The Pulaskian., 1919-08-08


 continued on through it by way of the Nilhite branch. That is the route the boys and I took to the crystal mine. It was night before we found a camp ing place. In fact we did not look for a camping place, we just looked for water. Finding water, we made coffee, fried meat and ate supper. Before that the boys selected a place for our bed. There were enough rock beneath it to separate us and keep us from roll ing together. John brought his horse close to the bed, so he could watch him. Adelbert, who rode donkey, tethered it out where the grass was good The grass within reach was so good that when she ate it up she de- cided she wanted more, 1oosened her self and grazed all night on the luxu- riant green stuff which was over knee nigh.
 During the night the fire burned down and I got up to replenish it. John saw that his horse was all right, but Adelbert discovered that his steed was missing He borrowed my flash light and searched a little for her. About this mishap the boys had much to say, and talked so much that I had to admonish them they must cease and go to sleep, or we could not hunt for crystals next day. They looked for daylight as anxiously as they had ever | looked for Santa Claus on a Christ mas morning. At the first peep of dawn they reused me up. It was not only Johns first night to camp out, but it was his first night away from home. Surely you can't blame the boy for being interested It was his first night ever spent away from home, and he camped out on the mountain right where the panther screams and the wolves howl, and he enjoyed ii.
 The next morning, after long search, we found the crystal mine. It is well hidden. No one ever finds it now excepting me. picked up piece of mineral rock lying at the edge of projecting rock. Adelbert remarked that there was a big rattlesnake under the rock looked and sure enough not over foot from where 1 picked up the ore, there was a big one all coiled up ready to strike. He was where l could not get to him well, so we left him alone. On our return we found the Jeanette about half way to the pas ture entrance, enjoying herself so we'll that for a time she refused to be caught, but the boys finally caught her. when once more we could all ride.
 I had quite an experience returning alone from the ranch house. l fell to the top of very steep, rock mountain, and walked down it. To understand this. I will have to take you to school with me some fifty years ago, when I was a small boy. At that time was more interested in what was being taught the big boys and girls than in my own lessons. I well remember things I learned that way from the teacher of the class in natural phylos- ophy. One thing learned there that have never forgotten is that walking is just simply falling. You don't take step as you think you do, but you just fall a step and catch yourself with the other foot Tn that way I fell to the top of the mountain. Fell step at time, according to the teacher, but according to my way of looking at it, 1 pulled and pushed myself up and it was such hard work that I sweated until my clothes were wringing wet and the sweat killed every pesky chigre on me Walking down, however. was easy A stone slipped under my foot and I made it in just one step, but for the bushes at the bottom, it might have been a longer step than it was.
 In little while l reached the home of Mrs Holmes, who was Miss Mamie Thomas. Then I went on to Capt W L. Herrick's, where I took dinner. After that 1 arrived at Lee Tolly's, where I spent another night.
 l ETERNAL VIGILANCE IS THE