Middletown transcript., 1894-08-18
THE GOLDEN CAVES.

who had come out to win sudden for
tune, and myself, who had made on
fortune in the goldfields, lost it an
was now out to get another and wit
the firm determination to hang onto
If I struck luck again.
Across the Sierra Madre mountain
in the San Juan region was might.
dreary, lonely country in those days
with the water flowing down out O
sight in the bottoms Of the canyons, ant
the nearest white settlement 800 mile
away in eastern Colorado.
Ned Copley had hunted all through
this country with Kit Carson, and b.
belived it was rich in gold, and that i
we kept our purpose to ourselves W,
would make our everlasting fortunes,
to use his own words.
We left Taos in the early spring ant
while all the encircling mountains were
covered low down with snow, looking
like glistening marble walls supporting
sky so clear and blue and cloudless
that it looked as if it was hewn out Of &
globe Of torquoise.
Frank Edgerton had nobler motive
than his two partners. We were out te
find gold for the sake Of the power and
the comforts it would give, and it may
be with thoughts of the Difference that
would be paid us by the less fortunate
when we were rich men, but our hand.
some young companion was moved tc
face the hardships and brave the dangers
of the expedition by no such mercenary
purpose.
He was not more than five and TWEEN
ty, with brown eyes and curly hair, and
a silky mustache and beard of the same
hue, and mouth full Of even white
teeth, and his fine face seemed ever the
home of good nature and laughter. Nc
matter how long the march or steep the
trail, no matter how long miles between
the springs or the indications Of In
dams in the neighborhood, Frank was
always CHEEKY and happy, and his
laughter and his songs, for he had an
excellent voice, ightened many long
march and dispelled the gloom from
many a lonely camp in the heart Of the
canyons.
We had not been many days out be-
fore Frank Edgerton opened his heart
and gave US the secret Of his constant
happiness. He was in love. not "dead
In love-" but living in love; the glo-
rious passion possessed him. It bubbled
from his lips in laughter and song and
glared from his eyes in exultation.
"Who is she, boys?'' he said one day
In answer to my question, for I, an old,
loveless and perhaps unlovable bache-
lor, half envied him his possession.
"She amt no ordinary girl, Susie
Burns amt. Heaven cut her ort for a
first class angel and never chan,, led the
original plan.
Here's her picture. and let me say
you two are the only strangers that ever
looked inside the lids since she fastened
1t around my neck and told me as she
kissed me that so long as wore 1t next
my heart I'd remain true to her-just
as If I could ever dream of being false
to Susiei'
By the campfire he opened his coat
and hunting shirt and brought to light
a slender gold chain that hung about
his neck, and at the end of which there
was a flat, golden medallion.
He opened 1t, kissed the picture with
the alteration Of a pagan for his idol
and then let us look at the face Of a
beautiful blue eyed girl Of 10 or 20, who
seemed so lifelike that it looked more
like the reflection in a mirror than
colored ivorytype.
"Susie Burns amt rich, for heaven
give her all the blessings with
out being unfair" continued Frank as
he restored the picture to his breast,
"but she'll be rich some day If there's
gold to be found in these mountains.
Meanwhile, while I'm out here pros
pecting, Susie's attaching school down
by the banks Of the Cumberland, and
you can bet if she has any time to spare
from her work she puts 1t in a-praying
for me. That's why feel so doggoned
sure, boys, that we are going to win. I
tell you that an outfit can't fail that
has an angel like that a-praying for it. I"
Frank filled Us with his enthusiasm,
and Ned Copley and myself felt that
we, too, were interested in the girl, as
we were very sure she would have been
in us had she known the circumstances.
Idon't know the name of the stream,
for it was in the days before names were
given to every strip Of wet ground in
the west, but it rose in the avalanches
Of the Sierra Madre and came down by
our camp ice cold, and as it brought
flecks of yellow gold with it we decided
to stop there and go to panning out the
gravel.
We did fairly well. What we got
would have been big wages anywhere
else, but to compensate for what we suf-
fered and the dangers we faced we
naturally wanted more.
A hundred dollars day between
tlISee wasn't so bad, but we were in a
mood when $1,000 day would not
have satisfied us.
Ny, my, how hard and oheerfully
Frank did work. Why, he got so deep
ly interested in that. unknown girl,
away on the banks of the Cumberland
in old Kentucky, that he got into the
habit of saying every morning, as we
ate breakfast by the light of the camp
fire, Another days work for Susie,
boysp'
Although the strongest Of the three,
Frank was not used to this sort of rough
life, and I soon saw it began to tell on
him, and I wanted him to let up, but
the brave fellow stuck to it, working in
the ice cold water till he was taken
down with chills, followed by burning
fever.
We had some quinine and few SIM
pie remedies for cuts and bruises along,
and with these and the skill that came
Of long years in the wilds we did the
best we could for our partner.
Now comes the remarkable part OF
my story. I've seen men down with the
fever when they got SO wild they had
to be tied, but while Frank was clear
out Of his head he kept just as peaceful
~ ever, only that he insisted that up
the creek Uere great cares full of sold.