Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1892-10-14
THE CAVERN OF GOLD.

aud We looked from our seats in the
smoking-car at the nights towering
above it. Col. Il. waved his cigar
toward the snow-capped mountain
Tops of the Sierra Nevada. There
is many secret still buried in those
grim old giants breasts. There are
still thousand stories to be told OF
them and those that have tried TO
wrest their riches from them"
And this preface. colonel?" meek
ly suggested the writer.
Means story OF course. said
The colonel who is an old forty
miner and man known among his
compeers as integrity itself. "A
story that rivals any Haggard ever
lold or Jules Verne dreamed of. In
1871 l had abandoned an unsuccessful
search for fortune in the mining
camps and begun the practice of law,
when one day man named Bellew
came into my Office.
HE had been an old chum of mine
in the old gold hunting days and l
had known him to be an unusually
straightforward, upright chap for those
awless times. but that day he told
me story that made me wonder If he
was rogue with some scheme to
work or the insanest man out OF an
asylum. He prefaced this story by
showing me half dozen nuggets of
gold that fairly took away my breath.
They were splendid fellows the
smallest OF them weighing at least
four ounces and what is moro. they
were nearly pure metal
- Beauties. amt theyP said Bel
lew; then looking to see that the
door was fast locked half whispered
And | know where tens of thousands
Of EN- can be found. He searched
his pockets and produced something
wrapped in rag which. being I'M
rolled exhibited to my amazed eyes IA
bracelet-a man S in size-of beaten
golu. This | held while he told his
story.
do you remember where, close to
he old Jessie May mine. we found the
lost river? The stream. you know.
amt never in sight but if you listen
at little place torn in the side of the
hill, you can hear the sound OF q
river rushing over the rocks down be-
ow. and how you can feel the very
spray of the water if you hold your
hand in u little ways.
g" Well. one day me and a man
named Scroggin had climbed that hill
after deer we were following and
when the deer was killed we got 10
lnuarreling over whose shot had killed
him. All at once Scroggin struck out
Mt me and sent me flying down the
hill, and my foot caught IN Il root jus,
over the hole where the lost river
was heard. and in | went thought
| was gone. for fell plump into the
water and an angry stream it was.
loo. running over rocks and with g
channel almost too small for it. but
only knew this from the bumps and
lhumps | got as | was carried on fol
it was as dark as Egypt.
why my brains weren't knocked
out twenty times can t say but after
n while the river got 10 Il free bed ant
| was able to swim II little. STRUCK
out for the right hand bank, and pref
ly soon | was able to crawl out of the
water. l rested here for while con
sidering what / was to do. for wa
the worst lost man had heard of; bu
it did no good to sit still, so began
to feel around and stumb led along tn,
bank, guided by the waters murmur
until | reckon / had gone nearly hal
"a mile; then the river seemed L
plunge deeper into the earth and tn,
roof of the cavern grew so low | coul
not follow it. but some distance off
saw a point Of light like star, and
going 10 this. found it hole in tn
side Of the mountain. and crept out
" Well I've visited the cavern sew
eral times since carrying torches
and I've seen some things | ain
going TO tell you of now but | wan
partner in the business for reason
you'll see later and. knowing | coul
depend on you TO act square with me
b.. looked you up. I'm going t
make your fortune. old man. Why
Monte Christie will be small-fry con
pared to you and me when we We &c
our treasure out.
We arranged to visit the caver
the following day. and started earl
on horseback. We had made SON
seven or eight miles when all at ono
we felt the earth tremble violently
\ and Bellows pony fell 10 his knee
But there was no harm done and a
earthquake is too common an ever
in this country for much to be mad
OF it SO. though we felt two MOI
distinct shocks before we reached on
+ destination. little was said about it.
Before we entered the cavern BE
lew produced half dozen torche
some provisions light canoe ar
some other things he had hidden
the bushes close to the hole wher
we entered. This was hardly lars
enough TO admit us. but we squeeze
through. and lighting our torch,
n nde our way to where the river ell
tered the low rooted channel Belle
ha spoken OF. The canoe was place
in the water. a lantern lighted, ar
We got in, but lay quite fiat in Il
bottom of TIE boat as it was imposs
bic to sit upright A shove sent Il
canoe into the middle OF the strear
the current caught it and sent
whirling along There were sever
minutes OF this strange journeyir
when the roof lifted all at once al
we sat up.
The lantern showed us di
shore. to which Bellew padded al
getting out we hauled up the cano
aud lighting the torches walked fc
ward among the rocks with whi'
the floor of the vast cavern was line