The morning call., 1893-06-07
NUGGET

I know where there is piece of gold
that four men cannot lift with their bare
bands"
Pancho Gonzales made this remark to
me as he and l were sitting alone at our
campfire in one Of the lonely canyons of
the Guadeloupe Mountains in western
Texas. We had been out several days and
nights on fruitess search for bunch of
cattle that had strayed from their range
on the Pecos and camped for the night
among the rocks and powders of this
rough mountain gorge. Our talk had
naturally drifted around to mining and
gold-hunting.
Joking was not one of Pancho's char
acterlstlcS. He was rather sober and tao
tlturn and not given to speaking often
unless spoken to. Consequent ly when be
made the remark with which this story
opens l glanced at him in surprise and
prepared myself to hear Of something of
Interest. For three years l had known
FTancisco-or Pancho. as he was called for
short-and during that time we had come
to be pretty good friends. He was a
handsome, Notwithstanding fellow, spoke
En- glish well, and bore traces of W hat was
probably considered in this country good
bringing up.
Yes he answered, as urged him to
go on with the story, Il will tell you all
about it. Inever told any one else, be-
cause 1t Is dangerous; but l can trust you
not to tell another. 1t was FIVE years ago,
Ill Mexico. that saw that piece of gold,
and it is there yet. for no one knows of it
but me. 1t weighs over four hundred
pounds, and will bring death to any one
who discovers it. That is why have left
1t there all these years, where l saw it
buried and helped bury it. There were
eight OF US banded together thsn-Mexi-
cans all. We called ourselves 1oresters.
but believed the soldiers called us brig.
aDds. My cousin was captain and l was
his lieutenant. He was a man rash and
daring, and all of US were afraid of him
even |, his cousin.
There was rich gold mine in the Sier-
ra Madre. W orked by rich English COM
pany who employed about twenty white
men and several hundred Mexicans and
Indians. The mine was far in the noun
tains, over $50 miles from the railroad but
the company. at great expense, had built
wagon road to it to get the machinery
there for the big mill. We had friend or
two among the Mexicans there, and,
though our mountain stronghold was
about three leagues from the mine in
The direction of the railroad. we always
knew when any treasure was TO be
shipped, and frequently profted by it.
Finally the company took to shipping their
bullion under strong escort of twenty
men, and this baked us for a while. But
this, IL seems, proved TOO troublesome and
expensive, and the superintendent at last
hit upon another plan that he thought
equally safe. He had the bullion output
Tor the entire month melted into one lump.
as this amounted to nearly 100000 pesos,
its weight was over 400 pounds, and in its
transportation by wagon would need only
No Nrrrnt - rv4lA
heavy to handle or to dispose of safely
would be of no use to US men on the road.
"Of course we were duly notified of this
new plan by our friends at camp, and we,
very unwillingly. allowed the bullion 10
reach the railroad IN safety. Meanwhile
the captain, who hated to be tbwarted,
worried over 1t day and night, until lie
finally invented scheme that proved sue
cessful, so far as getting the gold was con-
cerned, though it never did any of us any
good. lie told US his plan one night, aud
ordered me to go TO the miDe myself and
walt around until could find out the day
when the next shipment Of bullion was to
be made. The next day l proceeded TO
the mine. and easily got a job of shovel
ing tailings near the mill. In less than d
week they hung up the stamps to make a
clean-ups and the next day the furnaces
were III full blast, retorting the amalgam
and melting down the gold.
Df ioahnE aiounu tue coTrai anu taiK-
Ing to the teamster l found out that the
team was ordered out for the railroad the
next morning. That night l caught my
horse. and. returning to camp, reported to
the captain, who Immediately ordered us
TO saddle up and follow him, and before
midnight We drew bride In some heavy
pine timber, 100 yards from the wagon
road, where we unsaddied and went into
camp.
AT daylight lookout was posted on the
road, and the rest Of US whiled away the