places with him till he could rest a little。 But I told him this was
impossible； for if the steering oar were dropped a moment while we
changed； the boat would slue around into the trough of the sea； capsize；
and in less than five minutes we would have a hundred gallons of soap…
suds in us and be eaten up so quickly that we could not even be present
at our own inquest。
But things cannot last always。 Just as the darkness shut down we came
booming into port； head on。 Higbie dropped his oars to hurrahI dropped
mine to helpthe sea gave the boat a twist； and over she went！
The agony that alkali water inflicts on bruises； chafes and blistered
hands； is unspeakable； and nothing but greasing all over will modify it
but we ate； drank and slept well； that night； notwithstanding。
In speaking of the peculiarities of Mono Lake； I ought to have mentioned
that at intervals all around its shores stand picturesque turret…looking
masses and clusters of a whitish； coarse…grained rock that resembles
inferior mortar dried hard； and if one breaks off fragments of this rock
he will find perfectly shaped and thoroughly petrified gulls' eggs deeply
imbedded in the mass。 How did they get there？ I simply state the fact
for it is a factand leave the geological reader to crack the nut at his
leisure and solve the problem after his own fashion。
At the end of a week we adjourned to the Sierras on a fishing excursion；
and spent several days in camp under snowy Castle Peak； and fished
successfully for trout in a bright； miniature lake whose surface was
between ten and eleven thousand feet above the level of the sea； cooling
ourselves during the hot August noons by sitting on snow banks ten feet
deep； under whose sheltering edges fine grass and dainty flowers
flourished luxuriously； and at night entertaining ourselves by almost
freezing to death。 Then we returned to Mono Lake； and finding that the
cement excitement was over for the present； packed up and went back to
Esmeralda。 Mr。 Ballou reconnoitred awhile； and not liking the prospect；
set out alone for Humboldt。
About this time occurred a little incident which has always had a sort of
interest to me； from the fact that it came so near 〃instigating〃 my
funeral。 At a time when an Indian attack had been expected； the citizens
hid their gunpowder where it would be safe and yet convenient to hand
when wanted。 A neighbor of ours hid six cans of rifle powder in the
bake…oven of an old discarded cooking stove which stood on the open
ground near a frame out…house or shed； and from and after that day never
thought of it again。 We hired a half…tamed Indian to do some washing for
us； and he took up quarters under the shed with his tub。 The ancient
stove reposed within six feet of him； and before his face。 Finally it
occurred to him that hot water would be better than cold； and he went out
and fired up under that forgotten powder magazine and set on a kettle of
water。 Then he returned to his tub。
I entered the shed presently and threw down some more clothes； and was
about to speak to him when the stove blew up with a prodigious crash； and
disappeared； leaving not a splinter behind。 Fragments of it fell in the
streets full two hundred yards away。 Nearly a third of the shed roof
over our heads was destroyed； and one of the stove lids； after cutting a
small stanchion half in two in front of the Indian； whizzed between us
and drove partly through the weather…boarding beyond。 I was as white as
a sheet and as weak as a kitten and speechless。 But the Indian betrayed
no trepidation； no distress； not even discomfort。 He simply stopped
washing； leaned forward and surveyed the clean； blank ground a moment；
and then remarked：
〃Mph！ Dam stove heap gone！〃and resumed his scrubbing as placidly as if
it were an entirely customary thing for a stove to do。 I will explain；
that 〃heap〃 is 〃Injun…English〃 for 〃very much。〃 The reader will perceive
the exhaustive expressiveness of it in the present instance。
CHAPTER XL。
I now come to a curious episodethe most curious； I think； that had yet
accented my slothful； valueless； heedless career。 Out of a hillside
toward the upper end of the town； projected a wall of reddish looking
quartz…croppings； the exposed comb of a silver…bearing ledge that
extended deep down into the earth； of course。 It was owned by a company
entitled the 〃Wide West。〃 There was a shaft sixty or seventy feet deep
on the under side of the croppings； and everybody was acquainted with the
rock that came from itand tolerably rich rock it was； too； but nothing
extraordinary。 I will remark here； that although to the inexperienced
stranger all the quartz of a particular 〃district〃 looks about alike； an
old resident of the camp can take a glance at a mixed pile of rock；
separate the fragments and tell you which mine each came from； as easily
as a confectioner can separate and classify the various kinds and
qualities of candy in a mixed heap of the article。
All at once the town was thrown into a state of extraordinary excitement。
In mining parlance the Wide West had 〃struck it rich！〃 Everybody went to
see the new developments； and for some days there was such a crowd of
people about the Wide West shaft that a stranger would have supposed
there was a mass meeting in session there。 No other topic was discussed
but the rich strike； and nobody thought or dreamed about anything else。
Every man brought away a specimen； ground it up in a hand mortar； washed
it out in his horn spoon； and glared speechless upon the marvelous
result。 It was not hard rock； but black； decomposed stuff which could be
crumbled in the hand like a baked potato； and when spread out on a paper
exhibited a thick sprinkling of gold and particles of 〃native〃 silver。
Higbie brought a handful to the cabin； and when he had washed it out his
amazement was beyond description。 Wide West stock soared skywards。 It
was said that repeated offers had been made for it at a thousand dollars
a foot； and promptly refused。 We have all had the 〃blues〃the mere sky…
bluesbut mine were indigo； nowbecause I did not own in the Wide West。
The world seemed hollow to me； and existence a grief。 I lost my
appetite； and ceased to take an interest in anything。 Still I had to
stay； and listen to other people's rejoicings； because I had no money to
get out of the camp with。
The Wide West company put a stop to the carrying away of 〃specimens；〃 and
well they might； for every handful of the ore was worth a sun of some
consequence。 To show the exceeding value of the ore； I will remark that
a sixteen…hundred…pounds parcel of it was sold； just as it lay； at the
mouth of the shaft； at one dollar a pound； and the man who bought it
〃packed〃 it on mules a hundred and fifty or two hundred miles； over the
mountains； to San Francisco； satisfied that it would yield at a rate that
would richly compensate him for his trouble。 The Wide West people also
commanded their foreman to refuse any but their own operatives permission
to enter the mine at any time or for any purpose。 I kept up my 〃blue〃
meditations and Higbie kept up a deal of thinking； too； but of a
different sort。 He puzzled over the 〃rock；〃 examined it with a glass；
inspected it in different lights and from different points of view； and
after each experiment delivered himself； in soliloquy； of one and the
same unvarying opinion in the same unvarying formula：
〃It is not Wide West rock！〃
He said once or twice that he meant to have a look into the Wide West
shaft if he got shot for it。 I was wretched； and did not care whether he
got a look into it or not。 He failed that day； and tried again at night；
failed again； got up at dawn and tried； and failed again。 Then he lay in
ambush in the sage brush hour after hour； waiting for the two or three
hands to adjourn to the shade of a boulder for dinner； made a start once；
but was prematureone of the men came back for something； tried it
again； but when almost at the mouth of the shaft； another of the men rose
up from behind the boulder as if to reconnoitre； and he dropped on the
ground and lay quiet； presently he crawled on his hands and knees to the
mouth of the shaft； gave a quick glance around； then seized the rope and
slid down the shaft。
He disappeared in the gloom of a 〃side drift〃 just as a head appeared in
the mouth of the shaft and somebody shouted 〃Hello！〃which he did not
answer。 He was not disturbed any more。 An hour later he entered the
cabin； hot； red； and ready to burst with smothered excitement； and
exclaimed in a stage whisper：
〃I knew it！ We are rich！ IT'S A BLIND LEAD！〃
I thought the very earth reeled under me。 Doubtconvictiondoubt
againexultationhope； amazement； belief； unbeliefevery emotion
imaginable swept in wild procession through my heart and brain； and I
could not speak a word。 After a moment or two of this mental fury； I
shook myself to rights； and said：
〃Say it again！〃
〃It's blind lead！〃
〃Cal； let'slet's burn the houseor kill somebody！ Let's get out where
there's room to hurrah！ But what is the use？ It is a hundred times too
good to be true。〃
〃It's a blind lead； for a million！hanging wallfoot wallclay
casingseverything complete！〃 He swung his hat and gave three cheers；
and I cast doubt to the winds and chimed in with a will。 For I was worth
a million dollars； and did not care 〃whether school kept or not！〃
But perhaps I ought to explain。 A 〃blind lead〃 is a lead or ledge that
does not 〃crop out〃 above the surface。 A miner does not know where to
look for such leads； but they are often stumbled upon by accident in the
course of driving a tunnel or sinking a shaft。 Higbie knew the Wide West
rock perfectly well； and the more he had examined the new developments
the more he was satisfied that the ore could not have come from the Wide
West vein。 And so had it occurred to him alone； of all the camp； that
there was a blind lead down in the shaft； and that even the Wide West
people themselves did not suspect it。 He was right。 When he went down
the shaft； he found that the blind lead held its independent way through
the Wide West vein； cutting it diagonally； and that it w