Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-10-16
THE GREAT CINCH.


greens and thcIets of chaparal. The
aspect of the rugged landscape was sug
gestive of their primitive inhabitants-the
Apache Indian and the grizzly bear.
Yet in this secluded spot there were
signs of human life and activity in the
shape of a rude miners shack" open in
front, with three sides formed of upright
poles chinked with mud and a roof OF
overlapping splints. 1t stood near large
freshly dug hole in the canyon side.
Plcleted by rope tied TO his foreleg an
aged burro was feeding on the dry heritage
of the canyons bottom. In the excavation
in the mountain side n raw looking youth
was working verysSsloderately, using alter
nately pick and a shovel. A shook of tow
hair ran wild beneath his hat brim, and
stray tuft like tassel appeared through
hole in the crown. This young fellow was
Joe Dobbs, late of Missouri, and the object
of his labors was to develop Peg Leg
Crawforl's newly located mine Great
Cinch, in Bueno canyon In the Chiricahua
range.
This mine was at present in the stage OF
a hole in the ground with prospects ahead,
but the Indications of mineral were good
md had grown better as the digging went
on. 4 good face had been cleared against
the rock, and when the proprietor--now on
n trip to town for supplies--should return
blasting was to begin. Joe WAS not to
Share in the profits Of the mines develop.
hent. He was merely a shiftless boy
picked mp dead broke" at Camp Bowie
and taken along by Crawford for the sake
OF his work and company at the rrice of
his grub" and shadowy promise OF
wages II the mine turned out we'll. The
decrepit burro had been turned out TO dio
by his Mexican owner, and Joe had driven
him to camp. "as starter for n herd" he
said.
The shadows of the beetling cliff on the
southeast, which during the first half OF
the day lay across the canyons bottom,
slowly shifted eastward until blaze Of
bright sunshine IN the mouth Of the tunnel
informed Joe Dobbs that moon O'Clock, ;"
Us he termed IL, was approaching The boy
was not fond Of labor, and it did not re.
quire many minutes endurance of the hot
suns rays to convince him that it was time
to stop work and get something TO eat
There Is little doubt that he arrived at this
decision fully an hour in advance of the
time it would have been reached had Mr.
Crawford been with him instead of pre-
sumably somewhere on the San Simon
plain coming back with his burros and
supplies. Having repaired to the shade OF
the shack" he cut some slices from the
small piece of bacon for bis use and raked
together the embers of the camp fire.
There WAS no wood cut and before set
ting out to get some Joe sat down to rest
His eye fell on the large valise that Peg
Leg Crawford always kept carefully locked
and out of the way Of harm. In the hurry
of departure the miner had left the key In
the lock- and it occurred 10 the boy that il
4 4
side.
Joe turned the key and opened the sacred
valise. 1t contained two pairs Of cotton
Books some specimens Of ore, and bulky
package wrapped in scrap of army
blanket.
Joe united the cord that fast ened the
parcel and unrolled the covering from
wooden box that once had held Malags
rHislns Prying OFF the top Of the box with
his knife he saw that it contained about
Two dozen of what looked like long, thick
candles, Had the youth been more thought
ful, and known more of letters he would
have spelled ont the words, "clinumite
danGeruss," written in blue chalk on the
cover, but as it WAS, that inscription passed
UNDECIDED with all the warning of risk that
st conveyed. He had heard vaguely of dy.
namite, but knew nothing Of how it ap.
reered or should be handled The cyln.
dricAi objects before him he half thought
might be some form OF candy.
81 don't see why ole Peg Leg should be
so mighty perticklar bout this outfit o.
stuff" he said to himself, as, picking up
flake of the substance that had scaled
from one Of the pieces, he put it in his
mouth and tried it with his tongue. 1t
had sweetish TASTE and he set his teeth
into it.
If Joe had applied his grinders with the
force and enthusiasm that he would have
shown in cracking a hickory nut, there
might have been premature explosion
and my story never have been told: but he
quickly discovered Il caustic property il
the substance, and not liking the flavor,
spit il out. He put the box on a Hat rock
that served rs table, convinced that he
wanted nothing OF its contents.
CHANGING TO glance up the mountain
side, he saw the boughs shaking in a scrub
oak. AZ the back of the camp leaned one
OF those old style army rifles, chiefly for.
midabe to the one who fires them, known
as the Long Tom" With more ANNA.
ton than he had shown at any former
time in the day, Joe seized the frearm
and exclaimed;
81 secs yer, and yer my meat; here goes
1ur Dr'lIed squirt FUR dinner" and started
up the mountain to secure the game.
The path which he must take to reach
the place where be had seen the squirrel
WAS steep and roundabout. When, after
hard scrambing over rocks, he came near
the place where he had seen the squirrel,
that evasive rodent was not to be found.
But, climbing higher and looking beyond
the summit Of the ridge into little noun
tam park, Joe spied a jack rabbit feeding
III an open space AS he crept toward the
creature, following its upstartings, short
runs and upsittings, in the effort to get a
chance for sure shot, he saw to the wind.
ward among the pine trees across the val
ley a red deer which caused him TO aban.
don the rabbit at once.
Hits great mornin fur critters astir, u
said Joe to himself in high glee. who'd
thunk that trifiin squirt nd a led up tel
deer IN thar may be somethin hear
bigger n one deer waitin fur me-"
There was something "a heap bigger {
waitin." Crack, crack, crack, came the
sharp report Of several rifles of on hi,