SINGLE TREE 21

three days later single drove the frieght wagon into the compound where the mine was. the tent flaps popped in the breeze. at the cook tent the pots and pans were scattered about as well as much of the remaining food stuffs. the camp had been ransacked.the breeze blew papers and trash through the camp. up at the corral the horses that had been left were gone. since it was mid day single un hitched his horses and led them to the corral and water. the tracks in the corral were dusted over. a small amount of hay remained he fed his horses. he went from tent to tent but no one was there. in the tent where hanford and clara slept there was a open diary laying on the bunk hanford used. the breeze fluttered the pages.single picked it up he had a feeling of guilt readying another mans private thoughts. but it told of nothing except the amounts of ore sent out. he decided to go up to the mine. as he stepped out of the tent he was looking south and there on a low rise of ground he could see a white horse with a rider. a few other riders were scattered around him. single started walking up the slope to the mine. as he drew near the tunnel the riders arrived. kosterlinsky in the lead.single stopped a few yards from the tunnel mouth. a sickining smell was comming from the tunnel. he looked to the rurales. " that is a mine of death. we did not do anything here. but the man was there when we arrived. he was already dead. none of my men will go in there or we would have done for the poor man." kosterlinsky explained." we had planed on mineing some of the gold but now it is cursed." single stood rooted. " will you wait while i go in to check? i dont fear a curse." single aked. takeing his bandana he wraped it around his face knowing it wouldnt keep all the smell out but hoped it would help. inside he found a kerosine lamp. he struck a match and lit it. walking down the tunnel he rounded a bend and saw hanford laying at the base of the face of the tunnel he was swollen horribly the kersosene lamp begain to flutter and pop. single retreated back the way he had come as he got around the bend in the tunnel the lamp began to burn bright again. when he walked out into the open he took a big lung full of clean fresh air. looking up at the rurale officer he said " yes its cursed. the dead lay at the face of the mine right on the gold vein. your welcome to it. but you may join that man in there. i will be leaveing in the morning. as far as ime concerned all the gold here isnt worth the risk you take to earn it." the rurales turned as one group and rode away with out a word or a backward glance. single stood watching them leave, unsure of his next move. the next morning single began to take down the tents and bundle them up. everything of value he picked up and stowed in the wagon. by noon he had his team hitched and ready to leave. he had found a bundle of giant powder. this he took up to the mine entrance. he wedged it into a ledge of rocks. it had a long fuse. he lit it and got up on the wagon. he turned the team back toward tucson. he hadnt gone far when the powder went off. he stopped and watched the hill side slide down over the tunnel entrence. he sat there until the dust settled then stirred up his horses headed back to tucson.