Siskiyou Union High School - White and Gold Yearbook (Weed, CA)

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as any fo have a look af if. I cached my fishing equipmenf, and was soon on my way up fhe mounfain fo explore fhe cave. Affer a long walk I reached fhe moufh of fhe cave. lfs fremendous size impressed me. lfs huge oval moufh was black, very black. As I sfepped inside, fhe empfy darkness senf chills up and down my spine. I had iusf faken abouf fwo sfeps inside when I heard a noise fhaf froze fhe blood in my veins. I held my breafh and sfood as sfill as my shaking knees would permif. I could hear fhe noise a Iiffle clearer now-a sorf of fhumping or pounding noise. I worked my way around fhe bend in fhe cave and was mildly surprised fo find fhe lighf a liffle brighfer. I could now smell fhe fumes of a kerosene lanfern. I began fo wonder now: whaf should I do? My firsf fhoughf was fo gef ouf of fhaf cave and nof be all day abouf doing if. I finally resolved, fhough, fo see who was in fhe cave. As I worked my way on farfher fhrough fhe cave, I soon saw a dropped- off place, or, if you prefer, a sorf of hole in fhe ground. The rays of lanfern lighf were coming from fhis hole. I gof down on my hands and knees now and was soon fo fhe edge of fhe hole. I could now see fhe shadow of a man drilling in fhe rock. From where I was lying I could nof possibly see who fhe man was, so I decided fo lean as far as possible over fhe precipice fo idenfify him if I could. My hand fell' somefhing cold and slippery and I insfincfively drew back. The nexf fhing I knew I was falling, fhen everyfhing wenf black. When I regained consciousness, I reasoned fhaf fhere musf have been some ice below where I was lying, and fhaf I musf have slip ed off if info fhis pif. The man who had been drilling info fhe rock was gone now, andpso was his Ianfern. I kepf hearing a spuffering sorf of noise coming from fhe wall, so I walked over and looked fo see whaf if was. There were abouf six or eighf holes in fhe wall and in each was a sfick of dyna- mife wifh a Iighfed fuse. Thaf explained fhe spuffering noise. I af once sfarfed loo ing for a way ouf of fhere fasf. I found fwo or fhree mafches in my pockef and sfarfed looking for an exif. Finally, affer I had lif my lasf mafch, I saw some sfeps hewn ouf of one corner of fhe pif. If was nof long unfil I found my way up fhe sfeps and was running foward fhe enfrance of fhe cave. As I rounded fhe lasf furn, I came face fo face wifh Old Scarface Joe. Whaf are you doing here, kid? he asked. Never mind whaf l'm doing here, I said. This place is going fo blow up and I s-sure d-don r infend fo be in here when if doesl Old Scarface was surprised. I-low did you know abouf fhis, boy? I didn'f fhink anyone knew of fhe gold hid in fhaf rock. You needn I' worry abouf fhe blasf: if can l' hurl' us here. Gold in fhaf rock, I fhoughf. So fhaf's why fhe old buzzard has always fried fo scare everyone away. Jusf fhen fhe blasf wenf off. The ground, fhe walls, everyfhing shook wifh fhe fremendous explosion. I heard a scream and looked around fo see Old Scarface Joe wrifhing on fhe floor. A sfalacfife which had probably been hanging from fhe cave's roof for ages, had been iarred loose by fhe explosion. If had fallen and ifs razor- like poinf had pierced old Joe's back. I saw fhaf fhe old man could nof Iasf long, so I made him as comforfable as pos- silole. I asked him why he had leff me fhere in fhaf pif fo die wifh fhe explosion, affer I had fallen. l never saw you fall, he said. I have looked for fhaf mofher lode for so long. The ofher day I found if and made ready fo blow if ouf. Each day I have come up here and drilled holes fo blasf wifh. There was enough gold in fhere for a king. You could see fhe sfreaks of if in fhe rock. If I could have known you were in fhere, l'd have broughf you ouf wifh me. Joe, I said, why have you always fried fo scare people fhe way you did? You could have had many friends if you had fried. Boy, l'll fell you wh , he said. I haven'f much longer fo live, anyway. When I was a young man, I was sfudying fo be a geologisf: af fhe school I was affending fhere was anofher young man who worked wifh me in fhe laborafory. One day, while working wifh him in fhe Lab, he accidenfally slipped and spilled acid all over my face. I was in fhe hospifal for monfhs wifh my face bandaged. My face has since been disfigured, as you can see. For awhile, I fried fo face sociefy, buf if was no use. Everyone drew back in ferror af fhe sighf of my face. Finally, I decided fo seffle down here. Wifh my geological knowledge, I have found enough gold fo live. I could nof help being gruff, fhe way people would sfare af my face. I have looked

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AN ESSAY lSecond place essayl While day-dreaming in English class I was awakened by The sound oT chalk scrafching againsT The blackboard. There, Tor everyone To read, was The noTice, An essay will be expecTed once a week Trom each sTudenT. I was greaTIy depressed by This ThoughT-whaT could I wriTe abouT? In The TirsT place, whaT is an essay? Having been dreaming aT The Time The assignmenT was made, I missed The expIanaTion given in class. Upon reTerring To The dicTionary, I 'Found ThaT an essay may be a IiTerary composiTion, buT iT also may mean an aTTempT. JusT as I decided ThaT The IeasT I could do was To comply wiTh Mr. WebsTer's idea oT The word and make an aTTempT, I Tell asleep. Having been conTronTed wiTh This irksome Task Tor a 'Few days, I began To grow irriT- able and nervous, and The ThoughTs oT The assignmenT haunTed me, even in my sleep. In a dream, The nighT before my composiTion was due, I viewed a IiTerary parade, headed b color bearers: each one bore a suggesTed Topic Tor my essay. One Trilly Tlag suggesTedl MoonIiT Gardenug on anoTher Tlag, borne by a sTaunch knighT, The Days oT Chivalry was prinTed. Then a roboT squeaked along wiTh a banner over his shoulder, The ATomic Age. Following, came a band oT words which would add drama, spice, and Tlavor To my composiTion. WiTh each noTe in iTs place, The melody which The band played had greaT harmony: iusT as an essay could have rhyThm if each and every word were used To iTs besT advanTage. Leading The band were commas and semicolons Twirling baTons. Marching in The parade was an army oT ThoughTs joined TogeTher To make a compIeTe. well-balanced composiTion-correcT in every deTaiI. BuT dodging in and ouT among The ThoughTs and words, Two clowns were Throwing TragmenTs oT senTences and misspelled words around, Trying To desTroy The harmony oT This greaT pageanT. BUT iT was noT long unTiI The mischief-makers were banished by ProTessors CorrecTness and Precision, who were wearing neaT, Trim, morTarboards and black, Tlowing gowns. Then The shrill sound of TrumpeTs blaring in my head awoke me. The whole parade disappeared, and The beauTiTuI Theme vanished. Now I am in The same siTuaTion I was in beTore my mind was invaded by This exciTing parade oT ThoughTs. NAOMI MANLEY '50, McCloud High school. OLD SCARFACE lBesT SToryl They called him Scarfaced Joe, The old prospecTor who lived in The cabin above The Town where we lived. His cabin was siTuaTed abouT Two miles Trom where we lived and iT lay Towards The head oT The sTream which ran down The can on and ouT pasT The Town. The old man came inTo Town abouT Twice a monTh Tor supplies, and To bring his meager supply of gold To The assayer's oTTice. His Tace was hideously covered wiTh scars and pockmarks. IT was rumored ThaT he had killed eighT men. He. never seemed To boTher anybody, buT s+iII he had a very gruTT manner which alone was enough To make an one aTraid oT him. SomeTimes when he came inTo Town, The kids would hide behind Tiences and Throw pebbles aT him. He would slowly Turn around and pull a wicked-looking knife ouT oT iTs sheaTh and sTare aT Them wiTh Those horrible blood-shoT eyes. The kids would Then Turn and run Tor Their lives. ThaT, you see, is The kind oT repuTaTion Old ScarTace had. One sunny aTTernoon in OcTober. I had decided To go Tishing along The sTream above Old Joe's cabin. AbouT Tour olclock in The aTTernoon I sTarTed To amble on back To Town. ThaT Time of The year, The sun wenT down around six o'cIock, so I knew I would have pIenTy OT Time To geT back To Town before supper. My parenTs never worried, Though, if I was IaTe because someTimes I would sTop and spend The early parT of The evening wiTh one oT my Triends. Along The mounTainside which ran above The edge oT The creek, There was a large paTch oT shalerock. AT The Top oT The rock There appeared To be The mouTh oT a cave. I had always wanTed To explore The cave. and I ThoughT ThaT now was as good a Time

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Tor The moTher Iode since Then. WiTh iT, I could have had my Tace correcTed wiTh plasTic surgery. Son, I wanT To donaTe ThaT gold Tor a new high school and iunior college To be buiIT aT The edge oT Town. I have in my cabin The deeds To This cave and surrounding properTy. You will Tind Them in my desk. The old man was soon dead. I reached Old Joe's cabin abouT dark, while on m way To Tell The auThoriTies of his deaTh. I wenT inside and in his desk I Tound his deeds, and a picTure oT a very hand- some young man. On The back oT iT I read This inscripTion: Joseph Henry Hale, age nineTeen, Taken June The TourTeenTh, I894. A Tew years laTer, a very progressive high school and iunior college sTood aT The edge oT Town. AT The gaTes There was a monumenT. Toward The Top was a phoTograph encased in glass. Below iT were The words: Evergreen High School and Junior College. DedicaTed To The memory oT Joseph Henry Hale. CLYDE SHOEMAKER, BuTTe Valley High School. THE DANGEROUS SEX lSecond place sToryl I see Masher McGee is making a play Tor Lana Wilkins, came a commenT in a high shrill Tone Trom Henry Pringle. lx-nay, Henry, ix-nay! He's apT To do you up buT good iusT Tor looking aT her, piped Wilbur Hawkins. ThaT big Tub oT baloney smear me? Fooey! He don'T scare me. He doesn'T scare me eiTher, buT he could if he Tried. Oh, oh, here he comes over here. We'd beTTer beaT iT, buT TasT! JusT a minuTe, you Two! Well, well, well! IT iT isn'T good old Masher-'H ya, Masher, came Two replies in a musical Tone, WiIbur's answer being echoed by Henry's. IT 'pears To me ThaT I saw you guys sTaring aT my gurl! NOT me, Henry said nervously. You know I'm going sTeady. I saw you looking aT her, Too, Wilbur, lvlasher said, grabbing him by The collar and shaking him unTil iT seemed To make his head raTTle. W-who, m-me? Don'T ever pay aTTenTion To whaT I look aT, Masher. Look aT my eyes! See? no conTrol, Wilbur sTuTTered, sIighTIy scared and wiggling his eyes around in Their sockeTs To prove They were ouT oT conTroI. Who's kiddin' who? You don'T have a gurl and you were looking aT mine. Heh, heh, heh, hear ThaT, Henry? lvlasher doesn'T even know I'm going sTeady! You going sTeady? WiTh who? My moTher! ThaT's a TacT, lvlasher, Henry ioined in, in proTecTion oT his Triend. WiIbur's besT girl is his moTherg oTherwise, he's a woman haTer. Well, he beTTer noT IeT me see him making eyes aT Lana again! WiTh ThaT sTaTe- menT Ivlasher leTT The Two scared youThs. Boy, ThaT was close, Wilbur. He's gone! For awhile There I +hough+ I was gone! I guess The only way To live To a ripe old age is noT To look aT Lana any more. Yeah, and I don'T wanT To have To look aT Masher any more, eiTher. The nexT day aT school all was TorgoTTen and everyThing was rosy: well, Tor awhile anyway, unTiI The principal called Lana inTo his oTFice. Did you send Tor me, Mr. Hardwood? Yes, come in, Lana. Miss ApplegaTe Tells me she doesn'T Think you're going To pass your maTh exams. Oh, dear! ThaT would be awTuI. WhaT do you suggesT I do, lvlr. Hardwood? IT I were you I would ask The brighTesT sTudenT in The maTh class To help me unTiI Time Tor The exams. ThaT would be Wilbur: I'm sure he'lI help me. STiIl noT suspecTing The dasTardIy pIoT againsT him, we Tind Wilbur on his way home Trom school, Talking To himselT. '