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Found At Blazing Star


by Bret Harte









The rain had only ceased with the gray streaks of morning at

Blazing Star; and the settlement awoke to a moral sense of

cleanliness; and the finding of forgotten knives; tin cups; and

smaller camp utensils; where the heavy showers had washed away the

debris and dust heaps before the cabin doors。  Indeed; it was

recorded in Blazing Star that a fortunate early riser had once

picked up on the highway a solid chunk of gold quartz which the

rain had freed from its incumbering soil; and washed into immediate

and glittering popularity。  Possibly this may have been the reason

why early risers in that locality; during the rainy season; adopted

a thoughtful habit of body; and seldom lifted their eyes to the

rifted or india…ink washed skies above them。



〃Cass〃 Beard had risen early that morning; but not with a view to

discovery。  A leak in his cabin roof;quite consistent with his

careless; improvident habits;had roused him at 4 A。 M。; with a

flooded 〃bunk〃 and wet blankets。  The chips from his wood pile

refused to kindle a fire to dry his bed…clothes; and he had

recourse to a more provident neighbor's to supply the deficiency。

This was nearly opposite。  Mr。 Cassius crossed the highway; and

stopped suddenly。  Something glittered in the nearest red pool

before him。  Gold; surely!  But; wonderful to relate; not an

irregular; shapeless fragment of crude ore; fresh from Nature's

crucible; but a bit of jeweler's handicraft in the form of a plain

gold ring。  Looking at it more attentively; he saw that it bore the

inscription; 〃May to Cass。〃



Like most of his fellow gold…seekers; Cass was superstitious。

〃Cass!〃  His own name!  He tried the ring。  It fitted his little

finger closely。  It was evidently a woman's ring。  He looked up and

down the highway。  No one was yet stirring。  Little pools of water

in the red road were beginning to glitter and grow rosy from the

far…flushing east; but there was no trace of the owner of the

shining waif。  He knew that there was no woman in camp; and among

his few comrades in the settlement he remembered to have seen none

wearing an ornament like that。  Again; the coincidence of the

inscription to his rather peculiar nickname would have been a

perennial source of playful comment in a camp that made no

allowance for sentimental memories。  He slipped the glittering

little hoop into his pocket; and thoughtfully returned to his

cabin。



Two hours later; when the long; straggling procession; which every

morning wended its way to Blazing Star Gulch;the seat of mining

operations in the settlement;began to move; Cass saw fit to

interrogate his fellows。  〃Ye didn't none on ye happen to drop

anything round yer last night?〃 he asked; cautiously。



〃I dropped a pocketbook containing government bonds and some other

securities; with between fifty and sixty thousand dollars;〃

responded Peter Drummond; carelessly; 〃but no matter; if any man

will return a few autograph letters from foreign potentates that

happened to be in it;of no value to anybody but the owner;he

can keep the money。  Thar's nothin' mean about me;〃 he concluded;

languidly。



This statement; bearing every evidence of the grossest mendacity;

was lightly passed over; and the men walked on with the deepest

gravity。



〃But hev you?〃 Cass presently asked of another。



〃I lost my pile to Jack Hamlin at draw…poker; over at Wingdam last

night;〃 returned the other; pensively; 〃but I don't calkilate to

find it lying round loose。〃



Forced at last by this kind of irony into more detailed explanation;

Cass confided to them his discovery; and produced his treasure。  The

result was a dozen vague surmises;only one of which seemed to be

popular; and to suit the dyspeptic despondency of the party;a

despondency born of hastily masticated fried pork and flapjacks。

The ring was believed to have been dropped by some passing 〃road

agent〃 laden with guilty spoil。



〃Ef I was you;〃 said Drummond; gloomily; 〃I wouldn't flourish that

yer ring around much afore folks。  I've seen better men nor you

strung up a tree by Vigilantes for having even less than that in

their possession。〃



〃And I wouldn't say much about bein' up so dd early this

morning;〃 added an even more pessimistic comrade; 〃it might look

bad before a jury。〃



With this the men sadly dispersed; leaving the innocent Cass with

the ring in his hand; and a general impression on his mind that he

was already an object of suspicion to his comrades;an impression;

it is hardly necessary to say; they fully intended should be left

to rankle in his guileless bosom。



Notwithstanding Cass's first hopeful superstition the ring did not

seem to bring him nor the camp any luck。  Daily the 〃clean up〃

brought the same scant rewards to their labors; and deepened the

sardonic gravity of Blazing Star。  But; if Cass found no material

result from his treasure; it stimulated his lazy imagination; and;

albeit a dangerous and seductive stimulant; at least lifted him out

of the monotonous grooves of his half…careless; half…slovenly; but

always self…contented camp life。  Heeding the wise caution of his

comrades; he took the habit of wearing the ring only at night。

Wrapped in his blanket; he stealthily slipped the golden circlet

over his little finger; and; as he averred; 〃slept all the better

for it。〃  Whether it ever evoked any warmer dream or vision during

those calm; cold; virgin…like spring nights; when even the moon and

the greater planets retreated into the icy blue; steel…like

firmament; I cannot say。  Enough that this superstition began to be

colored a little by fancy; and his fatalism somewhat mitigated by

hope。  Dreams of this kind did not tend to promote his efficiency

in the communistic labors of the camp; and brought him a self…

isolation that; however gratifying at first; soon debarred him the

benefits of that hard practical wisdom which underlaid the

grumbling of his fellow workers。



〃I'm dog…goned;〃 said one commentator; 〃ef I don't believe that

Cass is looney over that yer ring he found。  Wears it on a string

under his shirt。〃



Meantime; the seasons did not wait the discovery of the secret。

The red pools in Blazing Star highway were soon dried up in the

fervent June sun and riotous night wind of those altitudes。  The

ephemeral grasses that had quickly supplanted these pools and the

chocolate…colored mud; were as quickly parched and withered。  The

footprints of spring became vague and indefinite; and were finally

lost in the impalpable dust of the summer highway。



In one of his long; aimless excursions; Cass had penetrated a thick

undergrowth of buckeye and hazel; and found himself quite

unexpectedly upon the high road to Red Chief's Crossing。  Cass knew

by the lurid cloud of dust that hid the distance; that the up coach

had passed。  He had already reached that stage of superstition when

the most trivial occurrence seemed to point in some way to an

elucidation of the mystery of his treasure。  His eyes had

mechanically fallen to the ground again; as if he half expected to

find in some other waif a hint or corroboration of his imaginings。

Thus abstracted; the figure of a young girl on horseback; in the

road directly before the bushes he emerged from; appeared to have

sprung directly from the ground。



〃Oh; come here; please do; quick!〃



Cass stared; and then moved hesitatingly toward her。



〃I heard some one coming through the bushes; and I waited;〃 she

went on。  〃Come quick。  It's something too awful for anything。〃



In spite of this appalling introduction; Cass could not but notice

that the voice; although hurried and excited; was by no means

agitated or frightened; that the eyes which looked into his

sparkled with a certain kind of pleased curiosity。



〃It was just here;〃 she went on vivaciously; 〃just here that I went

into the bush and cut a switch for m

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