The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1893-06-29

ana MS uiubs t.Oi4Dtcti, ana bne DIOOu IN
his body mounted to his head, and his
breath came thick and fast,
But he saw that he had succeeded in
making hole through the mass, and he
persevered until he effected an entrance
Into the passage whose mouth was closed
by the pile Of rock.
As he pulled out the last large stone It
fell upon his lamp, extinguisbing and crush
ing il.
This seemed dreadful calamity TO Pep
ito, as he could not hope to explore the pas
sage without light, and as il would even
be very difficult for him with the help Of
the yarn to trace his way back to daylight.
But when he was about to burst into
tears a bright light appeared in the passage,
and the path before him was plain.
Catching up the ball of yarn and un-
winding it as he went, he followed the
light as it led him along the passage far
ther into the mountain, until it rested
against the rock in just such a cavern as he
had seen in his sleep.
Before him was stream of water that
came from some hidden spring in the noun
tain and found its way through the caves
and crevices Of the rock, no one know
whittier Beyond the stream was the rocky
wall Of the cavern, flashing and cleaning
with crystals of quartz and Jumps of silver,
and with big vein running through 1t, in
which the silver lay in masses like lead.
This then, was the bonanza. The lost
vein was found, and untold wealth lay al
most within the boys reach. The Murieto
family might bid farewell to poverty, and
would thenceforth be happy il riches could
make them so.
Pepito stood still for q few seconds trem-
bling all over with excitement A strange
heat filed his body, breaking out in inter
mittent flushes, and fire seemed TO flow in
his arteries instead of blood. His head
swan, but through the mist he saw the
silver shining in the crevices of the rock.
He had found the lost vein, and he wished
only to secure q nugget of the silver and
hasten back to his parents TO delight them
with the story of his treasure
He started to cross the stream, although
his knees shook beneath him, and he was
growing more dizzy, and the fever 1ushes
came hotter and faster than ever.
The shining water into which he stepped
was deathly cold. His fever fled in an in
slant, and YVES succeeded by a mortal chilli
ness. The fire in his veins was at once ex-
tinguished, and they were filled with ice.
He gasped vainly for breath, and his head
weighed him down as If he had been n lump
of lead.
1t needed but two steps to cross the little
brook, and he took only one of them. Then
he sank down rather than fell, and lay
there like O crushed flower, his feet in the
water and his body on the sand, with his
outstretched hand grasping great lumpo of
silver.
Manuel and Zaponeta Murieto waited
time for Pepito's return. They were so
anxious and eager that the hours seemed to
be longer than they really were. The wife
was particularly uneasy and restless. She
could not keep still. She tried to attend to
some small duties about the hut, but found
herself unable to do anything. The hus-
band sat near the door waiting and listen
ing. They glanced at each other now and
then, and understood each others thoughts,
though they seldom spoke.
1T is not possible" said Zaponeta, that
anything can harm him while the good an
gels have him in their charge"
"They might be angry il we should find
him and interfere with them" replied Man.
uel.
But we must seek Pepito, for can en-
dure this no longer" said the mother after
awhile, and they went out together.
WIN Vhe dlu VI Iue yuTll Jney trdCeu HIS
course into the old mine, until they came to
the hole in the rock which he had opened.
They called him, but received no answer.
The lamp which they carried showed them
the way into a narrow and dark passage, at
the end Of which was a chamber of silver.
There lay Pepito, partly in and partly out
of the water-dead.
When their grief had subsided, they came
away and replaced the stones which the
boy had pulled down. The silver chamber
was Pepito's splendid tomb. His parents
were never heard of in those parts again.
The lost vein was untouched.-Edward
Wellett in New York Weekly.