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 on Burro Lode & got her down to required depth. Hot. Bud
finds old location on widow's claim, upturns all previous calculation
& information given me by her. Wrote letter explaining same, which Bud
will mail. Bud left 4 P.M. should make Bend by midnight. Much better but
still weak Burros came in late & hung around water hole. Put up monument
at Burro Lode. Sent off samples to assay at Tucson. Killed rattler near
shack, making 16 so far killed.