ers. He did not bother with trying to formulate any
explanation of why he liked it. It may have been picturesque, though
picturesqueness of that sort is better appreciated when it is seen
through the dim radiance of memory that blurs sordid details. Certainly
it was not adventurous, as men have come to judge adventure.

Life droned along very dully. Day after day was filled with petty
details. A hill looks like a mountain if it rises abruptly out of a
level plain, with no real mountains in sight to measure it by. Here's
the diary to prove how little things came to look important because the
days held no contrasts. If it bores you to read it, think what it must
have been to live it.

June 10.

Up at 6:30 Baked till 11. Then unrigged well and rigged up an incline
for the stock to water. Bud dressed Daddy's back. Stock did not come in
all morning, but Monte & Pete came in before supper. Incline water shaft
does not work. Prospected & found 8 ledges. Bud found none.

June 11.

After breakfast fixed up shack--shelves, benches, tools, etc. Cleaned
guns. Bud dressed Daddy's back which is much better. Strong gold in test
of ledge, I found below creek. Took more specimens to sample. Cora comes
in with a little black colt newly born. Proud as a bull pup with two
tails. Monte & Pete did not come in so we went by lantern light a mile
or so down the wash & found them headed this way & snake them in to
drink about 80 gallons of water apiece. Daddy tied up and howling like a
demon all the while. Bud took a bath.

June 12.

Bud got out and got breakfast again. Then started off on Pete to hunt
trail that makes short cut 18 miles to Bend. Roofed the kitchen. Bud got
back about 1:30, being gone 6 hours. Found trail & two good ledges. Cora
& colt came for water. Other burros did not. Brought in specimens from
ledge up creek that showed very rich gold in tests. Burros came in at
9:30. Bud got up and tied them up.

June 13.

Bud gets breakfast. I took Sway & brought in load of wood. Bud went out
and found a wash lined with good looking ledges. Hung up white rags on
bushes to identify same. Found large ledge of good quartz showing fine
in tests about one mile down wash. Bud dressed Daddy's back. Located
a claim west of Thompson's. Burros did not come in except Cora & colt.
Pete & Monte came separated.

June 14.

Bud got breakfast & dressed Daddy's back. Very hot day. Stock came in
about 2. Tied up Billy Maud & Cora. Bud has had