The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1849-03-20

her pulse, as her hand encountered his neck,
but he did not raise his head and gaze upon
her face. The Map Of FL Dorado ryelcd
his soul. .F'
The light of the rising sun streamed
through The easement over Juan's pallid
brow, and over the mild, timid face Of Co.
yotla, while the visago of the stranger was
in shadow. The empty goblet on the floor
glittered like fre-coa. AT this moment
Juan raised his head, and Shuddered as he
caught geam ofa face which grinned upon
him from an aperture in the wall.
1T is The face of Death no faltcred and
reached forth his hand to grasp the hand Of
Coyoila. Take your map. Here is your
map. Hero is Il, Dorado,' and clasped the
hand of the Mexican girl, while his haggard
face was overspread by momentary smile.
Here in the light of Home, shines the true
Dorado
Keeping his hand beneath his chin, the
Stranger whispered gently, as his eyes de-
voured Juan's lace-'Gold in rivers sands.
Gold in bars. Gold in rocks. With this
room full of gold, you can command lhe
commerce of the word.n
And then Coyotla and the Stranger contend
ed Tor :ho possession of Juan, while the skele-
ton face grinned msrrily above, and the Map OF
Ell Dorado gowed in the sunshine, from the ta-
ble. Who conquered! Let us see.
Are We almost therep asked Juan, as TO.
ward tho close of q beautiful day they entered
the confines OF gloomy ravine, whose perpon-
dicular rocks were topped with pinss--'l am
hungry and fect-sore, and by the Mass! IL
seema to me, that in these twenty days we've
journeyed as many thousand miles. You have
not spoken since we left tho Jesuit Mission OF
San Jose this morning. Toll me, arc we near
it yet--this FL Dorador
And as he spoke, the Stranger drew his cowl
over his slngularly marked countenance, and
murmured-'Very near? while they passed into
the depths Of the ravine, where twilight gloom
slept like raven, among the rocks and trees.
by the Mass! This is glorious! Gold in the
sands. gold in bars, gold in rocks! That poor
Coyota was silly thing. Now tor lncz und
the empire If the world. But first oi all room
lul Of gold. That was your promise, nay good
irend!"
They crossed a brook which .nng and spar.
kled through the twilight. The Stranger bent
down and scooped handful Of sand from the
little rivulet-spnd which sparkled with count
less points Of light.
Gold is IN the sands,' he whispered, and they
went deeper into the gloom, following the
course of the brook, until they came to a cavern
through whose mouth it battered galy. The
Stranger led Juan through the cavern mouth,
and presently they stood beneath an immense
roof Of rock, illumined by light, which seemed
TO flow from the bowels of the earth.
Gold in bars!' murmured the Stranger, and
JuaR, with his heart palpitating with the very
agony o. rapture, saw the golden bars, huge,
cumbrus and glittering, piled up along the cav
ern floor, like logs oil wood before farmers
door.
1.-TWO hundred billions OF millions Of doubloons
cried Juann Coyotla was fool.
Tho Stranger led him inward from tho cavern
into dark passage which sunk into the bowels
of the earth, and which wns IN lact, an inclined
plane of mile or moro in length
Gold in rocksn said the Stranger, as they
passed from darkness into light. Juan uttered
an incohcrent shrek of Joy He stood on the
Threshold of a cavern in which gold was heaped
in masses, like blocks of granite in quarry
A light emitted from these rocks filled the p ace
with golden light. The very air broa'ACd 0!
gold.
Juan, in the very extravaganza Of his joy, at.
tempted to move one Of the smallest rocks, but
his effort was in vain. All the force OF his sin
ews. braced for tho work by the very madness Of
RAPTURE, could net Stir the mass one solitary
inch.
C Id, gold, gold' he said. Certainly, Co.
volta was fool' Millions, billions, ,trillions, and
trions, billions and millions. By-'he.bye, my
good fellow, Pm as hungry asa hPoro after
three days FAST Can we have nice fowl or
two. done to turn, and flask OF wine or 60
would not be difficult to take.
.Eatn said the stranger, who. seated upon
rock of gold, with his legs arranged, cross wise
like Turk; Eat Drink and as the cowl iell
from his face, he reached forth his hands tow.
ard Juan. One hand was filled with golden sand
the other grasped a golden stone, worth Pr
chance, some hundreds of thousands OF dollars.
You mock me- faltersd Juan, shuddering, he
knew not why.
Eat! drink j. said the Stranger; and tho gold
cavern rung with his hallow laughter.
Il will leave this place. cried Juan, turning
pale and rcd again as he spoke. Friend, am
not yet in your power. You have unmasked
YOURSELF too soon. have not signed my soul
away-you have no parchment stamped with my
name written in blood"
THE man who sacrifices hope, and home, and
all the lovs Of life& oysf Gold, reeds no parek.
ment &C roll to bind him to the Gold Devll"-and
again he smiled, turning his eyebals to the light,
with u look Of horrible meekery. There is no
going back in the Gold Hunt, my dear Then,
to the silent horror of Juan Gonzas, the mouth OF
the cavern was closed by a huge rock OF gold
weighing some twenty tons, and he was alone
there with the Gold Devil, who said. Eat!
Drink amid his bursts OF merry laughter.
PART SECOND AND LAST.
California now.