A little stream of water trickled constantly down the chute
to keep the friction of the logs from setting it on fire.
"That's the most interesting thing here," said Jack. "I'd
like to send the Blacksmith's Pet down the thing and see what he
would do. I'll wager he'd kick the wood-pile all over the town
after he alighted."
We spent nearly the whole day in wandering about the
stamp-mills. The great steam engines which operated them were
some of the largest we had ever seen.
"And think," observed Jack, "of the fact that all of this
heavy machinery, including the big engines and the locomotives
and cars, and, in fact, everything, was brought overland on
wagons, probably most of it nearly three hundred miles. No wonder
people got to driving such teams as Henderson's."
Toward night we returned to Deadwood by the way of Central
City. Here were more great mines and mills, but they did not Seem
to be so prosperous, and part of the town was deserted, and
consisted of nothing but empty houses. Just as the sun set we
drove in through the Golden Gate, and east anchor at our old camp
near the mill.
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