02381cam a22003373u 45000010005000000030007000050050017000120060002000290070005000310080041000360400011000770410017000880500007001051000028001122450030001402640051001703000047002213360026002683370026002943380036003205000031003565050287003875080045006745201109007195340045018286530018018736530020018916530037019116530053019488560042020012535UtSlPG20260610133059.0mcr n260607r2006||||utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d  aUtSlPG 7aen2iso639-1 4aPS1 aHarte, Bret,d1836-190210aOpenings in the Old Trail 1aSalt Lake City, UT :bProject Gutenberg,c2006  a1 online resource :bmultiple file formats  atextbtxt2rdacontent  acomputerbc2rdamedia  aonline resourcebcr2rdacarrier  aRelease date is 2006-05-180 aA Mercury of the foot-hills -- Colonel Starbottle for the plaintiff -- The landlord of the Big Flume Hotel -- A Buckeye Hollow inheritance -- The reincarnation of Smith -- Lanty Foster's mistake -- An Ali Baba of the Sierras -- Miss Peggy's protégés -- The goddess of Excelsior.  aProduced by Donald Lainson; David Widger  a"Openings in the Old Trail" by Bret Harte is a collection of short stories written in the late 19th century. The work captures the spirit of the American West through richly drawn characters and vivid landscapes, exploring themes of adventure, youthful innocence, and the intricacies of human relationships against the backdrop of frontier life.  At the start of the volume, the tale "A Mercury of the Foot-Hills" introduces us to Leonidas Boone, a curious and adventurous young boy enduring the sweltering heat of Casket Ridge. As he embarks on an errand to the post-office, a chance encounter with a beautiful woman, Mrs. Burroughs, sparks a series of secretive and somewhat romantic interactions. She enlists Leonidas as a go-between, imparting a sense of importance to his otherwise simple life. The opening illustrates Leonidas’s boyhood charm, his playful interactions with nature, and his budding feelings for the mysterious woman, all while hinting at deeper themes of loyalty and innocence intertwined with the complexities of adult relationships. (This is an automatically generated summary.)  nOriginal publication data not identified  aShort stories  aWestern stories  aAmerican fiction -- 19th century  aCalifornia -- Social life and customs -- Fiction40uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2535