Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-10-14
THE CHEETAH CLAIM.

THE CHEETAH CLAIM.
First, to discover mine Second, to
know that You have something to base
your hopes on, and last to get into law
suit, and eventually the supreme court by
litigating with your neighbor in under
ground adventure. This, believe, is the
Aspen method. Without entering upon a
discussion scientific and chemistic as to
apex and side lines, can tell you of an
Aspen exception. 1t had ut the outset all
the elements of a good case on both sides
from lawyers point Of view, and might
now be enjoying a musty run in the cir
cult chambers with others of its class. 1t
almost seems a pity that it isn't, if you
look at it from what the newspapers call
a illegal aspect"
The case in point is that of Boulder
Trampenning, a prospector. One of his
claims was in the Woody district; no mat
ter whcre-iti is enough that it was and is
Boulder usually spent the month of Sep
TENDER at this particular claim, and fire.
quently did more of his assessment than
the law required 1t was an isolated place,
half way up hill, and T'rampenning
seemed to fit in with it, being rather of the
rucks and burned stumps than apart from
them. He was very like a middle. aged
tree; anyway he was as silent. There
were four reasons for this-the first was
that he was dumb, no matter about the
others; if there were 400 it would be. under
the circumstances, useless to tell them.
The claim adjoining belonged to onn
Asechiga. 1t was said that he was Il Mex
but Pom 1la, nd ho rrot oil
well considering everything that was like
ly to cause trouble from windlass to bed
rock. They met during two Septembers
When the third came Boulder reached the
ground first. Asechiga's cabin was closed
when he got there. 1t was closed for two
days When Boulder woke up on the
morning of the third, he looked across the
little ravine and saw the door open.
A woman came out.
There is no questioning Boulder's sur
prise. He was not much for women. He
had seen them during the winter at the
restaurants and in the vaudevilles at
Aspen, but he never had to do with them.
And in the summer he was too far away,
His ideas of them were unsubstantial
Perhaps somehow he could never discon-
meet them with We've ham'n eggs an
graham buns and coffee er tea," or else at
tired in truthfully concise dresses, and
singing:
wandered in shady woodland,
Where the pretty bluebells grow;
twas there met a charming little lad
= And took him for my only beau.
All of which was because he had seen
the wrong side of womanhood.
This woman was not much for looks, SO
far as he could judge. Her hair was
WHISKY and like streaked tale. Her COM
plexion was patchy, like rifle blocks, and
in carriage she was not graceful. At this
time she was fetching water from the
spring, and the sleeves of her dress were
rolled up, showing big red arms with firm
muscles Seeing Boulder, she stopped an
instant and regarded him with a specula-
tive stare. Boulder bowed, principally be-
cause he could think of nothing else just
then to do. She did not return the saluta-
ton, but walked on into the cabin.
A little while later she came out again,
this time with pick and shovel and her
feet incased in boots. She wore red shirt
of some thick material and miners cap.
The effect was wholly sanguinary One
would guess that she either intended to
rob an express train or to lead a frenzied
mob of revolutionists against the Bastille-
assuming there were express trains and
bastilles in the woody district, which there
are not.
She walked over toward Asechiga's little
shaft and paused on the dump to again
contemplate Boulder. 1t is to be men
toned that this mine, which has been
named the Cheetah-not that there were
cheetahs thereabout, but because the
Mexican had once seen such an animal in
India-was but thirty feet above Boulder's
own modest prospect. the elevation being
abrupt.
Boulder, FESTIVE under this deliberate
observation of the person in skirts, bowed
once more with results equally unsatis-
factory. The woman turned toward the
windlass, lowered the bucket and shortly
afterward disappeared down the shaft.
Boulder shook his head and went to werk
himself. 1t was not just clear to him as
to what course he should pursue. The
Cheetah was Asechiga's claim; what man
ner of right had woman to work it? He
could come but to one theory. Ii
it had been man in the matter, Boulder's
course would have been instantly plain;
but woman?
Midway between the claims, and serving
as a boundary post, there was Il small
black board, securely nailed to an old tree.
This had been provided by Boulder as
convenient method of intercourse between
Asechiga and himself when they were ON
top during the day. 1t was his custom
to write his questions and answers on the
black surface with piece of chalk which
he kept hanging by string from the top
of the board. When he came up, an hour
later, he noticed that the woman was just
leaving the tree, and furthermore that
The had written something.
Boulder went up to the line. He read:
Il low you. you are dunn. am Aseche:.
am here to worke his clame.
She was standing on a knoll a little way
off, and Boulder nodded again. This time