Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1894-09-13
WOODBURY., n. J, THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 49, 1894

out OF his head he kept just as peaceful
as ever, only that he insisted that up
the creek were great caves full Of gold,
and that the specks we had been picking
out of the gulch came from there.
He wanted us to start up there, say
ing we could get all the gold in day
we wanted for lifetime.
Of course Ned Copley and humored
Frank and told him we'd go if he'd
hurry up and get we'll, but he swore
that instead of being sick he was as
strong as giant.
The third night after Frank was tax
en- down he seemed to be resting quiet
ly, so Ned and /, who had been taking
turns watching, thought it would be
safe to drop off to sleep-kind Of lightly
and we did So
When we woke up in the early morn
ing and saw that Frank Edgerton's cot
was empty and his clothes and pick and
revolver gone, you may try to imagine,
but you can never realize, just how we
felt.
We cooked hasty breakfast; then,
picking up enough provisions from our
little store to last three days, we hid
the rest, left the mule hid in little
valley where there was lots of grass and
then started off to find our insane friend.
Remembering his rawlings about ''the
gold caves" up near the snow line, we
determined to follow the creek We
could read trail as we'll as an Indian,
but the rocks were too hard to retain
the impression Of human foot. Yet
now and then we saw signs to encour
age us.
The creek branched into q dozen
streams farther up, and it was only after
long consultations that we decided
which to take, and then for no reason
that would not have applied quite as
well to the other stream.
1t was a rough, hard road, and now
and then as we went on we stopped to
shout Franks name or to discharge oui
rifles, but only the echoes came back fol
reply.
That night, thoroughly tagged out,
we halted close to the snow line-in.
deed there were white patches all abou
us and not sign of shrub to make
fire. With a little alcohol lamp we
made some coffee and lay down under
our blankets, spoon fashion, to keep
warm.
We were up by daylight and started
off again, this time without coffee, fol
we had only about gill Of alcohol for
the lamp, and we reasoned that poor
Frank would want something warm il
we found him alive.
Another terrible day and another aw-
full night, and still no sign Of Frank Ed
gerton. We gave him up, and with sac
hearts We're returning, when Ned, who
has eyes like telescopes, said he saw
something moving near the snow line
across the valley.
There had been an immense snow
slide down the valley not an hour be
fore, but we got across, and there under
the ledge of rocks, with great pile Of
loose glittering stones about him, lay
Frank Edgerton, looking like a dead
man.
While Ned made some coffee I rub
bed Frank with snow till his skin felt
warm; then we forced coffee between
his teeth, and wrapping one blanket
about him we made stretcher- out O.
the other and our two rifles, so as t.
carry him down to camp, no easy job,
can tell you.
Just as we were about TO start off Nee
noticed the pile of stones - Frank
pockets were full of them-and those
lying about had evidently been brought
there by him. But they were fully one
half solid gold.
Frank Edgerton had discovered tn
caves of his feverish dreams
We got him back to camp, and we
took turns nursing him and carrying
down the gold SO mysteriously found
with him under that ledge, and tn,
source of which had been concealed by
the snowslide
ITO make long story short" as we
used to say when was a boy, Frank
got well. When he was able to travel,
we started back to Taos, carrying with
us about 130 pounds of solid gold.
We made a second and third trip tc
find ''the gold caves, " Of which Frank
remembered nothing, and others have
often tried it since, but they were lost
quite as mysteriously as they were
found.
Frank Edgerton had, however, foi
his share enough money to return tx
Kentucky and marry the fair Susie
Burns. That they are happy as the day
is long can vouch for, for visited
them less than a year ago, and / wa
highly fattered to find that his Oldest
son was named after me.-New York
Advertiser.