Tech Stocks Slide as U.S. Sanctions, Nvidia Earnings and Inflation Concerns Weigh on Markets

August 24,2026

                                                                  

Traders worked intensely on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in New York City on Monday as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed lower, weighed down by weakness in major technology stocks. Investors spent much of the day reacting to fresh U.S. economic pressure on Iran and preparing for a busy week that includes Nvidia’s earnings report and a closely watched inflation update. 

The Trump administration announced plans to expand secondary sanctions on countries doing business with Iran, describing the move as an “economic D-Day,” though no penalties were actually imposed. 

 Technology shares struggled throughout the session. Chipmakers slid sharply, pulling down the broader semiconductor index. Nvidia, Micron, and Broadcom all declined, adding pressure to the S&P 500’s technology sector. Sentiment toward tech was also hurt by growing political pushback against AI data centers.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott delivered one of the strongest warnings yet, saying data center companies had “dug their own grave” by failing to build community support. Earlier this month, he ordered a pause on approvals for new data center projects over concerns that rising electricity demand could threaten grid reliability.

Financial stocks, however, managed to rise, with JPMorgan Chase and Visa helping keep the Dow in positive territory. By the end of the day, the S&P 500 had slipped 0.28%, the Nasdaq had fallen 0.77%, and the Dow had gained 0.27%. Concerns about rising government debt continued to hang over the bond market. The 30‑year Treasury yield recently hit a 19‑year high, and although the Treasury announced support measures last week, yields remained above 5%. A CNBC report suggested Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent might use the department’s nearly $1 trillion General Account to help fund bond buybacks. Investors are now turning their attention to Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh’s upcoming speech at the Jackson Hole symposium, hoping for clarity on how policymakers view the Treasury’s efforts. 

Nvidia’s quarterly results are expected to be another major market catalyst. Any sign that the company’s rapid growth is slowing could revive concerns about stretched valuations across the AI sector. As one strategist put it, Nvidia needs to deliver strong results to keep one “leg” of the market steady, while Warsh’s comments on interest rates will help stabilize the other. Traders are also watching the Personal Consumption Expenditures report, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, due Wednesday. A mild consumer inflation reading earlier this month reduced expectations for an immediate rate hike, though markets still anticipate one 25‑basis‑point increase by the end of 2026. In a separate development, President Trump warned that tariffs on cars, trucks, and auto parts from Canada will rise to 50% starting January 1 after trade negotiations collapsed over the weekend. Shares of Ford and General Motors fell, and trucking company J.B. Hunt dropped sharply in response.

An Arizona Boom Town: The Draw of Silver after the Civil War - November 21, 2025

Updated on October 14, 2025

John lives in the AZ copper corridor. Mining is part of Arizona's daily life, past and present. It instills greatly a sense of pride.

Installment 1:

A-Tiny-Story-Romance-and-Savagery-in-19th-Century-Southwestern-Arizona

Installment 2:

Apache-Land-Travels-and-Surprises

Installment 3:

an-old-time-arizona-silver-mining-pioneer-adventure

Day breaks.

Rise and Shine

Jack was still snoring

Nell could feel warmth on her right forearm. She knew immediately that the Arizona sun had risen. Breaking her drape, she clearly saw the outline of mesquite trees at the bosque winding in the distance south.

She had mixed feelings as she made her way to their small kitchen area. She thought pensively to herself, "Such a beautiful day. I hope it is for Jack as well."

Nell spied the three eggs Jack's Mexican friend had given him. Reaching for a knife she called out, "Time to get up. Jack. Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey."

She mixed flour and water with drippings for a gravy and warmed up biscuits. With any luck at all, Jack would soon make the money to buy a bit of meat.

Groggily walking to their small sideboard, Jack dropped in a chair and inhaled deeply.

"Mmmmmm... That looks good," he mumbled. When he bivouacked in the Army of the Union, Jack and his messmates would sit around a kettle. Hard tack and heated salt pork was what he had to look forward to. The drippings cooking with eggs smelled so good on this morning. Here he had a breakfast served with caring hands, and what's more, he always anticipated the conversation. Nell was a good listener, and as such, Jack loved her talk. It was not because she let him babble on, but because he knew she understood his point of view.

An Ominous Interruption

Pushing his chair out from the table, Jack was about to holster his Colt when a great bang shattered the serenity.

Thwack! went a shutter. The two looked seriously mindful.

"Was just a dust devil, better lower the window," Jack retorted firmly. Then with a warm embrace the two said their goodbyes. Jack rested his cheek on Nell's and said, "Every man is a miner, one way or another.

Nell shook her head a little, "Come home safe to me."

A twister shakes the house. | Source

Riding to Work at the Mine

There was a promise in the air as Jack rode to the mine. It was about a one-half mile trek to Harshaw, and then another one mile to the mine. The morning was already warming. But with thoughts of paying work, Jack and his horse moved confidently toward town.

Soon, Jack's horse slowed a bit and then, with no warning, the horse refused to continue.

Jack rarely heard his horse snort. Stopping rigidly was truly eventful, but with a snort it made the situation alarming.

Contemplating a dismount to investigate, Jack focused his attention at the movement on the side of the road. Momentarily, he witnessed a pop and a rustle in the brush to the right. Then, a projection from the grass appeared to be a boot toe. The color was nearly identical to the brush.

With an air of concern, Jack spoke with little vocal strength, "What's the matter, boy?"

Contemplating dismounting to investigate, Jack focused his attention at the movement on the side of the road. Drooping desert thicket grass on the side of the road was suddenly moved, popping and rustling was heard. Then a projection from the grass appeared to be a boot toe? The color was nearly identical to the desert brush. After a temporary pause, Jack was stunned by a forked tongue that flicked. He knew what was on.

Slowly, a giant Gila Monster entered the road. Wit a deliberate and swaying motion it got to the middle. Turning its head toward Jack, it tarried and flicked repeatedly. After a suitable time to the lizard, it straightened its head and moved toward the other side of the road. The horse seemed to be less inflexible that before. That gave Jack a shot of trust that the worst was over.

The body of the monster was 36 inches long not including its tail. Its short little legs moved in unison, the left side dropping while the right side lifted. Once a step was taken, the same motion occurred on the right side. It therefore seemed to rock left and right as it lumbered along. Surely this was the largest Gila monster he had ever seen.

Later in the 20th century, zoologists would discover the Komodo dragon. An average adult male will weigh 174 to 201 pounds and measure 8.5 ft. Yes, Gila monsters can be large, but monsters, maybe not? "The Gila monster may measure 20 to 22 in. The tail is about 20% of the body size. Body mass can reach 1.76 lb."

- Alina Bradford

What Jack saw was an outlier. There have been unsubstantiated reports of Gila monsters twice this size.

A Gila monster poked out from the brush.

Approaching the Mine Tunnel Portal

The low hanging sun cast shadows over the adobe buildings of Harshaw. The townsfolk watched Jack and his horse walk by giving him a nod here and a hat tip there. The trail ahead wound upward with switchbacks running across the carved rock.

Starting to ascend the miner's hill, the air smelled of sage and old rain. As he climbed the dusty dirt trail, twisted juniper appeared. They were gnarled survivors of the desert, their roots gripping the dirty spaces between rocks.

Soon, Jack could see the mine portal. As he approached, he could see seven men sitting in a cue outside. The last man raised an arm to wave.

Jack could see burros tied up on the other side of the portal and rode his horse to the picket line. His horse watered and tied up; Jack moseyed over to the other men lined up in wait.

Picket Meaning Sharp Point (Hammered) Securing A Line

A picket line is a horizontal rope along which horses are tied at intervals. The rope can be on the ground, at chest height (above the knees, below the neck) or overhead. The overhead form is usually called a high line.

Day Shift

They called it the day shift, and Jack and the others were about to go in. Spout oil wick lamps, mounted on beams or on caps, and candlesticks were the lighting tools most usually used. Whale oil and kerosene were the fuels of the day for bringing light into the caverns. The candlestick's flames danced like ghosts illuminating pickaxe strikes on the walls.

The environment was new. There was some reticence in Jack's heart, but this was his chance to make a living off the desert. The mine tunnel was dark. Small sparkles emanated from the walls as light bounced off particles of silver. It was cooler in there - there was a tiny scent of smoke. Strangeness of place sent Jack back to his days on the battle front.

When he felt a bit uneasy, he would travel back in his memory to those war places that had scared him the most. He recalled the desperate feeling he had as bullets passed his head, and he heard the screams of friends. Conjuring these thoughts when he felt uncomfortable helped him relax a bit; the present seemed less intimidating.

Mind Your Light

The miner who had loaned candles to Jack was named Jeb. He was in front.

Head turned to the side, he said, "We're pretty close. Be alert. Watch your candle." Small notches were carved in the walls near operations and held the candles.

Excavation was their job at the end of the mine. From the conversation the others had, it sounded as if they were near that point. Turning a bend, the tunnel halted, and the face of a huge end wall appeared. Everyone stopped and put their belongings to the side.

Jeb stopped as if in thought, and then turned to Jack. "Mind your water. I'll tell you when to quit for Twal-hours" - (Scottish for lunch.) It was cooler in the tunnel than outside, but thirst is generated fairly soon when breaking rock.

Of course, there are belongings, and then there are belongings. The tools of the trade stayed close by. Jack had some light, along with his fellow miners, but he had no tools of his own. He was a newbie.

There was a broken-down locker against the opposite wall with a few tools. Jack raced to get a pick. He saw a sledgehammer and grabbed that too. Finding his place again, and copying Jeb, he began to beat the wall. It was slow going, but eventually large chunks of ore would fall.

Jeb hollered, "Put your bock into it and then after strike, relox your bock. You'll last longer that way."

Between the 1860’s and 1880’s many processes were tried and abandoned before some were successful. Jack and his fellows were mining at a point just prior to a breakout in a scientific approach to mining. By the early 1870's the efficacy of stamping mills to crush the burden Jack and his fellows would haul out, was proven.

In the latter half of the 19th century, furnaces were used to cook silver cake. This cake was not pure enough to make silver items from (for instance, coins) but it could be shipped elsewhere (like San Francisco) to be refined. Indeed, most of the U.S. coinage minted was from Arizona, California, and Nevada mines.

Black powder was first used to fragment rock in mining in the early 1600s1. There is a doubtful claim that it was used in mining operations in Germany in 1613 and fairly authentic evidence that it was employed in the mines of Schemnitz, Hungary (modern Banská Štiavnica, Czechoslovakia), in 1627. The term black powder was coined in the late 19th century.

A mandrill, also called a miner’s pickaxe is used in traditional mining, or old-school mining, as it is a mining method involving the use of basic manual tools, like pickaxes. This was the method of the individual miner until the early 20th century for hacking at tunnel or shaft walls to break ore loose for removal.

-In the 19th century, miners commonly referred to their tools as pickaxes or mattocks. A pickaxe typically had a pointed end for breaking up hard ground and a flat end for prying.

Echoes Reverberate in the Mine

They had been working for about an hour, and Jack could hear a loud rumbling. It was like a thunderstorm in the distance. Jeb stopped his work, which seemed unusual, and then the sound became more intense. At the point when gnashing and banging began, followed by debris and dust falling, Jeb threw his pickaxe down and screamed. "Run! Get to the portal."

The mules were braying and stomping their feet. Suddenly, a rock slab fell from the ceiling. It just missed Jeb behind the back of his head. But a piece of shoring fell and down he went.

Though the light was minimal, Jack saw Jeb lying in a heap, covered with dust. Amidst the dust and turmoil, Jack ran and hopped toward Jeb. He knelt down and gently raised the wooden shoring away. Jack put his hand behind Jeb's head and asked, " Partner, can you walk?"

Jeb seemed to be dreaming. He said, "Yes." But then he wondered out loud, "Did you order me ale?"

Jack encouraged Jeb to help get up. "Come on, Jeb. Let's get the hell out of here."

As Jeb was getting upright, Jack brought is hand down to secure Jeb's shoulder. The lifeline on Jack's hand had rivulets of bright red crimson, warm blood quickly running to the side and dripping off. The iron square head nail on the shoring had ripped Jeb's head. Jack took his shirt off and wrapped the injured miner's head.

There was dust in the tunnel, and by this time the mules and their wagons had run to the portal. Jack and Jeb, arms wrapped around each other, stepped out of the mine. The air immediately felt cleaner and was easier to breathe. A couple miners grabbed their mining friend and got him to some shade.

Jack looked up and was astonished. Standing right in front of him was John Walther, owner of Copper Ridge Mine.

Standing there with his hands in his trousers and with a gruff tone, yet a small smile, John declared, "We seem to meet at the most violent of times, don't we?"

                                                 

More Good Reading

For a collection of gold mining tales, buried treasure, silver hoards, and much much more, see, Golden Legends Tales of Buried Treasure

https://goldlegendstalesofburiedtreasure.blogspot.com/

Treasure & Wellness: Gold, Money, Silver, and DIY Guides https://diywealthhealth.blogspot.com/

Sources of History

McClintock, James Harvey. (1916). Mining and Miners in Arizona, Legends of America retrieved from Mining and Miners in Arizona – Legends of America on Aug 20, 2024

No author. No date. Black powder - History of Mining Technology, American Mine Services retrieved from History of Mining Technology | American Mine Services on August 21, 2024

Grove, Stephen. (2009 - 2024). Exploring the Evolution of 19th Century Mining Tools: A Comprehensive Guide, retrieved from Evolution of MINING TOOLS - 19th Century GUIDE on August 18, 2024

No Author. EDCITEment! National Endowment for the Humanities. Retrieved from BackStory: Blasts from the Past: A History of Dynamite in the United States | NEH-Edsitement on August 10, 2024

Johnston, Keith. (November 12, 2020), 11 Wonderful Old Words for Lunch, retrieved from Old Words for Lunch We Should Bring Back | Mental Floss on August 12, 2024

The Nugget Bucket is Golden

Updated on December 29, 2022

John has prospected for gold in Arizona 10 years. His experience taught him to deal with the terrain, heat, and gold fever. He makes tools.

The Basic Concept of the Nugget Bucket

Imagine for a moment that you are looking at your child's kiddy swimming pool. The water has a greenish tone, and there are a couple of small rocks, a few pebbles, and some sand and silt at the bottom. You wish you could save the old water for your garden.

Now, imagine having a spark of imagination cross your mind. You realize you can save the water and clean the little pool at the same time. Placing your kids' little pool inside of a somewhat larger child's pool will allow you to catch the water spilling over the edge of the smaller pool. If you turn on your hose with a high-pressure setting, the water will get agitated. Dirty water will flow out and into the bigger pool. At the same time, briefly stir the water a bit with a rake, and the silt becomes dispersed.

Pretty soon, you will see the water in the tiny pool getting clearer. The grubby water collecting in the big pool will be available to drench your plants. You will also be able to see a couple rocks, a few pebbles, and the heavier sand particles that don't dissolve into the solution. The example above is an analogy for the process of washing shovelfuls of dirt and rock and being left with the gold.

Oh, If Only for a Good Idea!

Unfortunately, I never had this idea cross my mind. It is the principle that might have made me a lot of money! I probably would still have taken a bucket and gathered the old water, pouring it on my plants. Mark Petersen was more observant and much smarter than me!

Petersen, an Oregonian, was wanting to get his kids away from the TV and phone. He knew the kids liked to polish rocks, so he thought of a way to separate and wash them for the rock tumbler. With a screen over the bucket and scoopfuls of dirt being poured on top, he instructed the kids to stream pails of water on the material. Petersen had cut a hole in the bottom of the bucket so dirty water could be discharged. He noticed how much fun the kids had and how well it worked. He knew the principle could be applied to amateur gold prospecting.

Eureka! The Nugget Bucket Was Conceptualized

The Nugget Bucket is patented and is a substitute for long sessions of traditional gold panning. If you mine for gold, you can spend backbreaking hours panning while trying to filter out dirt and get down to just black sand. At this point, you very slowly and carefully wash back and forth to reveal the color in your pan. Instead of panning material until you are left with black sand and some heavies (and low back pain), much of the panning is eliminated by the Nugget Bucket.

A cross section of the construction of the patented Nugget Bucket | Source

Could I Make One?

I envisioned the parts above and below as a way to wash more material faster than panning. The point is that the cost was minimal:

• The funnel was one I used to change oil.
• The electric box cost about a buck at a hardware store.
• The bucket was free.
• The little kids "U" shaped table or stand or chair or whatever was 2 bucks at Goodwill.
• The screen was part of a set I bought at a gold prospecting show.
• Use any 1/8 " mesh and make your own.
• The container I "stole" from my wife!

My attempt: This apparatus fits inside the bucket—the blue section keeps the funnel and screen from falling through the hole in the bottom of the bucket. | Source

How my apparatus fit in the bucket: my version of a bucket classifier made from scraps | Source

What Comes in the Kit?

There are no age requirements, and the bucket contains everything you need to gold prospect.

• Gold Prospectors Association of America (GPAA) approved
• Contains:
• Written instructions on use
• Gold pan
• Lid makes bucket seat
• 2 screens
• Funnel
• Concentration bowl and base
• Scoop
• Tweezers, gold vial, black sand magnet, suction bottle
• Outer bucket and water pail

At the time of this writing, the prices for the Gold Nugget Bucket were all over the place, so shop carefully.

A Great Way to Introduce Gold-Panning to Youngsters

The Nugget Bucket does not have to be perfectly level to work. The self-contained kit has drain holes that free the wash water, so it doesn't back up. This 5-gallon bucket weighing only 7 pounds is especially useful for kids. There is no searching for what you need, and it is light to carry into the wild. It's a great way to introduce gold panning to youngsters for developing the family's "fever." The Nugget Bucket is a self-contained classifier and sluice all in one.

The Lost Silver of Irish Canyon: Butch Cassidy’s Hidden Treasure in Colorado’s Outlaw Country

                                                                   Butch Cassidy

 In the far northwest corner of Moffat County, where Colorado leans into Utah and the land begins to feel more like outlaw country than anything mapped or measured, Irish Canyon cuts a narrow path through stone. In the late nineteenth century it was a place where men on the run could disappear without much effort. Butch Cassidy drifted through those cliffs more than once, and so did the rest of the Wild Bunch. Matt Warner and Isom Dart knew the canyon’s bends and shadows as well as any rancher knows his own pasture. They operated out of nearby Brown’s Park, a lonely valley along the old Outlaw Trail, a place where a rider could vanish for weeks and no lawman would bother to follow.

Irish Canyon offered exactly what men like Cassidy needed: isolation, rugged walls, and a dozen escape routes disguised as game trails. It was the kind of country where a rider could stash something valuable and trust the land to keep its mouth shut. According to frontier lore and the storytellers who keep these legends alive, the gang buried a fortune in silver coins somewhere in that canyon. The amount—thirty thousand dollars—was not out of character for Cassidy’s crew. They robbed banks, trains, and payroll couriers with a kind of reckless confidence, often riding away with sacks of gold and silver that would weigh down a lesser band of thieves.

Today, anyone heading toward the canyon follows the same general path: west from Maybell on the long stretch of US‑40, then north on Colorado 318, and finally onto the rough county road that threads into the gorge. The land looks untouched, as if the nineteenth century never quite left. Fremont petroglyphs still cling to the rock faces, and the formations rise in jagged shapes that make searching difficult. It is easy to imagine Cassidy himself riding through the narrow pass, glancing over his shoulder, deciding where to hide a heavy cache that needed to stay hidden.

Brown’s Park, just beyond the canyon, was a refuge for outlaws long before Cassidy arrived. Rustled cattle and horses were moved through the valley, and stories of buried loot were common enough that locals barely raised an eyebrow. Josie Bassett, one of Cassidy’s closest friends, lived there and often sheltered members of the Wild Bunch. Cassidy himself stayed for a time at Doc Parson’s cabin, a place where a man could rest, plan, and wait for trouble to cool. The remoteness of the region made it perfect for burying valuables. Lawmen rarely ventured into that maze of cliffs and sagebrush, and the terrain itself seemed designed to hide secrets.

Whether the Irish Canyon treasure is real or simply a tale that grew in the telling, no one has ever produced proof of its recovery. Still, the story fits the habits of the Wild Bunch. They were known to bury loot when the chase grew too hot, and they certainly handled enough stolen silver and gold to make such a cache plausible. They spent long stretches hiding in Brown’s Park and Irish Canyon, waiting for the world to forget their latest robbery.

The canyon keeps its silence. Landmarks from the nineteenth century have eroded or vanished, and outlaws were not known for leaving tidy maps behind. The place is large, rugged, and sparsely visited, and if multiple caches were ever buried, they may lie scattered across the canyon floor like forgotten chapters of a story no one can finish. Treasure hunters have combed the area for decades, but Irish Canyon remains stubborn, holding tight to whatever secrets Butch Cassidy may have left behind.

Sierra Estrella Buried Gold, Arizona

Long before Arizona had highways or retirement communities, the Sierra Estrella Mountains stood alone against the desert sky, keeping their secrets. One of those secrets, people say, is a cache of gold so large it could change a man’s life forever — if he could find it. The story begins in 1847, when a Spaniard named Don Joaquin forced local Native people to work a hidden mine deep in the Estrellas. The gold they pulled from the rock was said to be so pure it gleamed even in shadow. When word reached Joaquin that the American Army was approaching, he panicked. He loaded thousands of pounds of gold onto mule carts and followed the old Zig Zag Trail into the mountains. There, in a cave known only to him and a Native scout, he buried the treasure. Some say Joaquin killed the scout and laid the body over the gold, believing the presence of the dead would keep others away. Joaquin never returned. His own men murdered him, the map vanished, and the gold has remained hidden for nearly two centuries. Even today, hikers swear the Estrellas feel like they’re guarding something.

Far to the east, in the rolling green hills of what became Cherokee country, another legend took shape during the turmoil of the 1830s. After the Cherokee were forced west along the Trail of Tears, Tahlequah rose as their new capital — a place of rebuilding, grief, and resilience. In those unsettled years, a Seminole man known only as Blackface led a small band of outlaws who roamed the territory. According to old frontier lore, the gang carried a hoard of silver coins, trade goods, and valuables stolen during their travels. Pursued by soldiers and rival bands, they buried their treasure somewhere near Tahlequah. Some versions say they were killed before they could return; others claim Blackface escaped but never found the spot again. The land has changed, the roads paved, the forests thinned — yet the story persists, whispered by locals who swear the cache is still out there, waiting for someone with patience and luck.

Up along the Oregon coast, where the wind carries the smell of salt and cedar, the Nehalem‑Tillamook people kept a story alive long before settlers arrived. Their elders spoke of Spanish sailors who came ashore in the late 1600s, hauling a heavy chest up Neahkahnie Mountain. The sailors dug into the earth, lowered the chest, and then — in a grim act meant to protect their secret — killed a dark‑skinned man and placed his body atop the burial site. They believed the local people would avoid disturbing a grave. For generations, the Nehalem‑Tillamook treated the mountain with reverence, knowing something had been hidden there. When settlers arrived in the 1800s, the legend spread like wildfire. Treasure hunters tore into the mountain for decades, convinced gold lay beneath the soil. Today, the land is protected, and digging is forbidden. But the story remains, carried in the voices of those who remember the old ways and the old warnings.

Across all these tales — from the Arizona desert to the Oklahoma hills to the misty Oregon coast — a pattern emerges. Native people, their lands, and their histories form the backdrop of mysteries that have endured for centuries. Some of the stories are rooted in real conflict and upheaval; others blend truth with folklore. But each one reminds us that the land itself holds memories, and sometimes those memories take the shape of treasure.

Adventures and Surprises in Apache Country, 1869

 Updated on December 15, 2024

Continued - For the first in this series, see 

A-Tiny-Story-Romance-and-Savagery-in-19th-Century-Southwestern-Arizona

Installment 2:

Apache-Land-Travels-and-Surprises

Installment 3:

An-old-time-arizona-silver-mining-pioneer-adventure

A Raven Sentinel

As they rode southeast across a flat area one could see a hill in the distance. To the right was a lush saguaro cactus, its trunk erect with two strong arms, each with a bit of white fluff at the top, the early signs of spring blossoms. A raven-like bird was sitting at the pinnacle, its neck down riffling in a nearly imperceptible breeze. As they approached, the bird's head jerked to the left and focused on the crest of the hill.

Mysterious Hangings

The approach from here was very slow. Nell's horse gave a nicker and raised its head slightly, then paused. Jack paid attention to that.

Both riders scanned ahead and noticed something hanging from a mesquite tree near the top of the hill. Hanging from it were a couple of tan strips shaped like long skinny masks of some sort. They twisted slightly with a small gust.

Reigning in their horses, a dove's coo floated melodiously through the air. Handing his reigns to Nell, Jack slowly dismounted opening a saddle bag; he then took out a Colt pistol.

"Anything boggles you, leave my horse and ride fast," Jack muttered. "Take this - just point and shoot."

A Dusty Approach

Just dust and rocks led up the hill. Jack's boots would occasionally kick up a small cascade of powdery desert soil. With little grass it was easy for this area to become embroiled in dust when the wind really picked up. He signaled to Nell.

She brought the horses up and dismounted tying her horse to the mesquite. She found a thick branch and threw the leather reins of her horse around it, Jack's steed chained to the horn of her saddle.

Approaching Jack, she inquisitively asked, "What are they?"

He turned and looked her squarely in the eye.

"These are Apache slings. The Apache hurl stones with them. They can hunt game or crack a man's scull."

Jack raised his arm to imitate the sling swinging motion prior to launch and Nell's eyes followed. At that moment she noticed something near rocks on the right. A small desert thistle with furry purple flowers rose near one end of the box. Loaded with fuzzy thistles, it was a beautiful contrast to what looked to be a coffin.

She gasped in disbelief, "My word!"

This slingshot is a 4 strand round braided Apache with cotton twine and a leather pouch.

The Apache used slings to flush out deer or to kill small game and birds. In warfare the slings were most often used to distract an enemy, but they could also inflict serious injury. The sling consisted of a pouch and fiber or leather thongs the length of which depended on the preference of the user. In general, longer thongs were for flinging for distance while shortening aided in accuracy.

An Empty Weapon Chest

Initially, both had been surprised by the wooden-walled chest. As he approached, Jack quickly recognized the rifle crate. He had seen caissons carrying many of them during the war.

That mind of Jack's would play tricks. Traveling back in time to the Battle of Wauhatchie in 1863, he shook his head.

He had always been suspicious a sutler had killed a wagon driver and stolen supplies, including crates of rifles prior to their civil war engagement. This was a repetitive memory. He would tell himself at night that he didn't have to think about bad things - he could tell himself that over and over. Yet once asleep, like a shot- bang - they would return.

He muttered in disgust, "Sutlers."

Under license of the Federal government, sutlers were given exclusive right to sell goods and items that were not considered necessary or supplied by the army. A sutler's inventory often included items such as tobacco, candy, manufactured clothes, hats, yard goods, cigars, tea, sardines, dried fish, alcohol, kitchen items, sewing needles, pins, and buttons.

Enlisted and officers hated the sutlers. They inflated the prices for such items to the point of fleecing soldiers. Yet it took an odd duck to set up a canvas topped lean-to behind the lines of a battlefield before and after the slaughter began.

Even now, Jack hated the concept of sutler.

Military Transport

Generally, rifle crates were carried by rail to the nearest station and then loaded onto wagons destined for Arizona forts. Heavy loads, three or four tons over rough road, were moved by oxen and mule wagons frequently unprotected by soldiers. Drivers were supplied with ammunition and expected to protect themselves.

The government preferred a civilian teamster. He would take better care of the livestock and wagon. Soldiers, if required to drive a wagon, considered it beneath them and might be tempted to desert and sell the cargo using the mules for a getaway. It was not that uncommon.

On June 25, 1876, George Custer and the 7th cavalry were overwhelmed at the Little Bighorn by Lakota and Cheyenne Indians. Because the Indians possessed many repeaters, both Henry and Winchester, when they were in range of the army soldiers (200 yards) the massacre proceeded.

Inordinate Circumstances

Nell was feeling like she suffered from some kind of thought ailment. She didn't seem to understand much since she got off the coach in Patagonia.

Once again she asked a question, "What is that doing here?"

Jack postured and then tried to answer without causing too much alarm.

"It's hard to tell out here. Sometimes thieves take advantage of a country where soldiers or law enforcement may be many miles away. No telling who took those rifles."

The lid had been pried open and was leaning against the crate. An inscription was burned on the chest. It read:

Henry Repeating Rifle, New Haven Arms Company, .44 rimfire caliber

His mind, again, raced back to a time he fancied he could keep from conjuring up. While the U.S. Army had issued him a Springfield, a few of his comrades had purchased their own weapons. A popular one was the Henry. It was a faster firing weapon, but the military considered his Springfield to have a greater range, accuracy, and reliability. Nevertheless, it was unsettling to think that anyone, let alone Apaches may have come in possession of such firearms.

A Fast Hand

Nell went to drop the lid to the side of the crate thinking there might be more inscription. Scorpions love a shady spot to hide like a discarded crate lid; it had been hiding. At that moment a little critter ran out and crawled onto her boot.

She let out a scream, "Aaaaaaah!"

Victorian ladies false button-up boots were her fortunate choice for riding. The boots ended just above the ankle and gave a modicum of protection from creepy crawlers.

Jack slapped her boot. The scorpion scampered away, no doubt as scared as Nell. She would have to learn about the West, a requirement for living in the desert. Scorpions, spiders, Gila monsters, rattlesnakes, and an assortment of things to understand and become comfortable with.

A fast hand and a flicked scorpion - | Source

What's in A Boot?

Considered high top shoes, Nell's pair had 5 buttons and false button holes (buttons were for looks only). They actually were a pull-on shoe with an elastic gusset (patent 1837). Flat heeled and ankle high, the low heel came in prior to 1867. A shoe popular during the Civil War, it was used by women for horseback riding and outdoor activity. Popular in the West until WWI, the trend was for greater comfort and practicality in footwear aided by technological advances like the sewing machine.

New Places, New Sights

As if the day had not been remarkable enough. After all, she had seen different colored thistles within a few miles of each other. First they were blue, then purple. What next? Blue and purple?

Then she had seen an Indian weapon she had not known even existed. She pictured a very happy Apache throwing his sling shot onto a scraggly dry mesquite, happy to exchange it for a repeating rifle.

And then again, there was an abandoned rifle crate that housed several Henry repeating rifles, a weapon, again, that she had never heard of.

Nell had always thought of herself as very capable, and she was, but these new environs were not helping to increase that confidence. She couldn't help but feel a little more secure in Jack's presence. Having always loved Jack's honesty, she wondered if he ever had moments of great fear.

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Resuming the Journey

It was time for Jack and Nell to continue toward their new home. Riding southeast of Patagonia toward Harshaw, the couple were in high anticipation, anxious to see the homestead Jack had worked on since mustering out of the Union Army. The little ranch was outside the mining town of Harshaw, among the largest producers of silver ore in Arizona.

As they rode south they could see a slight haze on the horizon. Jack grinned. He was thinking that the silver stamping mills in Harshaw were operating at full bore. Business must be good, and that meant opportunity for both Jack and Nell.

The Route Home

Jack and Nell's route to Harshaw, AZ

Factual References

Ladies Shoes & Boots, 18th century and 19th century. November 21, 2020. https://www.19th-century-us-history.com/ladies_1800s_clothing/boots-shoes_ladies.shtml . Retrieved on April 11, 2021

Henry History. Henry Made In America Or Not Made At All. No Date. https://www.henryusa.com/about-us/henry-history/ . Retrieved on April 9, 2021

Welty, Raymond L. (May 1938). Supplying the Frontier Military Posts, Kansas Historical Society. https://www.kshs.org/p/supplying-the-frontier-military-posts/12750 . Retrieved on April 13, 2021