The Project Gutenberg EBook of From Sand Hill to Pine, by Bret Harte

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Title: From Sand Hill to Pine

Author: Bret Harte

Release Date: May 18, 2006 [EBook #2544]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FROM SAND HILL TO PINE ***

Produced by Donald Lainson

FROM SAND HILL TO PINE

By Bret Harte

CONTENTS

FROM SAND HILL TO PINE

A NIECE OF SNAPSHOT HARRY'S

A TREASURE OF THE REDWOODS

A BELLE OF CANADA CITY

WHAT HAPPENED AT THE FONDA

A JACK AND JILL OF THE SIERRAS

MR. BILSON'S HOUSEKEEPER

FROM SAND HILL TO PINE

A NIECE OF SNAPSHOT HARRY'S

I

There was a slight jarring though the whole frame of the coach, a
grinding and hissing from the brakes, and then a sudden jolt as the
vehicle ran upon and recoiled from the taut pole-straps of the now
arrested horses. The murmur of a voice in the road was heard, followed
by the impatient accents of Yuba Bill, the driver.

"Wha-a-t? Speak up, can't ye?"

Here the voice uttered something in a louder key, but equally
unintelligible to the now interested and fully awakened passengers.

One of them dropped the window nearest him and looked out. He could see
the faint glistening of a rain-washed lantern near the wheelers' heads,
mingling with the stronger coach lights, and the glow of a distant open
cabin door through the leaves and branches of the roadside. The sound
of falling rain on the roof, a soft swaying of wind-tossed trees, and an
impatient movement on the box-seat were all they heard. Then Yuba Bill's
voice rose again, apparently in answer to the other.

"Why, that's half a mile away!"

"Yes, but ye might have dropped onto it in the dark, and it's all on the
down grade," responded the strange voice more audibly.

The passengers were now thoroughly aroused.

"What's up, Ned?" asked the one at the window of the nearest of two
figures that had descended from the box.

"Tree fallen across the road," said Ned, the expressman, briefly.

"I don't see no tree," responded the passenger, leaning out of the
window towards the obscurity ahead.

"Now, that's onfortnit!" said