Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1875-02-13
THE LOoI MINE.

"'ro the StItes::'
"Ies.''
10 Buena Vista p
"Of course Nllera else would we go?'
Th,. last speaker was Il dark-iaced, brig
an,lish-looking man of five and forty; his
COMPANION q handsome fellow at least hi
teen years his junior. They SIT IN the
light Of Il small iirc in one OF the famous
gl,iches OF New Mexico, and seemed to be
..,ong. Their c..r5lnes rested on the
oluini beside them, and the twain looked
tatI, ucd.
The words of the elder caused a sneer to
ruff a. li5s o. the other, and deternlna-
ton flashed IN his d,iN Yes.
II am not goin. baol o the States, m"ch
less to Buena Vista, Lelore | have found
the treasure
"Tnen, by George. some sun Will ind
YOU in Il gu.cA w.t.l Il zen iealh red sticks
in your body. }'htr~ DATis?'
"D,aI!"
"An,l Angcrbright =
"DAld.'
"Yes, and ii you'll = up the Rio G.ande
YOU II find poor NnS..- 5 anatomy, and IN
tno best heart tnat = lived i'll Ohio is an
Apache arrowhead. Ilera We're five of us
wnen wc lett Buent I,tt; you and l are
all the Indians have Jared. And Heaven
knows that they are ,,.t,sr us now
"You can go back i. you wish, Kyle. l
am gong to .ini the &c 'surr.'
"Wh4t! go back aid leave you here
Chalbcrt Ross. you don't know Kyle Biins
Incver nore'n half believed the sorry about
the lost silver mrnt, AMI We have been up
on 4 w.ld-goose chase.
81 believe We are ne 81 the treasure. re-
spondcI the younger ,.drenturer, confident
". 81 do not t!lll! tn,, ph2 information
gathered IN Taos is altogether deceptive
But we will tax while We hunt tomorrow
Kyle, guard tonight Lac down and sc
to s!eep.'
Obodlcnt, the bearded man drew 1t blank
ct about lis person, and throw himself upoh
the ground. A moment later he was
asleep, and it seemed taIt ais guard, Chal
bert loss, was not lar from the land OF
dreams. He seemed worn out with travel
inc. but there Was u iire in his eye, anG
his ear was on the alert for adnonitions o.
danger.
Perhaps he thought Of the three Ohit
bows who in high spirits had crossed the
Arkansas at h!s siie Il short time prior t
the date of his present encampment. Brave
fellows and full OF adventure they were
but there were Indian arrows in their bod
les, and on the banks of unexplore,
streams they slept the sleep OF the dead
Now but two of the little band OF five mel
who LETT the Buckeye State to redlscove
one Of the many hidden silver mines of New
Mexico remained, AMI they had hunte'
many weeks with the shadow Of death
wing above them. and dark mystery before
The ignis fatuus, invented perhaps b.
some imaginative writer, had lured them t
the gulches and chasms of the, to them
terra imcoynita of America Would the
ever escape? 1t was IL question they coul
not answer.
Chalbert Ross felt that sleep was stealin
over him while he watched his prostrat
companion, and coveted the refreshin
slumber that closed his heavy lids. ii
rose and paced up and down the canyon
the light of the fire. Far above him gh
tered the stars; on each side, dull, gra
rocks, on which his giant-like shadow fel
Once he paused and drew medallion po
trait from his bosom, and looked at 1t.
He saw the beautiful features of girlhoo'
: bright blue eyes, ana wealth OF radiai
hair, as aureate rs the sunbeams.
'She wouldn't know me now, he nlu
INJURED 81 look so Old. | wonder If a
silvcr-hunters get SO haSgerd, l ought
go back to her; but not without the trea
ure. No! no! no.
: He repeated the n,onosyllable with dete
] mination, and the giant, talking in h
:. dreams, seemed to respond propheticaly, Il
i he said;
Il "Then we've got to die; th are's no he
: for it
n Ross laughed when ne saw that his bur
/. companion hal spoken in his Lumber, al
u Il minute later lutvin" seltcl himself befo
8 the fire, was asleep h;lnseF.
q He did not hear .ht stealthy footstcp
/ the canyon; he d i:'t see the figure tn
came from the q .,.2 biz eyes had failed