The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1882-01-14
THE TREASURE AT GRAN QUIVIRA.
CHAPTER /.

CHAPTER I.
In one of the loneliest passes or canons o.
New Mexico was the hamlet of Blue Creek
A spur of the huge Rocky Mountains, starting
from the main ridge, stretched for several miles
into the plains, confused mass Of hills and
ravines almost impenetrable, save that here and
there passes, opened by some cenvulsion OF a
remote age, gave road to the traveller, and
usually channel for the stream. The streams
there were often called creeks in the upper part
Of their course, rivers in the lower; thus, fifty
miles down, Blue Creek was called the Little
Ute River. In places, this canon spread to a
great breadth: the huge rocks withdrew for
perhaps a couple of miles on each side of the
turbulent waters, while here and there they
approached so closely, and the ledge between
their base and the torrent became so narrow,
that logs were fastened TO the margin to make
the road at all practicable for vehicles.
Although the mountains through which the
Blue Greek foamed were but tributary to the
great chain of the Rocky Mountains themselves,
the sides of the canon often consisted of tremen-
dous precipices, with nearly thousand feet in
sheer straight descent, and the ravines which
cleft the sullen mass at intervals were as gloomy
and awe-inspiring as any on the continent.
Much of the country around was rich in gold
and several times reports of great deposits near
Blue Creek had been spread; but the result was
always disappointment, the precious metal
had never been found in remunerative quantities.
The population was therefore very scanty, and
for thirty miles along the creek no town or
city-they were all towns and cities at start
ing-existed of Importance equal to the settle
ment which bore the name of the stream itself;
and this consisted of six or seven houses built
of adobes or the unbaked brick of the country
The plateau on which the hamlet was built
was of considerable extent and being easily
irrigated by a couple of small mountain streams,
which ran across it, and then fell into the creek,
might have produced great quantities of vege-
tables; but there was no market for them, and
the residents had no heart to cultivate them.
The residents, indeed, were scarcely the men to
delight in steady toll in field or garden; their
antecedents had rarely qualified them for such
life. Fitful starts of exploring for gold, bear
or "silver-lion" hunt-the puma is the silver
lion In New MeXico-some telling of timber for
the nearest towns: these were the pursuits by
which the men lived while the women-there
were but three-made little butter which,
with such eggs as they could spare, they sent
for sale by any passing vehicle.
In the principal house-which was twice as
Large as any of the Others and was possibly in
tended for a store an hotel by the sanguine
bullder-lived Josias Tate-Sy Tate in ordinary
parlance-with whom dwelt his grand daughter
Annie, a girl of some twenty years of age: Sv
being lean, hard-looking weather-beaten fel-
IVY Of h 4l, A.
tough and resolute as the youngest man in the
Greek. He lived quiet enough life there
There were few to quarrel with him; but he was
not popular man in his little circle Western
society, especially when represented by such
communities as Blue Creek, is not saueamish
and OF the few who had their "locationn there
scarcely any would have found it salutary to
reside where police officers were known. or where
the law took an uninterrupted course There
lore ulnlng ofenses, peccadilIoes which arose
from TOO sensitive nature, such as murder, or
from TOO keen an appreciation of the beautiful.
such as horse-stealing, were not considered to
lower mans character. But Sy Tate was
mOrose and SILENT holding himself aloof from
those around, except in matters of business:
was known to be dangerous man to offend.
and an unforgiving enemy. Yet even these
thlngs might have been pardoned; but there
was vague rumOr- untraceable, perhaps, but
IN every mans mind, though none spoke of
IL IN Sy's presence-that he had once been
renegade among the Indians had lived many
years IN their villages, and had been concerned
III some OF the most appalling massacres which
hau ever occurred On the frontier
Ills alone was enough to render him marked
ana avoided man; and in large community
he "ouIa probably have been shot by some