San Diego State University - Del Sudoeste Yearbook (San Diego, CA)

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HAB'S GOLD. By Florence Colby. BIG red rooster hopped and tiew by stages to the topmost rail of the corral. From this vantage point he took a sitle-lung glance at the sun. looked wisely at a nearby group of eow-punchers. and tlapping his wings. crowed lustily. Yep, General Castro. I reckon Hab'll find his guld all right. today, drawletl Rusty liill. as he shoved the last one of a box of shining new car- tridges into his belt. Halbert Shaw quickly turned his face away. lest the boys should see the deep Hush that dyed his face aml throat. He felt a sudden desire to seize Rusty Bill and pummel him to within an inch of his life. tYhy would the boys continue to make a jest of his great ambition, his dream of discm'ering gold? XVhen he turned to mount his horse and ride away with the nthers. two firm lines had settled about the corners of his mouth. He had came to California to find gold, and he was going to show the boys that he could do it. Halbert Shaw had drifted into Happy Camp in the late spring. lYith his health threatened from elnse eonlinement at office work. he had come west to live in the open air; but secretly he cherished a desire to fiml some of the precious gold that had made Lalifnrnia famous. He had a sunny dis'msitiim and a keen sense of humor. which soon won for him many friends among the cowboys 011 the ranch. It is true that during the two months of the uround- up season, he had been the subject for must of the jokes. but he seemed tn care very little. He had silently watched and learned. He could now roll a cigarette 0r thmw his lasso as deftly as Rusty lill himself. He had even acquired that slow lounging walk and the slouch of hat and shoulder which are peculiar to cowboys. These acquired habits now stood him in gnml stead for as he rude away none but an exnerienced eve could tell that he hatl heard the jest Rusty Bill howex er had noticed those new lines about llab s mouth and he smiled a dreamy smile. llRiding fence was a tiresome job. ll hy nnt have a little fun out of it? The five cowboys that made up the fenee-memling party turned their horses northward through a gap between the hills. The August sun was not yet high enough to drive the purple shailnws out of the deep canyons. The dust stirred up by the horses, feet settled back 110011 the tlew-cm'ered grass. The air was filled with a faint aroma. A bird twittered now and then. aml a lone coyote was seen sknlkingr 11D a dry gulch. Rusty llillis right haml mnved to his hip. and then slowly slid back as he muttered. tilt wuuhl sure be a shame to wake Dame Nature up so st1tltle11. ' After a half-houris ride the party struck a line fence. llere Rusty lill directed two men to work toward the north and east. and the other two toward the west and north. with the understanding that they were to meet him at Devills Basin at 110011. Then he started nPf in a northerly direction. but as an after-thought turned and shouted back: llBetter keep your eves tmen, llab. Yotfre liable to find gnld i11 'mnst any of these old rocks around here. The men moved awav. watching for louse or bruken wire. They gradually worked farther and farther a'iart. until at last hills aml eam'tms lay between the two parties. liab and his eumnaninn. a silent lmlian called lnse. worked for some time without exehange of words. Then Jose broke the silence. Hab want to find gold pretty much ? lW'es. Jose. I do? Jose shook his head in a hopeless manner and muttered to himself. Gold bad medicine. bad medicine. Why bad medicine. lose? asked llab. 33 n

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thorns. but still clinging to the rose he dodged out alone the walk and caught the ear. XII the 11ay up the lone hiIl he busied himself Itieking out the thorns. Suddenly the ear stopped with such abruptuess that IIiIIy jabbed his pen- kniIes-thoru and alleclear through the thick skin in the palm of his hand. Through many agonizing minutes they stood there. For a while Billy sat tensely, pushing his feet against the seat in front of him. then he jumped up and ran outside. One of the boys from his class climbed off the front end of the ear. IIey Bill I, he said Hlet play hookey; they're easier on absentees. No I said II ill.. I 1e got to yet there. and with that he broke into a run. It 11 as nearlv a mile to the school but IIiIIV took it at break- neck speed He came up to the entrance just as the last line filed in. He would ha1e turned and escaped if the principal s eye had not been upon him. As it was he climbed the stairs panting for breath. and opened Miss IIarnesIS door. She turned to him. exasperated by his seeming defiance. uGo. she said. pointing to the door. IIGo. and dont come back until you have an excusefI IIiIIy opened his mouth to speak. Ith, said Miss Barnes. IIvou have made excuses often enough. I do not wish to hear from you. Go! He went. but in passingr he awkwardly drowned the red rose on her desk. For a moment something caught at her heart and she relented: but her word had been smoken. and it must stand. He stumbled out. a mist blindingr his eyes and a choke in his throat. There was a cry somewhere inside of him. but being a boy he held it back and let it hurt. IYhen he reached home he was greeted bv his steo-fathcr, who. being out of work. had no other occupation than tliseioliniug his family. I tII-IereIs that rascal 110111; he called to his wife as soon as Billy came in. sight. Itolaying hookey, to top things OH? IIYoung man. he said. addressing Billy. nI'1'e got an account to settle with you for stealitf XViIIiams' roses this mornini. I'II tend to you fer playin, hookev at the same time. I never stole nothin.. ' yelled Billy. III iust nicked a rosef, HShut 1m. roared his foster Darent. HXViIIiams told me all about it. IIII teach ye to lie an steal anI play hookey I'I So saying the big oug'nacious man seized him and wielded the switch cutting around his thin legs. Rut IIilIy was numb to pain : he felt only hatred, injustice and rage. His mother guessed whv he had come home. and after her husband had gone in she slipped out to him with a little poorly written excuse and a bag of lunch. You can go back to school now. she said. and hurried away. Iest her husband should see her. IiIIy looked at the note sullenlyetore it in two and rolled a long white cigarette from the haIf. III'm groin, to hell he muttered vengefnllv. through his teeth. and struck out for the docks to shoot eraus with the sailors. Training School Language Lesson. Miss Strong-IYiIIie. use seldom in a sentence. VViIIiameMy 11a did have five pigs. but he seltVem. In the Cookery Class. Miss Smith Hinishiw0r instructions for bakinfr macaroniI-Butter the bread crumbs and sprinkle them over the whole. Class tchorusIsXX hat hole. 9; I0

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'Iose looked sadly at llab, and then turning,r with just a suggestion of mischief, or it might be of superstition, in his eyes. stretched his longr arm out toward the north. uHab see white cliff? Padres find much gold there. Gold belongs to the evil spirit. liatl medicine for padres, bad medicine for Indians, bad medicine for white man. llab leaned over and took Jose firmly by the shoulder. ttJose, do you mean to tell me that the padres found gold over there on that while cliff? nPadres find gold there. Indians hml gold there. white man Find gold there now, but evil spirit come in the night. lleail all burn up inside. replied Jose. .llab settled back into his saddle, looked sternly at Jose. and said, uI don't believe in your evil spirit. If there is gold over there. I am going to have itfl Jose shook him head and muttered. l' Tad medicine, bad medicine. The two rode on and at the appointed time met the rest of the party at Devil's Basin. Lunch over. the men prepared to go back to their work. Hab was about to start off with jose when Rusty lill stopped him. tIDo you see that white cliff yonder at the north ? llab started, aml then answered with studied indifference. Yes, what about it?'l uJust a little way this side of it is a bad piece of fence. You take my horse and ride over and fix it. I will go back with Jose. HRut why should I take your horse? hI rode that way this morning, and if you shouldlose your way. Pedro . will follow his old trail. The men separated and rmle off in their several directions. Pedro picked his way easily along; a well-deflued trail. and Hab soon began to go over the story jose had told him that morning. He wondered if there really was gold over there. Then he remembered that he was every moment drawing nearer the enchanted spot. It was true that there was a fence to be mended. but surely that wouldift take long and then he would ride over and see if there was any truth in what Jose had said. He began to be impatient to be there and urged Pedro forward. The trail was growing narrower and steeper. and finally it branched, one part leadingr back down the mountain, and the other on up the canyon. The upper trail looked as if it had been abandoned, for the ehapparal on either side had grown out so as almost to fill it up. Hab was undecided which way to go. Then remembering what Rusty lill had told him. he dropped the reins on Pedrds neck. Pedro turned and pushed his way through the overhanging Chaparral and picked his way along the old trail. lIab began to look for the fence he was to mend. He could see no signs of it anywhere. but thinkingr that he might come upon it at any time, he rode on, watching that white elin grow more and more distinct. After a time Hab forgot all about the fence. and became absorbed in watch- ing that elitt, which now towered above him. Pedro suddenly rounded a point of rock. and llab found himself face to face with the padresl mine. The cliff seemed to be of limestone formation. Its face was scarred by deep crevices washed out by the waters of many winters. As Hab looked. he discovered a rude Eight of six or eight steps, which led up to an opening about four feet high in the face of the eliH. Hab looked about him nervously as if half expecting the spirit of some departed padre to jump out at him. Then he dropped the reins over Petlr0,s neck. and dismounting, climbed the steps. carefully scanning the rock on either side. He peered cautiously into the opening. The light revealed a cave which had been hollowed out by the hands of men, but enabled Hab to see back only a short distance. He was certain. however. that the cave was very large. The damp airwhieh issued from within gave Hah a queer feeling. but 34