The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1878-03-07
A Hot Bath in Nevada.

> The Virginia City Enterprise tells the
following lively story:
Tom Collette is miner, teamster,
coal-burner, or any thing else that is
necessary when he finds that his pocket
is growing empty and his larder lean.
Tom, with two friends, Joe and Jake,
was making painful journey from Pine
Grove, in Esmeralda County, to eastern
Nevada. They camped one afternoon
by some hot springs near Walker Lake,
and discovering hole half full of cold
water near one Of the hottest springs,
turned the hot water, as it flowed out of
the spring, into the hole, until the hot
and cold water blending made exactly
the right temperature for bath Then
they plunged in and enjoyed the deli
cious water as only those can who have
travelled over dusty alkali roads for sew
eral days. When they had eaten their
supper and lighted their pipes, the
theme of conversation for long time
while they smoked was their bath and
the wonderful refreshment which it had
brought them. They spread their blank
cts on a grassy spot behind some willows,
few yards away from the springs, and
fell asleep.
Tom was up with the dawn. The
memory of the bath was fresh in his
mind, and so he bounded up from his
blankets, and, with skip and jump,
plunged into the clear water and sank
to his neck. Then came a howl of an
guish, and he sprang upon the bank
with the agility of wildcat. In the
meantime, his fair skin had changed to
the color of picked lobster. The hot
water had been running all night; all
the cold water had been neutralized
hours before the dawn, and now the
water in the hole was almost of the same
temperature as the water in the boiling
spring from which it flowed Tom was
in a terrible state. He says, 81 thought
| was pickled.' But he did not hesitate
as to the course he should pursue.
With infinite care he drew on his
pants and boots. Forcing back tears of
anguish, he managed to walk back to
camp. Though it wrung his heart, he
put on his old-time frank smile as he
neared the rendezvous, for Jake was
just then sitting up in his blankets,
gaping and stretching. Seeing Tom APP
proach, Jake asked where he had been.
Tom replied that the recollection of the
magnificent bath of the previous even
ing was so vivid in his memory that he
could not think of breaking camp with
out repeating.it, and added: :" It's just
lovely, Jake.'
Jake did not wait to hear more, but
.sprang from his bed and rushed away
toward the spring. As swiftly as Tom
could, he followed, and from behind the
willows kept covert watch. He saw
Jake throw off his few clothes, spring
into the water, heard yell of anguish,
and then saw him with wonderful haste
emerge and spring upon the bank, and
vainly try, by swift applications of his
hands to different points of his body, to
arrest the intolerable pain, swearing and
crying all the time
i At last Jake managed to get into his
clothes and started for camp. Meeting
Tom, he began with fierce invective to
upbraid him for his deception. But Tom
cut him short in an instant. ssHush
up" said he: "would you bawl like
calf-and give us away when want to
cook that other son-of-a-gun up in
campp''
Soothed by this, Jake grew quiet, and
both leisurely proceeded to camp. By
this time Joe had commenced to rouse
up, and seeing the others approach, ask
ed them where they had been. Tom
answered cheerfully Che was holding
his pantaloons away from his body in
the rear at the time) ado you think
we could break camp without one more
magnificent swimp Not much.n
At this Joe, getting up, cried: "Not
much, you bet!" and dashed away to-
ward the spring.
AS he disappeared behind the willows,
Tom sprang for his pistol, and said to
Jake: "Get your gun quick; it will
mean business when Joe comes back"
In a few seconds Joe did come. He
was crying and cursing furiously, and
never stopped until he brought up his
pistol
"Drop it,. said Tom. 81 have
dead bead on you, and so has Jake. Be-
sides, | took all the caps off your gum
The difficulty was finally adjusted:
but the trio took breakfast standing tina
morning, and. to spare the mules, they
did not ride much for the succeeding
three days.