a t r ee r ock or an y natu r al or a r tificial
obj ect on its su r face At the tim e th ere was not
even a d omestic animal i n th e fi eld I n another
field be y ond the pastu r e a dozen slaves we r e at
wo r k u nder an ove r seer
Th r owing away the stum p o f a ciga r th e
planter r ose sa y ing
I fo r got to tell Andrew
about those ho r ses
And r ew was the ove r see r
Williamson st r olled leisu r el y d own th e g r avel
walk plucking a flowe r as h e went passed ac r o ss
th e r oad and in t o the p a stu r e pausing a m omen t
a s h e closed the gate leading i nt o it t o g r ee t a
O NE
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09
3
CA N S UCH T H I N GS B E e
31 o
passing neighbo r M r Arm ou r Wren w h o l ived
M r Wren was i n an
o n th e adj oining plantati on
open ca rr iage with his so n J ames a lad o f thirteen
When h e had d r iven som e two h u ndred y a r ds
f r om the poi nt o f meeting M r Wren said to his
so n :
I fo rgot to tell Mr William s on about th ose
h or s es
M r W r en had sold M r Willi a ms o n so me h or ses
wh ich were to h ave been sent fo r that day but
fo r some r eason not now remembe r ed it would be
i nconvenient to d eliver them u ntil th e m o r r ow
Th e coach man was di r ected to d r ive back an d a s
th e vehicle tu r ned Williamson was seen b y all
th r ee walking leisu r el y ac r oss th e pastu r e At
that moment o n e of th e coach h orse s stu mbled
a nd c a m e nea r falling I t had n o m o r e than
fai r l y recovered itself wh en J ames Wren c r ied :
Wh y fath er wh a t h as bec o m e o f M r Willi a m
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so n
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?
I t is n o t the purpose o f t his n a rra tive t o a n
swe r that question
M r W r en s accou nt o f th e m atter give n u nder
oath i n th e cou r se of legal proceedings rel at ing t o
the Williams o n est a te i s a s f o llows
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’
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,
,
M y son s exclamatio n cau sed m e to lo ok
towa r d the spot whe r e I had seen the deceased
c
r
s
i
an
instant
befo
r
e
but
h
e
was
n
ot
there
n
o
! !
I cann ot say that at
w as he an y wh e r e visible
th e m oment I was g r eatl y sta r tled or r ealized the
’
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CA N
2
1
3
S UCH
T H IN GS B E ?
c o mpe t ent to t estify The b oy J a mes Wren h a d
d e la re d at fi r st that h e sa w the disappearance
bu t t here i s n othing o f th i s i n h is testim o n y given
i n cou r t None o f the hand s w o rking in th e fi eld
t o which Williams o n was g o ing h ad s een him at
a ll and th e m ost rigor o us search o f th e entire
plantatio n a nd adj o i ning c o unt ry failed to a fford
a clew
The m ost m onstrous and grotesque
fictions o r igi n a ti ng with th e blacks we r e cu rr ent
in tha t p a r t o f th e State for man y y ea r s and p r ob
ably a re to this day ; b ut what has been h e r e
related i s a ll t ha t is cert ainly known of the matter
Th e c ourts d ecided that Williamson was d ead
a nd his est a te was dis t ribu t ed a cc o rding to l a w
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A N U N F IN IS H E D R A C E
.
J A ME S B U RNE W O R S O N was a sh oemake r w h o
lived i n Leamington Warwicksh i r e E ngland
H e had a littl e sh op i n o n e of the b y wa y s lead
i ng o ff th e road to Wa r wick I n h is h umble
sphe r e he wa s esteemed an h on est man altho ugh
like man y of his class in E nglish towns h e w a s
som ewhat addicted to d r i nk When i n liquo r h e
would make foolish wage r s On o ne o f th ese too
f r equent occasions h e was boasting of h is prowess
as a pedest r ian and athlete and the outcome w a s
a match against nat ure Fo r a stake o f one so v er
e i g n h e unde r took to r u n all the w a
to
Coventr
y
y
and back a distanc e o f som ething m o r e than
fo r t y miles This was o n th e 3d da y o f Septem
be r i n 1 8 7 3 H e se t o u t at once th e man with
wh om h e had made th e b et— wh ose nam e is not
—
r eco r ded accompanied b y Ba r ham Wise a linen
d r ape r and Ha m e rso n B u r ns a ph o t o g ra ph e r I
think following i n a ligh t ca r t o r wagon
Fo r seve ral mil es W o rso n went on ve ry well a t
an eas y gait with out appa r ent fatigue fo r h e had
r eall y g r eat powe r s of end u r ance and was n ot su ffi
T h e th r ee
ci e n t ly intoxicated t o enfeeble them
men i n t h e wagon kept a sh o r t distance i n th e
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313
CA N S UCH T HIN GS B E 9
1
3 4
rear givi n g h im o cc as i o n al friendly ch a ff o r
enc o u ragemen t as th e spi r i t moved th em Sud
d e nly — i h the very middle o f the r o adway n o t a
d o zen y a r ds from t hem a nd with t hei r e y es full
up o n him— t h e m an seemed to s tumble pitched
h e a dl o ng fo rwa r d u t tered a te r rible cry a nd
—
v a nished H e did not fall t o th e earth h e
vanished befo r e t o uching it N o t ra ce o f h im
was ever afte rwa r d discove r ed
Afte r r emaining at and a b out t h e sp o t for
s ome time with aimless i r resol ution th e three
a st o nished m en r eturn ed to Leamington told
thei r sto ry and were afte rwa r d taken i nto cus
tod y But the y were o f good standing h ad
a lwa y s been c o nside r ed tr uth ful we r e sob er at
the tim e o f th e o ccurrence and n oth ing ever tran
s pi r ed to discredit th ei r sw o r n acc o unt o f thei r
ext ra ordinary a dven t ure ; concerning th e t r uth o f
wh ich neve r theless public opini o n was divided
t h r oughout th e U nited Kingdom I f they had
s omething to c o nceal thei r ch oice of means is
ce rtainl y one o f the m os t a m a zi n g ever m a de by
sa ne h um a n being s
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3
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CA N S U CH T HI N GS B E ?
t r ail c o nspicuous ; each f o o t p r in t w a s plainl y de
fined Afte r going a little m o r e than halfwa y
pe r haps sevent y-fiv e y a r ds — th e f a the r w h o w as
i n advance halted and eleva t ing his lante r n
stood pee r ing intentl y i nto the da rkness ahead
What is th e matte r fathe r ? the gi r l asked
This was the matter : the t r ail o f th e y o ung
man had ab r uptly ended a nd all b e y ond w as
sm ooth u nbroken snow Th e last footp r ints
o n close i nspecti on were a s consp i cu ous as an y
in the line ; the ve ry nail ma rks we r e distinctly vis
ibl e M r Ash m o r e looked upwa r d shading his
e y es with his hat h eld between them and the lan
te r n The sta r s were shi ning ; the r e w a s not a
cloud in the sky ; h e was denied t h e explanati on
which had suggested itself doubtful as it would
—
have been a new snowfall with a limit so plainl y
defined Taking a wid e ci r cui t r o und the ulti
mate t r acks so as to leave them u ndistu rbed for
fu r the r examination th e m an p r oceeded t o th e
sp r ing the gi r l following weak and te rr ified
Neithe r had spoken a wo r d of what the y had
obse r ved Th e sp r ing w a s cove r ed with i ce
hou r s old
Retu r ning to th e h ouse the y noted th e a ppea r
ance o f the snow o n both sides of th e t rail its
enti r e length N o t r acks led awa y f r om it The
m o r ning ligh t sh owed n othing m o r e Smooth
spotless absol utel y unb r oken the s hallow snow
lay eve ry whe r e
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M YS T E R I O US D I S A P P E A RA N GE S
”
I
3
.
7
F o ur d ay s la t er th e grief-st ricken m o ther h er
s elf went t o the spring for wate r Sh e c a m e
back a nd rel at ed that i n passing th e spot wh e r e
t h e footprints had ended sh e had h ea r d the voice
o f h er so n and h a d bee n eage r l y calli ng to h im
wand ering about the place as sh e had fancied the
voice t o be n ow i n one directi o n n ow i n another
u ntil sh e was exh austed with fatigue and em o tion
h
e
uestioned
as
to
what
th
e
voice
had
s
aid
s
was
!
u nable to say ye t ave r red tha t the w o rd s were
pe r fectl y distinct I n a mo m ent th e entire
famil y was at the place but n o th ing was h e a rd
a nd the voice was believed to be an h all ucination
caused b y the m othe r s g r eat anxiety and h er dis
o r de r ed ne r ves B ut for m onth s afterwa r d at
i rr egular interval s o f s everal da y s th e voice w a s
h ea r d by th e va r io us m embe r s of th e famil y and
b y othe r s All decla r ed i t u nmistakabl y the
voice of Cha r les Ash m o r e all we r e ag r eed that it
seemed to com e f r om a g r eat distance faintl y y et
with pe r fect distinctness o f a r ticulati on y et
non e co uld determ ine its direction n o r r epeat its
wo r ds Th e i nte r vals of silence g r ew longe r and
l onge r the voice fainte r and fa r th e r a nd by mid
summe r i t w a s hea r d n o m o r e
I f an ybod y knows th e fate of Cha rles Ashmo r e
i t i s p r obably his m oth e r She is dead
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I n connectio n with th is subj ect of m y ste r ious
—
isa
ea
r
anc
m
em
o
r
is
sto
r
e
o f which eve r
e
d pp
d
y
y
1
3
8
CA N S U CH T H I N GS B E e
with abu ndan t example— i t is pe r tinen t t o n ot e
the belief of D r Hern of Leipsic ; not b y wa y o f
explan at i o n u nles s th e r eade r ch oose to take i t
but o n account of its int r insic i nte r est a s a
so
s ingular speculati o n T h is distinguish ed sci entis t
has expou nded hi s views i n a book entitled
Verschwinde n u nd Seine Theorie wh ich has at
“
t r acted som e a ttenti on partic ula r l y sa y s o ne
write r among th e followe r s of Hegel and math e
m a t i ci a ns w h o hold to t h e a ctual existenc e of a
s o-called n o n-E uclidean space — that i s to say o f
a s pace wh ich h a s m o re dimen sions th a n length
b r e a dth and t hicknes s — a space i n which i t woul d
be p os sible to ti e a knot i n a n endless c or d and
t o turn a rubber b a ll inside o u t withou t a solu
ti on of i ts c ontin uit y o r i n o ther w o rds withou t
”
b r eaking or cracking it
D r H e r n believes t h a t i n t h e visible w orld
th e r e a re v o id place s—i va cu a a nd something
m o re— h o les a s it were th rough which anim ate
a nd i n a nim a te obj ec t s m ay fall i nto th e i nvisible
world and be seen a nd h eard n o more The
th eory i s s o mething like thi s : Space is pervaded
b y l uminifer o u s ether which is a material thing
as m uch a subst a nce a s a i r o r wate r though al
m ost i nfinitely m o r e at te nuated All force all
fo r m s o f ene r gy m ust be p r opagated i n this ;
eve ry pr o cess m us t take place in i t which takes
place at all But let u s supp o se that cavities
ex is t i n th i s ot herwi s e u n i ve r sal m ed i u m a s
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,
CA N S U CH T H I N GS B E ?
°
2
3
b y i t s auth or i t does n o t explain and i n fac t i s
i ncompatibl e with som e incidents o f th e occu r
re n ce s r elated i n these mem or anda : f or exam ple
th e sou nd of Cha r les Ash m o re s voice
I t is
not m y d ut y to i nd u e f a c ts an d the o rie s with
a ffin i ty —A
B
,
,
,
’
.
r
.
.
T HE
E ND .