again at dusk. Doing fine.
Fixed fence which M & P. broke down while tramping around. Prospected
west of ranche. Found enormous ledge of black quartz, looks like
sulphur stem during volcanic era but may be iron. Strong gold & heavy
precipitate in test, silver test poor but on filtering showed like white
of egg in tube (unusual). Clearing iron out showed for gold the highest
yet made, being more pronounced with Fenosulphate than $1500 rock have
seen. Immense ledge of it & slightest estimate from test at least $10.
Did not tell Bud as keeping for surprise when he is able to visit ledge.
Very monotonous since Bud has been sick. Bud woke up & said Hell of a
Fourth & turned over & went to sleep again with mosquito net over head
to keep off flies. Burros came in after dark, all but Cora & Colt, which
arrived about midnight. Daddy gone since yesterday morning leaving no
trace.

July 5.

Miserable hot night. Burros trickled in sometime during night. Bud
better, managed to walk to big ledge after sundown. Suggests we call it
the Burro Lode. His idea of wit, claims we have occupied camp all summer
for sake of timing burros when they come to waterhole. Wish to call
it Columbia mine for patriotic reasons having found it on Fourth. Will
settle it soon so as to put up location. Put in 2 shots & pulpel samples
for assay. Rigged windows on shack to keep out bees, nats & flies &
mosquitoes. Bud objects because it keeps out air as well. Took them
off. Sick folks must be humored. Hot, miserable and sleepless. Bud very
restless.

July 6.

Cool wind makes weather endurable, but bees terrible in kitchen & around
water-hole. Flipped a dollar to settle name of big ledge. Bud won tails,
Burro lode. Must cultivate my sense of humor so as to see the joke. Bud
agrees to stay & help develop claim. Still very weak, puttered around
house all day cleaning & baking bread & stewing fruit which brought bees
by millions so we could not eat same till after dark when they subsided.
Bud got stung twice in kitchen. Very peevish & full of cuss. Says
positively must make trip to Bend & get cigarettes tomorrow or will blow
up whole outfit. Has already blowed up same several times today with no
damage. Burros came in about 5. Monte & Pete later, tied them up with
grain. Pete has very bad eye. Bud will ride Monte if not too hot for
trip. Still no sign of daddy, think must be dead or stolen though nobody
to steal same in country.

July 7.

Put in 2 shots o