Charles Ashmore's trail

by Ambrose Bierce

the family of Christian Ashmore consisted of_his wife, his mother, two grown daughters, and a son of sixteen years . they lived in troy, New_York, were well- to- do, respectable persons, and had many friends, some of whom, reading these lines, will doubtless learn for_the first time the extraordinary fate of_the young man . from troy the Ashmores moved in 1871 or 1872 to Richmond, Indiana, and a year or two later to_the vicinity of Quincy, Illinois, where Mr Ashmore bought a farm and lived on_it . at some little distance from_the farmhouse was a spring with a constant flow of clear, cold water, whence the family derived its supply for domestic use at all seasons .

on_the evening of_the 9th of November in 1878, at about nine o'clock, young Charles Ashmore left the family circle about_the hearth, took a tin bucket and started toward the spring . as he_did_not return, the family became uneasy, and going to_the door by_which he had left the house, his father called without receiving an answer . he then lighted a lantern and with_the eldest daughter, Martha, who insisted on accompanying him, went in search .a light snow had fallen, obliterating the path, but making the young man's trail conspicuous; each footprint was plainly defined . after going a little more than half- way-- perhaps seventy-five yards-- the father, who was in advance, halted, and elevating his lantern stood peering intently into_the darkness ahead .

" what_is the matter, father ? " the girl asked .

this_was the matter: the trail of_the young man had abruptly ended, and all beyond was smooth, unbroken snow . the last footprints were as conspicuous as any in_the line; the very nail-marks were distinctly visible .Mr Ashmore looked upward, shading his eyes with_his hat held between_them and_the lantern . the stars were shining; there_was not a cloud in_the sky; he_was denied the explanation which had suggested itself, doubtful as it would_have_been--a new snowfall with a limit so plainly defined .Taking a wide circuit round the ultimate tracks, so as_to leave them undisturbed for further examination, the man proceeded to_the spring, the girl following, weak and terrified . neither had spoken a word of what both had observed . the spring was covered with ice, hours old .

Returning to_the house they noted the appearance of_the snow on both sides of_the trail its entire length . no tracks led away from_it .

the morning light showed nothing more . smooth, spotless, unbroken, the shallow snow lay everywhere .

Four days later the grief- stricken mother herself went to_the spring for water . she came back and related that in passing the spot where the footprints had ended she had heard the voice of her son and had_been eagerly calling to him, wandering about_the place, as she had fancied the voice to_be now in one direction, now in another, until she was exhausted with fatigue and emotion .

Questioned as_to what the voice had said, she was unable to_tell, yet averred that_the words were perfectly distinct . in a moment the entire family was at_the place, but nothing was heard, and_the voice was believed to_be an hallucination caused by_the mother's great anxiety and her disordered nerves . but for months afterward, at irregular intervals of a few_days, the voice was heard by_the several members of_the family, and by others . all declared it unmistakably the voice of Charles Ashmore; all agreed that_it seemed to_come from a great distance, faintly, yet with entire distinctness of articulation; yet none could determine its direction, nor repeat its words . the intervals of silence grew longer and longer, the voice fainter and farther, and by midsummer it_was heard no more .

if anybody knows the fate of Charles Ashmore it_is probably his mother . she_is dead .