STAAR MASTER™ Student Practice Book—Reading, Grade 4
The Ghost of Blue Mud Gulch
Anita reined in her mare at the top of the hill. She
swept her hand in a grand gesture. “Welcome to Blue
Mud Gulch.”
PL
E
Carla frowned at the cluster of decaying wooden
shacks. Tumbleweeds chased each other down the dirt
streets. “I thought we were riding into town,” she said
to her cousin.
Anita grinned. “It’s a ghost town!” This has to be the most boring vacation ever,
thought Carla.
“‘Blue mud’ means ‘silver,’” Anita said. “During the 1870s, silver was mined from
here. Some gold, too. When it was mined out, everybody left. But it’s still a neat place
to explore.”
M
“Here’s the hotel,” called Anita, striding toward the only two-story building in
town. A shriveled boot poked out of the weeds along the boardwalk. Carla nudged it
aside, revealing a small, shiny rock.
“Is that gold?” she asked. Anita shrugged. “If it is, you’re rich!”
“All right!” Carla shoved the nugget into her pocket.
Wind whistled through the rickety buildings, causing them to creak and groan.
Carla heard a faint but steady thumping noise in the distance.
SA
“Imagine a stagecoach rumbling through here,” said Anita. “Sometimes I can
almost hear someone plinking on a piano.” Anita strolled into the cross streets at the
center of town, whirled, and drew imaginary pistols. Carla actually listened for the
sharp crack of gunfire. Instead, she heard the thumping again.
“What’s that noise?” she asked.
“Loose boards banging in the wind,” Anita said, holstering her “pistols.” The noise
stopped, though the wind continued to howl.
“It sounded like boots on the boardwalk,” said Carla. “Are you sure we’re alone?”
“Could be Gruesome Gus,” Anita said with a twinkle in her eye.
“You mean somebody lives here?” Carla looked at Anita doubtfully.
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Carla sighed and rode down the hill. They tied their horses to a hitching post at
the stables. Inside, hoof prints were still visible on the packed dirt floor.
STAAR MASTER™ Student Practice Book—Reading, Grade 4
“He used to. The townsfolk rescued Gus from a caved-in mine,” Anita explained.
“Later, they realized he’d gone crazy down in the dark. Maybe his ghost is still hanging
around!”
Carla snorted. “Where did you hear that?”
M
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PL
E
“Several headstones in the cemetery are about Gus,” Anita replied. “The one on his
grave reads:
“That’s awful!” Carla rolled her eyes and giggled. Then the thumping started again,
and she stopped laughing. Gus is closer, thought Carla. She followed Anita through the
saloon’s swinging doors.
SA
Cobwebs stretched from the ceiling to the dusty tables. An upright piano stood
next to a grimy window. Anita stepped behind the counter. “What would you like,
stranger?” she drawled. “Make it quick. Sounds like Gus is nearby.”
“I’m not afraid of anybody.” Carla swaggered up to the bar. “Give me a....”
Thud, thud, thud ! A lumpy shadow stopped outside the grimy window. It held a
long stick—or a....
“What is it?” whispered Carla as the figure thudded past.
“I don’t know.” Anita’s voice shook.
The saloon doors rattled in the wind. Their rusty hinges screeched. Carla scurried
around the counter and yanked Anita to the floor.
“No, we’ll be trapped,” Anita said, jerking away. “Let’s run for the horses.”
4
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STAAR MASTER™ Student Practice Book—Reading, Grade 4
Clinging to each other, the girls tiptoed to the door. Carla eased the swinging
doors open. A harsh roar blasted her. Warm, moist air exploded into her face. Carla
screamed. A burro ambled closer. Its hoofs thudded on the wooden boardwalk. A pick
handle jutted up from the burro’s pack.
“Jezebel!” hollered an old man stumbling down the street. “You no-good, fleabitten bundle of buzzard bait.”
PL
E
When he saw the girls, he removed his tattered hat and introduced himself,
“Ladies, Zachary Taylor Brown at your service.”
“We thought Jezebel was Gruesome Gus,” Carla said, giggling.
“Things aren’t always what they seem.” The old man lowered his voice. “Most
folks think this place is mined out, but it isn’t.”
Carla pulled the nugget from her pocket. “Is this gold?”
Carla started to toss the nugget away, then changed her mind. The ghost town had
been anything but boring. She’d keep the fool’s gold as a reminder: things aren’t
always what they seem.
M
The prospector said goodbye and then tugged Jezebel toward the hills and his mine.
Carla and Anita returned to their horses, laughing about the ghost of Blue Mud Gulch.
SA
A gust of wind sent tumbleweeds leaping into the air. With the wind came the
faint tinkling of piano keys. Anita turned and faced the saloon, and Carla shivered.
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The prospector leaned forward for a closer look. “Nope,” he pronounced, “that’s
iron pyrite. Called ‘fool’s gold’ because a lot of folks took it for real.”
STAAR MASTER™ Student Practice Book—Reading, Grade 4
Standard 2 (Context Clues) M
Standard 6 (Character Relationships/Changes) M
1. In the first sentence of this
story, the phrase “reined in her
mare” means that Anita—
A She doesn’t want to look
for gold.
B She wants to ride her horse
a little longer.
C She thinks there is nothing
interesting there.
D She doesn’t care about
things from the past.
PL
E
A urged her horse to go up
the hill
B encouraged her horse to
move faster
C captured her horse by grabbing
his halter
D pulled back on the horse’s
halter to make him stop
3. Why is Carla disappointed when
she and Anita ride into Blue
Mud Gulch?
Standard 2 (Context Clues) M
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2. Read the sentence from
the passage.
Wind whistled through the rickety
buildings, causing them to creak
and groan.
M
What does the word rickety mean
in the sentence?
Old-fashioned
Stiff
Sturdy
Wobbly
SA
A
B
C
D
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STAAR MASTER™ Student Practice Book—Reading, Grade 4
Standard 6 (Plot’s Main Events) M
Standard 6 (Character Relationships/Changes) M
A
B
C
D
fool’s gold
ghost
mine
saloon
Standard 3 (Theme) H
6. How has Carla changed by the
end of the story?
A She distrusts Anita now.
B She is more bored than ever.
C She might believe in ghosts
now.
D She wants to go searching for
real gold now.
PL
E
4. When Zachary Taylor Brown tells
the girls “Things aren’t always
what they seem,” he is referring
to the—
5. In the poem on Gus’ grave, the
last line “More or less...” means
that Gus—
SA
M
is not a ghost
could be a ghost
might have found gold
might have had a different
name
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A
B
C
D
STAAR MASTER™ Student Practice Book—Reading, Grade 4
Standard 6 (Point of View) M
Standard 3 (Theme) H
7. The reader can tell this story is
told in third-person limited point
of view because—
8. The theme or overall message of
this story could be described by
which sentence?
A Some towns are very boring.
B There are no such things
as ghosts.
C You must always trust
your senses.
D Things are not always
as they appear.
PL
E
A Anita tells the story
B Old Gus tells the story
C only Carla’s thoughts
are known
D three main characters’
thoughts are known
Standard 8 (Sensory Language) M
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9. Which sound frightens Carla and
Anita at the end of the story?
A low voice
A gust of wind
Their own laughter
Piano keys being played
SA
M
A
B
C
D
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