Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1892-11-23
CHAPTER XIX.
"Great heavcns, but Whdt Is thatf'

"Great heavcns, but p1,dt Is thatf'
The Indians were in truth looking
for the wagons. Both parties had a
narrow escape. Their presence in the
valley had been detected by scout or
stroller and information carried to some
point from which war party Of seventy
had been dispatched to surprise and an
nihilate them. This party had come in
by one of the narrow valleys and found
the camp abandoned. The severe storm
had obliterated ill traces, and the In
dams had gone up the valley to pick up
the trail. As they returned they were
riding at slower pace, and were spread
out the width of the valley.
Would they look into the mouth of
the canyon?
The query was answered five minutes
later. Three warriors turned their ponies
to the right and rode in to within ten
feet Of the stone. wall. They rode its
sntire length and halted in the gap and
looked up the canyon.
The men were lying fiat down on the
earth, each clutching his rifle, and horses
and wagons were just around the bend.
Could it escape the Indians that the
wall was artificial? Must not their
sharp eyes detect the figures hugging
the earth? 1t did not seem that the gold
hunters had one show in thousand to
escape detection, and yet they were not
detected. After halt of not more than
a minute, though it seemed quarter of
an hour to each man, the trio of red
skins passed on and the moment of peril
was passed.
A bit of natural philosophy stood be-
tween the gold hunters and discovery.
The Indians had turned into the gloom
and shadow from the bright sunshine,
and their vision was shortsighted and
uncertain. Had they waited little
longer they must have seen something
or other to arouse their suspicious, but
they seemed impatient to get on.
THANK Godl" whispered more than
one man as the horses were heard NOV
ing away.
In half an hour the gold hunters dared
exult and plan. Two men were left at
the wall as lookouts, three or four others
were held as q reserve at the camp, and
the captain, Harkins and Joe set out up
the canyon to search for the cave of
gold. When the darkness became 30 in
tense as to interfere with their progress
they lighted torches and thorough in
spection was made of both walls.
The canyon extended into the noun
tain for full mile, winding and turn
ing, and long enough before it ended
the pine trees met above it and prevent
ed single ray of light from descending.
Nothing answering the description of
the dying hunter could be found. He
had said, as Harkins understood, five
miles to the right of the peak" Here
was the spot. He had described the
mouth of the canyon and everything
here bore out the description. He said
that Bridger went up the canyon about
q mile and then turned into smaller
one running to the left.
There was no such canyon. The left
bank was solid rock and earth from the
wagons to the spot where the great rift
stopped short at finty wall thousand
feet high. The mighty wrath had split
the mountain thus far, but it could 60
no farther.
Three times the men travelled from
the camp to the end of the canyon, and
then all were certain that Harkins had
been mistaken. They sat down on
bowlder in the bed of the canyon to rest
and discuss the matter, while the single
torch, secured in a cleft, hardly allowed
Them to see each others faces.
well, we have no right to complain,
as we have lost nothing" said the cap
tain. Indeed, if we had not slipped in
here not man of us would now be
wearing his scalp"