The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-12-17
SELECT STORY.
THE GREAT GOLD SECRET.
CHAPTER L.

guess somewhere near that; but I'm just
thirty seven last month. / dare say
you don't believe it; and perhaps would
MT believe it, either, IL told you that
all this wrinkiing, and turning grey
was done In one week. Well, il was,
and when Fthink over Il all now. and
think that here am, alive after it all. I
can hardly beIiexsis myself Would
You like % bear about IL? Well. sit
down and make Yourself comfortable,
and I'll till you.
It's nine years ago last Valentines
Day = remember all the dates we'll
eroH.h. warrant ye) that was at
f :Sco wffh Yankee. name Of Seth
Hickman We'd met down in Denver.
aud stood BY each other in row that
happened there, and Of conrae that
drew vs. together and -.share and share
aIiA
Seis-wsa q sharp fellow and knew all
the iiseliest spots, and could do days
work with any man in those days,
though | amt much to braR of now;
and the end Of IL was we made a pretty
good haul.
When ve got to Frisco / thought Of
nothing hut banking some of the stuff
for rainy day and having spree with
the rest, and then starting of again, but
Seth didn't eeem 70 zee il all. noticed
that he looked serious like, rs If he had
something on his mind, for the first two
days after we got into town; and on the
second evening as we were sitting over
our grog, he spoke out:
"Jim, old boss, I'm a gwine to tell
yew something that nary soul in crea-
tion knows about but myself; for if
yew hadnt been some smart with your
derringer when them three skunks went
for me down in Denver they might hA'
wrote Gone up over this child; and no
man ever did Seth Hickman good turn,
nor a bad turn neither, but what he got
cocoanut for you Itis for tat,l yew bet
yure life ON that
when was in africa last year went
up the country bit with my rife, and
thar happened on an old Injun critter,
as old as George Washingion's nurse,
livin' in hut al by himself among the
spurs o. the Andes, and ] camped in his
hut for the night.
"WoI, the aguardiente Whisky in
my flask war leetle tew strong for him,
and he got reg,lar slowed; and when his
tongue got Ioosened by the Ticker he
kim out wi stitch yarn as whipped ey-
erything in Prescott all to fits. He said
that when the Peruvian chiefs stamped
ed from CHzco alter Pizarro took it, n lot
Of 'em got mp among the mountains,
carrying their gold with 'em till them
kim ont ofthe plateau of Lake Titicaca;
and thar, 6ndin' the Spaniards close on
ther trail, they chucked all the gold in
to the lake and skedajdled nobody
knows where. And he said IL any body
took fhe trail from his hat, north and by
east, till they hit the southern end of
the lake, and then looked ont for a big
three -cornered rock like pyramid mp
side down, they'd jest got TO seoop inthe
mud of the lake whar that rock shadow
fell on it at sunrise. and they'd find
'nmH goli to buy up all Wall street.
Now, we've got money enough to put
that job through, and If yew feel like
tryin' il, Pm in" s ssss
I said "done" at once. and we got our
money together, and slipped down the
coast to africa as fast as the Pacific
steamer could carry us. The ninute we
got there Seth went OF into the hills to
try and get hold of his old Indian for a
guide, while I hunted about for work
men-for this was job that needed more
hands than our own. AT last got hold
of two Spaniards-two sturdy fellows
they were, and honest enough as Span.
iartis go--and then Portugee and two
niggers. We weren't long of buying
our stores and working tackle, and by
the time Seth came back with his guide
all was ready and away we went.
Seth was much too knowing bird to
let on what his real game was as long as
we we're within hail Of the town, for il
you say gold" there only in whisper
those blessed Gambusinos (gold iindersl
will hear il a hundred miles off,
So that all we told our gang was that
we were going prospecting among the
lower ranges, az lots of fellows did every
day; but when we were past the old In
dian's but and we'll up among the hills,
so that our chaps couldn't easily turn
back il they wanted to, he up and told
them the whole story. They were rath-
er taken aback, az well they might b.
for Lake Titicaca's a good many days
journey to the nor'east, among some
very awkward mountains and a good
thirteen thousand feet above the sea, il
it's an inch. However. a Spaniard Tor
any other man, for that matter), will 20
pretty nearly anywhere if he once gets
on the scent of gold; SO our fellows they
spoke up stontly enough, and said they
were ready to go up to the lake and down
to the bottom of it into the bargain, af-
q maui as bI1dtS anu Oh We s0A
again.
I've seen good many wonders in my
time, knocking about the world az
have done; but anything like that climb
up the Andes / never saw Jet. Rocks
that seemed to go up into the very sky,
straight a. plumb line; beds of moss
three or four feet deep. soft as a velvet
cushion; trees two hundred feet high, all
one blaze Of flowers from top to bottom
leaves big enough to wrap yon up like 9
blanket; tree ferns big as table cloth
glitteriBg i6ei the finest silver lace
humming birds and monkeys and par
rots and butterflies as broad as the palm
of your hand; waterfalls sheer down ov
er great black precipices q Thousand fsel
high; and far away behind the everiast
ing mountains, piled one shove the othel
till they seemed to 20 right up 20 heaven
Among ali the enormous things We eigh