The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-01-28

| going to and coming from the city, and
1 had Deen within a stones throw or IL Tor
| the last ten miles. The fact OF nv dis
! mounting probably saved my life. While
| was down on hands and knees examining
| the road heard the hoof beats OF horses at
| gallop was Sursued. Waiting only TO be
certain that was not deceived in the sounds,
| ] led the horse sharp to the left, toward TIE
mountain, and the mule followed We
were not two hundred feet from the road
when a couple of horSemen passed at mad
gallop, going to the east, on my route. 1t
was impossible for them to distinguish me
in the darkness. and knew of their passing
only by the sound of their horses feet.
could no longer keep the road in safety,
and as ! mounted again / rode straight to
the south for two miles, and then headed
TO the east. II they were seeking to over
haul or waylay me they would, doubtless,
keep to the road through the night. found
better travelling now. and the animals went
ahead at canteT for the next three hours
without a rest When day broke | was a
good fifty miles from Salt Lake, and now o
strange thing happened. | was riding IN
close to the foot hills, and had halted on an
eminence to scan my trail, when two rider
less horses came into view three miles
away, and made straight for me. As they
came up saw fresh blood on both saddles,
and toe animals were blown as if they had
had long run. Rifles, ammunition.
blankets, and a small quantity of provisions
We're strapped to eaca saddle, and one pistol
holster had a revolver in it.
Did they belong to the two men who lad
passed me in the night! Were those men
Danites! Had they fallen into an ambush
prepared for them by wandering Indians!
] had not heard any sounds of conflict, and
this was proof that the affair had occurred
miles away.
waited for half an hour to let the horses
blow, and then secured them in single file
L,l,. a sd
OF no particular value just then. the horses
would have followed me whether or no.
In about forty hours from the lime ! left
Salt Lake | had reached p point on the
range directly north OF the forks Of Green
and White Rivers, and about fifty miles
distant from those streams. | knew that
tle rivers united at the western end of
Little Bear Mountain. and that landmark
appeared due south of me. family showing
It's mead through the blush haze always
hanging Overth mighty hills. The stranger
had not said this was the spot but / hal
somehow got the idea firmly fixed in ny
mind that this locality would develop some
thing. had seen nothing more OF the Dan
ties, nor encountered other dangers, and
went into camp with strong hopes Of being
undisturbed while pursued my laborious
task of uneaTthing rich find for those who
had fitted me out.
searched for and found a narrow valley
breaking into the mountain. followed it
in for about sixty rods, and just where it
made sharp turn TO the left, and within
two hundred feet of the end staked out
the animals. The young grass was shoot
ing up luxuriantly, and no one, unless
entering the valley, could suspect my pres
ence in the neighborhOod.
On the second day Of my arrival, having
ove-hauled my kit and rested from my long
ride, picked up my tools and proceeded to
the end of the valley. Il stopped dead
snort against the mountain, running 90
cliff up which my eye Travelled i've hun
dred feet before resting at the top. 1t was
hardly moment before I discovered the
mouth of a cavern before me. and around
its month was a quantity of fresh earth.
The place had the appearance of being
bears den, and | approached it revolver in
hand.
To the left of the opening, as l slowly
c-ept forward. saw where some prospector
had been at work with his hammer. He
had broken from the ledge more than a
hundred pounds of specimens and after an
INSPECTION of five minutes l knew that
had found the dead mans claim. l had
some of his specimens in my pocket. A
comparison OF the rock settled all doubts.
The man lying dead in an unhonored grave
hundreds OF miles away had stood on this
very spot to gather his specimens. Acct
dent, good luck, my guardian angel, or
whatever you please, had guided me across
valley ana Mill ana plain as straight as lhe
finger of the magnetic needle.
He was prOSpector only. was a geolo-
gist and metallurgist as well. He worked
on what was in view alone. could 90 far
beyond that. In less than two hours had
satisfied myself that :here wasn't thou
sand dollars worth of gold or silver ore in
that valley. The man had blundered on a
strange outcropping of precious metals.
There is q similar one twenty-five miles
further west, and third in Wild Jim Can
yon, and specimens from them may be seen
in the mineral cabinets of the Smithsonian
Institute.
In my anxiety about the outcrop, l for
got all about the cave and the fear of wild
animals. / had been hammering, testing,
breaking and climbing around for three
hours, and was standing On shelf above
the mouth of the cave, when four pumas or
mountain lions leftt the retreat and skurried
down the valley like so many cats. UTTERED
several yells, and hurled stone at the hind
most to keep them going at full speed
until they had passed the horses. The cave
was q lions den, and the lions had been
driven out. 1t was matter of little &C
count, but when, an hour before sundowa.
/ got down and took look into the cave.
was surprised at the amount OF loose dirt
init. The lions had been digging at the
further end. What for! would see next
day.
To prevent the lions coming back during
the night | built fire below the horses,
and likewise tossed blankets and saddles
about to create objects of suspicion. There
was no alarm of any sort during the long
hours, and soon after breakfast was ready
to enter the cave. AS I stood at the mouth
l fired a shot, thinking to scare out any
beast which might have crept in; but as
nothing moved | boldly entered. l could
walk upright to the far end. and when
had reached it my heart suddenly gave
great leap. could hear human voice.
1t sodnded long, long way off, but it GER
tainly was the voice OF some person. /
heard it several times, as If soma one was
shouting, and 4 very queer feeling stole
Who could be here? By and by, when
had listened long time without hearing
anything further, | began to examine the
bank of earth ahead of me, and soon dis
covered that it had been dislodged from
the roof, and that there were heavy pieces
Of rock among the soft earth.
The lions had dug sort of tunnel five
feet beyond me. Invent back for my spade,
and then entered this tunnel and began to
dig. There was a huge rock in the path,
and had 20 turn to the left, throw out
about ton OF broken stone weighing from
one to fifty pounds each, and then find my
self digging-for what! / asked myself the
question as l wiped away the beads of
sweat, and it was answered in a strange
manner. The dirt in front of me suddenly
settled, and daylight streamed into the
tunnel.
For a minute was too dumbfounded to
move, and could not believe that my eyes
saw what they seemed to see. Before me
was an almost circular basin an acre in
extent, carpeted with dead leaves and
patches Of grass. On every side the cliffs
rose hundreds of feet high, and so perpen-
made his way up. The sun never shone
into that basin. The light of day could
hardly dispel the darkness Of night.
Opposite me was a lodge or tent made
Of gray blankets, and standing beside it was
q human form. while another bent over q
low fire near by. l climbed over the dirt
into the basin, and as rose up two women
screamed, and both figures advanced to
meet me. In the dim light saw that they
were women of middle age