Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1878-07-17
How Tom Picked the Others.

How Tom Pickled the Others.
Tom Collette is miner, team
ster, coal burner, or anything els
that is necessary when he find
that his pocket is growing empt,
and his larder lean. Tom, witt
two friends, Joe and Jake, wa
making a painful journey from
Pine Grove, in Esmeralda county
to eastern Nevada. They campet
one afternoon by some hot spring,
near Walker lake, and discovering
a hole half full of cold water neal
one of the hottest springs, turned
the hot water, as it flowed out ot
the spring, into the hole, until the
hot and cold water blending, made
exactly the right temperature for a
bath. Then they plunged in and
enjoyed the delicious water as only
those can who have Travelled oven
dusty alllali roads for several days.
When they had eaten their supper
aud lighted their pipes, the theme
of conversation for long time
while they smoked, was their bath
and the wonderful refreshment it
had brought them. They spread
their blankets on grassy spot be-
hind some willows, a few yards
away from the springs, and fell
asleep.
Tom was mp with the dawn
The memory of the bath. was fresh
in his mind, and, with skip and a
Jump, plunged into the clear water
up to his neck. Then came howl
of anguish, and he sprang upon
the bank with the agility of a wild
cat. 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 thonght was
picked" 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 ap-
proach, Jake asked where he had
been. Tom replied that the recol-
lection of the magnificent bath Of
the previous evening was so vivid
in his memory that he could not
think of breaking camp without
repeating it, aud added: Ats just
lovely, Jake"
Jake did not want to hear any
more, but sprang from his bed and
rushed away toward the spring.
AS swiftly as Tom could, he follow
ed, 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
arrest the intolerable pain, swear
ing and crying all the while.
AT last Jake managed to get in
to 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. "Hush up," said he,
"would you bawl like a calf and
give MS away when | want to cook
that other son-of-a-gun up in the
campl'
Soothed by this, Jake grew quiet,
and both leasurely proceeded to
camp. BY this tine Joe had COM
menccd to rouse mp, and seeing the
others approach, asked them where
they had been. Tom answered
cheerfully Che was holding his
pantaloons away from his body in
the rear at thc time): sDo You
,b;nir o oo,,ld break camp with