The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1878-02-14

/ NtHA - SoF0 WVhNSIluiiy IlCu lWllu
| gold and silver. What direction OF
the compass the party followed,
Grant is reluctant about revealing.
At all events, after travelling about
two days and half, our hero and
his companion arrived at dusk one
evening in narrow cannon, or
mountain gorge, enclosed on either
side by rugged, steep mountains. In
this vicinity, the Indian said, the
cave was located. A camp fire was
lighted, and while Grant was cook
ing supper his companion went in
search OF the exact location of the
cave, so that no time would be lost
in finding it in the morning. The
Indian returned with joy imprinted
npon his copper.colored features, and
impaired to Grant the satisfactory
tidipgs that he had found the cave
without difficulty, and that, notwlth,
standing the darkness which then
prevailed, the interior of this won
derful vault was as light as MONDAY.
AT an early hour next morning, after
travelling in this. canon, which is
many miles in length, for an hour,
or may be a little less, the Iudian
pointed to'a pile of granite of i'm
mense weight, stacked up against tie
agged side Of a monster mountain,
and told Grant that by removing
the boulders all entrance to the cave
would be effected The two men
Immediately set to work at their her
c"lean task, which occupied them
nearly two hours. When the OBJ
strnction was removed, all that could
be seen was an opening leading into
the mountain, Of dimensions only
great enough to admit the bodies of
two largely developed men; but the
interior vas is dark as Erebus.-
Grant ventured in this opening to
tue distance of about ten feet, bnt
the intensity Of the darkness preclu-
ded him from seeing his hands be-
fore his face. He cried out to his
companion tor some burning sage
brush, which was Immediately thrust
into the cave, but, strange to relate,
this artificial light would not illn-
inmate the darkness. Here was a
nice pass. Grant emerged from his
snbterreanean visit and consulted
with his semi.savage companion as
to the most eXpedient means to be
employed in the emergency; it was
useless to seek for gold or anything
else in so daI k place where artifi-
cial light proved of no avail. The
Indian then repeated his story of the
illumination, which he saw in the
cave the preceding night. Al
though this yarn sounded rather i'm
probable in the ears of an intelligent
white man, yet the Indian was 50
earnest and sincere, to all outward
appearances, that our hero decided
to remain until the stars came out.
and determine whether there was
any truth in his companions fabu-
lous narration. They retnrned to the
camping ground Of the previous
night and brought their traps to the
mouth of the mysterious cave. It
seemed as if that day never would
draw to q close, so great was Grants
impatience; but as twilight was ap-
preaching a ligat glimmer wac dis
cernlbIe at the mouth of the vault,
yet the blackest darkness mortal ever
beheld was still holding sway there
in. But gradually, as night was fal-
ling, an unnatural light was making
itself apparent, and at s O'Clock that
evening a ray OF brilliant MONDAY
light shot out from the opening of
that wonderful spbterranean passage.
For the first time in many years
Grant gave yentto shout of delight
The Indians tale of seeing fiction
and i'nprobabilisy was true. The