Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1892-11-23
CHAPTER xxi.

"fQ6Wl DuC We udfo etl uSh O So'ooA
the dead" exclaimed Joe, who was
nearest the opening as the stone fell out
A rank, musty odor issued from the
cave and drove the three men down the
canyon distance of q hundred feet and
kept them sneezing and coughing for a
quarter of an hour. During this time
the captain prepared a couple of torches,
and by and by they advanced to find the
odor no longer perceptible. The cap
tain pushed his torch into the dark
opening for look at the interior OF the
cave, and after moment he drew back
and said:
1--WE have got find here, but there
will be some disagreeable work about it.
The cave is heaped with bodies of the
dead"
The others looked in to find that his
words were true. It was chamber
sixteen or eighteen feet square and ten
or twelve feet high, and it was solldly
packed with grayish mass. That mass
was the shriveled and mummifed bodies
of the lost race-dead men, women and
children who had been laid away for
perhaps two or three centuries.
"Well, we have had our labor for oul
palms," said Harkins as he stepped back
"And we don't want to discover any
more caves" added Joe with tinge OF
bitterness.
IF they followed the rule in burying
these dead we shall find o fortune in
here" said the captain as he braced ms
torch against rock. Lets see what !
can discover"
He entered the opening, thrust his
hand into the mass Of dust, worked 1t
about for q moment, and then backed
out holding in his fingers an anklet
weighing at least four ounces. He
rubbed the metal briskly on his sleeve,
and lol the shine of gold caught every
eye!
Worth at least seventy-tive dollars"
said the captain as he held it up, land
there ought to be bushels of them in
there. Take it with you to camp and
give 'em the news, and send up two OF
the men with shovels. Everything III
there has got to be thrown out"
So will it be O century hence. The
dust of those who live today will be
treated as earthly clay in the search for
wealth.
At the end of the third day there was
a council Of the wagonmen. The cave
had yielded an amount beyond the wild
est guess. 1t had been cleared of the
last shovel of dust, and every ornament
and relic had been carried to the camp.
Each member of the party would have
thousands of dollars, and the council
was called to determine what next step
should be taken. The unanimous de-
cision was that the party should make
its way back to civilization as soon Us
possible.
Since the Indians passed down the
valley not a redskin had been seen, and
it was hoped the way out was safe and
clear. It was a long and dangerous
Journey across the plains, but If at
tackled the little band must make the
best defense possible. It was o peril
that must be encountered in any event,
and there was just chance that the
train might be left unmolested. The
men were feeling exultant over their
good luck and the hope Of safe iour,
ney when the lookout at the mouth OF
the canyon, whose services had never
for moment been dispensed with, sent
an alarm into camp that something was
wrong.
In five minutes every man was at the
barricade or wall. Opposite the mouth
of the canyon, across the narrow valley,
was fine spring. A single Indian had
come galloping up to dismount, but five
minutes later band of ut least forty
arrived and prepared to camp. The
ponies were unsaddled, two or three
fires kindlsd, and it was evident the red
skins had gone into camp for the night.