Weekly Trinity journal., 1878-03-23
BOILED IN a SPRIN G.


The Virginia City Enterprise says:
Tom Collette is q miner, teamster, coal |
burnor, or anything else that is necessa-
ry when he finds that his pocket is grow
ing empty and his larder lean. Tom,
with two friends, Joe and Jake, was
making a painful journey from Pine
Grove, in Esmeralda county, to Eastern |
Nevada. They camped one afternoon by
some hot springs near Walker Lake, and |
discovering a hole half full of cold water, |
near one Of the hottest springs, turned |
the hot water as ii flowed out of 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 dilcious
water as only those can who have travel !
ed over the dusty alkali roads for several !
days. When they had eaten their supper
and lighted their pipes, tho theme Of con-
versaton for long time while they
smoked was their bath and the wonderful
ANNiCoililiNib WHICH ~ bau DIOuSub llltIii. |
They spread their blankets on a grassy
spot behind some willows, a few yards |
away from the springs, and fell asleep.
Tom was up with the dawn. The mem |
ory of the bath was fresh IN his mind, |
and SO he bounded from his blankets, and |
with skip and jump, plunged into the
clear water and sank to bis neck. Then
came howl of anguish, and he sprang
up the bank with all the agility of 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 wa
ter 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: 'I thought
was picked" But be did not hesitate
as to the course he should pursue.
With infinite care he drew on his pants
and boots. Forcing back tears of an
guish, he managed to walk back to camp.
Though it wrung his heart, he put on his
cd time frank smile as he neared the
rendezvous, for Jake was just then sitting
up in his blankets, gaping and stretching.
Seeing Tom approach, Jake asked where
he had been. Tom replied that the rec.
objection of the magnificent bath of the
previous evening was so vivid in his
memory that he could not think of break
ing camp without repeating it, and added:
"It's just lovely, Jake"
Jake did not wait to hear more, but
eprang from his bed and rushed away
toward the spring. As swiftly as Tom
could he followed, and from behind the /
willows kept covert watch. lie saw :
jake throw of his few clothes, spring in
10 the water, heard yell of anguish, and
then saw him with wonderful haste I
emerge and spring upon the bank, and
yainly try, by swift applications of his s
hands 10 different points Of his body, to
arrest the intolerabIo pain, swearing and
crying all the time.
At last Jake managed TO get into his
clothes and started for camp Meeting I
Tom he began with fierce invective to up
braid him for his deception. But Tom q
cut him short in an instant. "EIush up"
.aid he, would you bawl like calf and
give us away, when ! want to cook that I
other son of a gun up in a camp ?" c
Soothed by this, Jake grew quiet, and
both leisurely proceeded 70 camp. Dy (;
his time Joe had commenced to rouse
lp, and, seeing the others approach, ask d
I'd them where they had been. Tom an
'wered cheerfully Che was holding his S
pantaloons away from his body in the
rear at the time): "Do you think we f
could break camp without one more
swim Not much" t
At this Joe, getting up, cried "Not c
much, you bet !" and dashed away to- |
ward the spring. I
As he disappeared behind the willows,
Tom sprang for his pistol, and said to g
Jake: Get your gun, quick it will
mean business when Joe comes back - !
n few seconds Joe did come. He was :,
crying and cursing furiously, and never =
stopping until he caught up his pistol.
"Drop it," said Tom, 81 have a dead !,
bead on you, and so has Jake. Besides,
took all the caps off your gun"
The difficulty was finally adjusted, but y
the tlio took their breakfast standing that :
morning, and, to spare the mules, they :
did not ride much for the succeeding J.
three days.