The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-08-22
THE GOLDEN CAVES.

IN old Rocky mountain hunter, who,
when game got scarce or furs unprofit-
able. took up the equally hazardous
calling Of gold seeking; Frank Edger.
ton, q handsome young Kentuckian,
who had come out to wip sudden for
tune, and myself, who had made one
fort ne in the goldflelds, lost IT and
was now out to get another and with
the firm determination to hang onto ii
II ! struck luck again.
Across the Sierra Madre mountains
In tho San Juan region was a mighty
dreary, lonely country in those days,
with the water flowing down out Of
sight in the bottoms Of the canyons, and
the nearest white settlement 800 miles
away in eastern Colorado.
Ned Copley had hunted all through
this country with Kit Carson, and he
belived it was rich in gold, and that If
we kept our purpose to ourselves we
"would make our everlasting fortunes,
to use his own words
We left Taos in the early spring and
while all the encircling mountains were
covered low down with snow, looking
like glistening marble walls supporting
a sky so clear and blue and cloudless
that it looked as if it was hewn out Of o
globe of Turquoise.
Frank Edgerton had nobler motive
than his two partners. We were out to
find gold for the sake of the power and
tho 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 to
face the hardships and brave tho 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
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 al
excellent voice, lightened many Ions
march and dispclled the gloom from
many a lonely camp i'll the heart of the
canyons.
We had not been many days out be
fore Frank Edgerton opened his hear
and gave us the secret Of his constant
happiness He was in love, nor "deat
in love-, but living i'll love; the glo
rious passion possessed him. 1t bubblot
from his lips in laughter and song ant
glared from his eyes III eXnltaticn
+ "Who is she, boys he said one da,
in answer to my question, for l. an old
l4yeless and perhaps unlovable bache
lor, half cnvied him his possession.
"Shc amt no ordinary girl. Susi,
Burns amt. Heaven cut her out for ;
first class angel and never changed tn,
original plan.
Here's her picture, and let me say
you two arc the only strangers that evcI
hooked inside the lids since she fastened
it around my neck and told me as she
Kissed me that SO long as / wore it mex
my heart I'd remain true to her-iust
DIS if l could ever dream of being fals'
10 Susie"
By the campfire he opened his Goa
and hunting shirt and brought to ligh
d slender gold chain that hung abou
. his neck, and at the end of which ther,
was n flat, golden medallion.
: He opened it, kissed the picture will
the alteration of a pagan for his lido
and then let us look at tho face of
beautiful blue eyed girl CT l 0 or 20, VIII
seemed SO lifelike that it looked NOR
) like the reflection i'll mirror than
, rolored ivorytype.
/. Susie Burns amt rich, for heavcl
/ couldn't give her all the blessings with
{ out being unfair continued Frank a
he restored the picture to his breast
I but she'll be rich some day II there
. gold to be found in these mountains.
! Meanwhile, while l III cut here pros
! pecting, Susie's a.teach4ug school dow
!. by the banks of the cumberland, an
;. you can bet if she has ing time to spar
2 from her work sho puts It in a-prayiu
. for me-. That's why l feel 50 doggone
b sure, boys, that We are going to win.
e tell you that an outfit can't fail tina
! has an angel like that q praying for it
. Frank filled ms with bis enthusiasm
I and Ned Cuploy and myself felt tina
> we, too, waro Interest," "a IN the girl, a
i we were very sure She would have bee
4 i'll us had she known tho circumstances
q Idont knew the name Of the stream
for it was i'll tho days hct1rn names wer
given to every strip o. wet ground 1
y the west, but it rose i'll The avalanche
Y of the Sierra Madre auG came down b
i our camp ice cold, ami as IL btough
l.. flecks Of yellow gold with IL we decide
I to stop there and &c to p0tNing gu: tn
\ gravel.
j We did fairly we'll. What we &c
. would have been big wages anywhcr
A else, but to compensate for what we sui
il ferud and the dangers we faced W
y naturally wanted mora
4 A hundred dollars day hstwee
three wasn't so bad. but we were in
7 mood when 81 600 o day would n,
!, have satisfied us.
L Ny, my, how hard and cheerful
Frank did work. Why, he got so deel
n ly interested in that unknown CIR
X away on the banks Of the Cumbcrlan
/ in old Kentucky, that he got into I'll
Il habit of saying every morning, rs "
7 ate breakfast by the light Of the CAM
10 fire, "Another days work for Susit
ig boys"
l. Although the strongest Of the three
II, Frank was not used to this sort of ruug
i life, and l soon saw it began to tell {
j. him, and wanted him to let up, b,
pl the brave fellow stuck to il, working
the ice cold water till no was take
down with chills, followed by buruir
fover.
= We had some quinine and few sir
i pie remedies for cuts and bruises alien
! and with these and tho skill that tan
y. Of long years in the wilds we did Il
= best We could for our partner.
Id Now comes the remarkable part
my story. I've seen men down with Il
- i