Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1896-05-05
THE GOLDEN HAND.

The gold is there, that's certain, and
I'm determined to make a trial for it. -
"You're counting too much on the
word of an Indian. Old zapetl is a noted
liar-like all these Spanish speaking
aborigines. !"
"Ah, Jack. You do him injustice.
He's deeper liar than you gave him
credit for. Don't you remember that he
told us of the legend in his tribe that
there was treasure hidden by the an
cient keeper of the mint on the first
news of the coming of the Spaniards to
Central Americaf Oh, yes You re-
member that of course. But don't you
remember that he afterward trotted out
that ridiculous yarn about the mysteri-
Gus golden hand that guarded the hid
ing place and struck down the venture
some seeker for the wealth? It's ridicu-
lous to believe that the ancients had
enough mechanical knowledge to con-
trive machine that could prevent one
from getting at the gold. Ten to one its
out of order anyway. Old zapetl simply
invented the wives tale of the golden
hand because he didn't want to go ON
the trip that might mean death or pri-
walton. I'm resolved to go if have to
start without you.
This was a long speech for my old
comrade, Tom French. We were in the
interior of Central America when the
foregoing conversation took place. It
was the end of many long debate we
had had on the subject of a search for q
treasure. From love of adventure had
I.fA E. l.. I, -. l,a &oka
Tom French and had met as rustlers
ON the cattle ranch in Montana and we
became firm friends. When the dearth
struck the cattle ranch business, we
took Il herd across the country south of
Texas, where they could feed on the
deep alfalfa. Then we drifted into Mex
leo and into the employ of a railroad
company in the capacity of surveyors.
For want of capital the company sus-
pended operations, and Tom and / found
ourselves stranded in the City of Mex
leo. We had saved some money. and
when there came a proposition to join
some pioneers who thought they saw Q
fortune ~. budieifsR mp coffoo planta-
tion in the unexplored lands far 10 the
south in the state of Chiapas we accept-
ed the offer.
N@@0@-EJ@fl
and would have willingly remained,
but Tom was eager, as always, to grasp
the first opportunity that seemed to pre-
sent itself for new adventures. Tom had
but one object in hfe-to make for
tune quickly. Poor fellow. he had
heavy heart most of the time He was
in love, in love with heartless coquette,
SO far as I could learn, and had been re-
l., 100,
of him, yet he blindly believed that the
girl would marry him if he could lay
fortune at her feet. As remember his
buoyancy and courage in the face of OBJ
stacles that would have discouraged 9TH
ers my sympathy brings tears to my
eyes; but this is anticipating my story.
To reach the highlands from the east
ern coast it had required two weeks
hard toiling up the hills, cut by clefts
and gullies and traversed by mountain
streams. We had cleared away tract
and set out coffee plants, with the aid
of the good natured, lazy Indians, and
Tom revived again the legend of the
treasure farther up in the mountain fast
ness as he had heard it from one and an
other of the Indians IN their soft accents
in broken Spanish and Indian. The leg
end was briefly that deep in the center
of a crater of worn out volcano the
ancient Indians of that country had ex-
cavated a vault where they had piled up
countless bars of virgin gold. There was
above this planted bowlder, the only
indication of the hiding place. The Pe-
culiarity of the crater was that it was
four square, half a mile each way, and
from the summit to the floor distance
of 500 feet. To reach the floor there was
a hidden path, and this was guarded by
a mysterious golden hand. Tradition
the Indians said. made it possible to To-
cate the mountain in only one way.
That was by climbing the peaks in the
barren region far above Us to the south
eastward until one should be found from
whose lofty crest there were three other
peaks forming a straight line In the
central mountain was the treasure.
Few burdens could be carried with us
in that high, rare atmosphere, and we
were soon on our way with old Zapetl
shaking his head, as If in prediction OF
disaster. Hardened as we were by our
ont of door life, the strain was terrible.
We lost our way repeatedly and found
ourselves confronted by vast crevices in
our pathway mp the mountain side.
Wide detours, costing us half day and
sometimes day of valuable time, were
perforce made, only to find ourselves at
the top Of precipice that barred or
progress. We had with infinite trouble
climbed two lofty mountains only to
find ourselves at the summit out OF
range of the mountain tops, as demand
ed By the legend, when finally refused
to go farther. 1t was suicidal. Half our
provisions and water were gone. But
Tom pleaded for one more chance do
YOU see that long ranger" he criod.