The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1879-08-30

canon, and got speedily lost in the sands
of the desert. Jim said that his tribe
usually camped higher up this stream in
the mountains at this season of the year,
and suggested that we stay there that
night, while he rode on, leaving us to
follow the next day. So we unpacked
the mules, rested, and ate. At dusk
Jim mounted and rode up the black
canon.
"Next morning we followed on the
trail leading up the stream. Atevening
we arrived within sight of the Indian
encampment, and Jim came riding rap
idly towards us. He told us that we
must camp, as the Indians refused to
receive us into their village. So we
camped. Struck with the respondent
looks of our Indian, we asked what was
his trouble, and were greatly discouraged
to hear that his proposed exposure of
the hidden mine was met with an out
burst of savage fury, and that James
had been plainly told that if he did
what he proposed to do, he would be
killed, and his white friends killed, too.
"What were we to do? We talked
the affair over, and concluded to send
Jim back to camp to try to make terms.
Reluctantly he rode back. When it was
dark we could plainly see the figures
around the council fires, could hear the
Indian orators harangue the assembled
braves; but, Of course, could not under
stand what was said. When we spread
our blankets the noise and excitement
in the Indian village was great, and we
three went to sleep much dispirited.
1t was an early breakfast next morn
ing. Then we began celebrating on the
probabilities of our ever getting out of
the country. We had reason to be
alarmed at the extreme reserve of the
Indians, and feared they might, in a
moment of fear and rage, kill us to
avert the prophesied calamities. Jim
was seen approaching our camp at a
sharp gallop, The bearing of the man
was more cheerful. He rode his horse
more confidently than on yesterday, and
directly was with us. He smiled and
said that the Indians, On his representa-
tions and after much debate, had agreed
to leave the revelation of the hidden
mine to their old medicine man, who
was camped by himself some twenty
miles away. Incidentally he mentioned,
as though it were of no interest to us,
that large party in the camp were in
favor of killing us out of hand and sum-
marily ending the trouble. The ar
rangement now was to 60 to the valley
where the medicine man lived, and there
Jim was to argue our case. Ii the
prophet consented to the discovery of
the mine, it would be shown to us. If
not, then we would all be killed if we
moved in the direction of the treasure.
$50 we packed up, mounted, and
were off. The trail led over hills, across
dry valleys, and finally into the mouth
of one OF the ravines that had water in
it. Here, on the banks of tiny stream,
hidden among the willows, stood small
Indian house, and in it was the oldest,
most blear- eyed male Indian I had ever
seen, and the most withered and decrep-
it old ag that ever CRASHED toothless
gums at white.
We camped, aud the diplomatic
James negotiated with the medicine
man. At first with no success, but after
much talk and some presents of tobacco
and sugar he was rewarded by being
allowed to take US within half an hours
ride of the closed mine, there to leave
us, and if we could find the treasure
ourselves it was to be ours. But on no
account was he to show us the place, as
in that case the spirits of the murdered
Spaniards would haunt the tribe, would
accuse them of robbing them, and work
their destruction by pestilence.
"This was the best we could do, and
with it we had to be satisfied. After q
night spent here, we started to the south,
leaving our pack animals in charge of
the old man, but carrying great TASKS
of water with us. We rode into a
rough, broken country, full of little
cross gulches. Leaving this formation,
we rode up into table country, where
the land gradually rose to the south,
until the plain surface suddenly ter
minated in a range of cross mountains.
Riding toward these mountains, and
within couple of them, Jim halted.
Telling us to hunt for the mine, he
wheeled his horse and rode rapidly back
toward the medicine mans lodge.
:" We hunted, not for the mine but for
a place to establish camp, and found
one. 1t was dry camp, with no water
there or anywhere that we could discover.
So we rode back to where our pack
animals were, and there matured our
plans. Jim refused to be of the party,
fearing death from his tribe. We three
white men were to divide our work as
follows: Two were to prospect and the
other to pack water, food and fuel to the
camp near the supposed mine. Every
week one of the prospectors was to re-
Geve the man at the mules.
Next morning we filled our water
casks and started over the divide.
Making our camp, the two who were to
prospect went out at once to work. |
was one. Knowing, if the tale were
true, and the men came up from Mexico
in the numbers the Indians asserted
they did, that the old trail would still
be in existence, we rode right into the
mountains, and then, separating, search
ed in opposite directions. | was re-
warded by finding an old trail, almost
extinct, but still showing that it had
once been heavy, well-worn path. To
the south it led right into the mountains,
in the direction of path that could be
plainly seen. To the north "led-
where? rode along this trail, satisfied
that l was on the track of the lost mine;
but I was disappointed. The trail sud-
denly spread out, fan-like, into many
little trails, and these were soon lost on
the plain. | was convinced that this
trail was the right one, and SO told my
partner on my return to camp. He said
he had seen nothing ON his side, so we
moved over to the trail / had found.
+" The next day, full of hope and con-
fident of success, we went to work, and
thoroughly searched for some evidence
that we were right, and were rewarded
by finding the slaves and hoops of