The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-03-31
THE. GREAT CINCH.

rays. ana the only trees IN Slght were
sOmber evergreens and thickets Of
chaparal. The aspect of the rugged
landscape was suggestive of thei,
primitive Inhabitants the Apache In
dian and the grizzly bear.
Yet in this secluded spot there were
signs of human life and activity in
the shape Of 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 Il large freshly dug hole in
the canyon side.
Picketed by Il rope tied to his fore
leg an aged burro was feeding Oil the
dry heritage of the canyons bottom.
In the excavation in the mountain
side a raw-looking youth was working
very moderately, using alternatively a
pick and a shovel. A shock of tow
hair ran wild beneath his hat b1 i'm
and stray tuft like a tassel appeared
through a hole in the crown. This
young fellow was Joe Dobbs, late of
Missouri and the ob., ect of his labors
was to develop Peg Leg Crawford 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 and had grown
better as the digging went on. A good
face had been cleared away against
the rock and when the proprietor
now on a trip to town for supplies
should return, blasting was to begin.
Joe was not to share in the profits of
the mines development He was
merely shiftle5s boy picked up
dead broke at Camp Bowie and
taken along by Crawford for the sake
of his work and company at the price
of his grub and shadowy promise
OF wages if the mine turned out we'll
The decrepit burro had been turned
out to die by his Mexican owner. and
Joe had driven him to camp 'as a
starter for herd" he said.
Having repaired to the shade of the
'shack" be cut some slices from the
small piece of bacon for his use and
raked together the embers Of the
campfire.
There was no wood cut. and before
setting out to get some Joe sat down
to rest. His eye fell on the large vaiise
that Peg Leg Crawford always kept
carefully locked and out-of the way OIL
harm. In the hurry Of departure the
miner had left the key in the lock.
and it occurred to the boy that il
would be a good time to see what was
inside
Joe turned the key and opened the
sacred valise. 1t contained two pairs
of cotton socks. some specimens O.
ore, and bulky package wrapped il
a scrap of army blanket
Joe united the cord that fastened
the parcel and unrolled the covering
from a wooden box that had once hello
Malaga raisins. Frying off the top O.
the box with his knife, he saw that i
contained about two dozen of wha
looked like long, thick candles. Hat
the youth been more thoughtful, ant
known more Of letters, he would have
spelled out the words ''dinumite dan
geruss, written in blue chalk on tn,
cover but as it was that Inscription
passed UNDECIDED with all the warnins
OF risk it conveyed. He had heare
vaguely of dynamite but knew moth
ing OF how it appeared or should b.
handled The cylindrical objects be
lore him he half thought might b
some form of candy.
l don't see why old Peg Leg shout,
be so mighty perticI1lar bout this out
fit O stuff" be said to himself as
picking up a flake of the substance
that had scaled from one of the pieces
he put it in his mouth and tried j
with his tongue, 1t had sweetls]
taste and he set his teeth into it.
If Joe had applied his grinders wit
the force and enthusiasm that h
would have shown in cracking hick
orynut there might have been a pre-
mature explosion and my story neve
have been told; but he quickly discov
cred a caustic property in the sub
+ stance and, not liking the flavor spi
it out He put the box on fiat roc
that served as a table, convinced tina
he wanted nothing of its contents.
CHANGING to glance up the mountai
side he saw the boughs shaking in
scrub oak. At the back of the cam
leaned one Of those old style arm
rifles chiefly formidable to the on
who fires them. known as the Lon
Tom" With more animation than h
had shown at any former time in tn
day. Joe seized the tire.arm and ez
claimed:
Il sees yer, and yer my meat; her
goes fur Drilled squirt fer dinner.
and started up the mountain to secur
the game.
The path which he must take /
reach the place where he had seen th
squirrel was steep and roundabout
When. after hard scrambling owe
'rocks, ne came near the place whe,
he had seen the squirrel, that evasiy
rodent was not to be found. B,
climbing higher and looking beyon
the summit OF the ridge into lit
mountain park. he saw to the vino
ward among the pine trees across til
valley. red deer. which caused hi
ito abandon the squirrel at once.