Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-08-30

l had been told that they would
serve me as guides if felt at all
doubtful of the trail, and in one or two
instances they proved to be Of decided
help. They could gnsticulate if they
could not speak English, and when
tried them with the one word Placide
they would nod and point out which
of the many side canyons | was to
follow. But they always boxed up as
they did so, up, up till l took to look
ing up, too, and when, after miles null
tiplied indefinitely by the winding Of
the trail | came out upon ledge from
which a full view of the opposite range
could be had, and saw fronting me
from the side of one of its tremendous
peaks the gap of vast hole not 2O0
feet from the snow line, l knew that,
inaccessible as it looked, | was gazing
up at the opening Of Abner Fairbroth-
er's new mine, the Placide.
The experience was a strange one.
The two ranges approached so nearly
that 1t seemed as if a ball might be
tossed from one to the other, but the
chasm between was stupendous.
grew dizzy as | looked downward and
saw the endless zigzags yet to be trav-
ersed step by step before the bottom OF
the canyon could be reached and then
the equally interminable zlgzags up the
activity beyond, all Of which | must
trace, still step by step, before l could
hope to arrive at 70 camp which from
where stood looked to be almost with
in hail of my voice.
l have described the mine as hole.
That was all | saw at flrst-a great
black hole In the dark brown earth Of
the mountain side. from which ran
down still darker streak into the
waste places far below it, But as
looked longer I saw that it was faced
by a ledge cut out Of the friable soil,
on which was now able to descry the
pronounced white of two or three tent
tops and some other signs of life, en-
couraging enough to the eye of one
whose lot it was to crawl like fly up
that tremendous mountain side.
Truly I could understand why those
three men, probably newspaper CORE
spondenti Ike myself. had turned back
to Santa Fe after a glance from my
present outlook. But though | under
stood did not mean to duplicate their
retreat.
The sight Of those tents, the thought
of what one of them contained. in
spired me with new courage. and. re-
leasing my grip upon the rein, l al
lowed my patient horse to proceed.
Shortly after this | passed the d.
vide-that is, where the water sheds
both ways. Then the descent began.
1t was Zigzag, just as the climb had
been, but | preferred the climb. | did
not have the .unfathomabe spaces so
constantly before me, nor was my i'm
agination so active. 1t was fixed on
heights to be attained rather than on
valleys to roll into. However, | did
not roll.
The Mexican saddle held me securely
at whatever angle l was poised, and
once the bottom was reached found
that l could face with considerable
equanimity the corresponding ascent.
Only as l saw how steep the climb
babe fair to be l did not see how /
was eve. to come down again. Going
up was possible, but the descent
However, as what goes up must in
the course OF nature come down, put
this question aside and gave my horse
his head, after encouraging him with a
few blades of grass, which he seemed
to find edible enough, though they had
the look and something of the feel Of
spun glass.