Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1892-12-09

'uur Incnd Is worrying and wants to
talk with YOU"
Yes. want 10 ask you about my
mother. added Lizzie.
II am sure saw father lying on the
ground. AMI have no doubt the rene
galcs Killed him As the first part OF
their plan Mother and both got away,
aui she was not Overtaken. What
would bc her fate
1t Is hard 10 say" replied Harkins
after rejecting ON the matter. IF she
got through the night all right she may
have found tho trail Of the wagons IN
tho morning and overtaken the party.
We must hope that she did. 1t may
also h. that your father was only stun
ned 10y the blow. and is ere this all right
again and with his friends"
DO you think there is even the
fain,cst hope?' she tearfully asked.
II do"
Thank God for that! / shall almost
cease worrying under that hope. And
now what of myself"
lyon are to remain with us, OF
course"
But for how long"
We cannot even guess. We may
head back for civilization in a week
perhaps not for three months. 1t de-
ponds ON our luck as gold hunters. 1t
Is more than likely that some Of the
party 30 which you belonged will be en-
countercd soon, md who knows what
good news We may receive. You are
thrice welcome 10 all it may be in our
power 10 do for you"
Meanwhile Bess had whisperingly in
quircd 81 Joe what chances the mother
had ~ escape.
"God help her--none!" he answered.
she was wild with fear when she ran
from the wagon. and she would grow
wilder. Before morning came she was
a maniac. but doubt if she lived to see
another day"
Indians gasped Bess.
"No--wolves. At that distance from
the mountains man loaded down with
firearms could hardly have kept them
OH all night. Encourage the girl all
you can. but don't hope in your own
heart that there 10 ono chance in q mil
lion that she will ever see her mother
again"
A. the pair stood together apart Har-
kins observed them with q start and
whispered 20 himself:
We'll. well, tut / do really believe
that my Bcss has taken a liking to that
chapl How Queer!'
lilo might more truthfully have said,
How natural" and he might have used
the word love" for liking" And when
the man looked upon the sweet face Of
the orphan he had SO CALAMITY rescued
at the peril Of his life, and felt his heart
heating faster. lie might have discovered
another queer thing-that somebody else
had taken liking"
The captain lad given the men to un-
derstand that hs was prospecting up the
canyon for gold. but had said nothing Of
ths discoveries made. When dinner was
finished and the trio were ready to re-
turn no renewed his caution about keep
ing u steady lookout for danger, and
ordered that 10 one was to leave camp
on any pretext till his return. Then the
three set out for the scene Of their labors
and began work Immediately upon their
arrival. They had no fear Of their fire
being seen or their blows overheard, and
men who work to solve mystery do not
tire.
After three hours Of hard work the
crowbars secured such a grip on the
stone that II moved. One united effort
would hcave IL out of the opening. It
was then that the captain stepped back
and sat down and said:
Let MS take breathing spell now,
and let MS prepare ourselves to be disap-
pointed"
what do you think is behind the
stoner' asked Joe.
~ cave Of some sort"
And what shall We find in the caveY'
asked Harkins
The Ahriveled bodies Of dead Aztecs.
That lost race always buried their dead
In caves. and when the place would hold
no more Il was walled up. Ihavs helped
10 open three or four"
but why 20 TO all this trouble to
open q cave Of bone and dust?" petulant-
~ queried Harkins.
AS the Indian Of today places the
propert, Of the dead warrior beside him
that no may have an outfit in the happy
land beyond so the Aztecs placed the
wealth Of their dead beside them in
these caves. I have seen many orna-
ments q gold and silver which came
from such caves"
Then let rs to work. exclaimed Joe
a. he seized u bar.
"we nhali find cave Of dead IL not q
cave 81 gold" added Harkins.
The hairs were inserted on the left
hand side Of the stone, each man drew o
long breath and at the word each threw
his weight on his lever. The stone trem-
bled. moved forward. hung q moment
aud then fell 10 the earth with heavy
thud. and IN opening appeared into
which horse could almost have walked.