Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-12-15

Thu Argos.
stop. They now seemed to him to move
about trying to locate some spot which
at last they found. He could hear them
removing stones and making prepare
tons, the nature of which he could not
determine. Then one of his guides raised
him and led him forward until there
came upward against his face q cold,
damp breath which seemed to proceed
from q cavern. He shrank back, fearful
that he should fall into unknown depths,
bat Immediately he was caught up BY
tbs arms and collar, lifted clean from
tho ground, and the next moment he
was dangling over hollow space. His
guides drew his hands together, and
they closed on q notched pole. He felt
for the pole with his fee: and struck it.
Down, down." said the voice of
Pablo in . tone that admitted of no re-
monstrance.
The poor padre felt that he was 20.
ing blindfold straight into the bottom.
less pit, but there was no help fer it,
and with groans and fervent prayers he
chung to the pole and let himself by
jerks slide slowly downward. Down,
down, clinging for life. he went until
his feet at last struck a rocky bottom.
His guides were soon by him, ard he
was taken by the hand and led along q
wet, slippery, rough passage, his feet
splashlng in water and sometimes trip
ping over heaps of stones. Presently the
party stopped, the Indians united the
bandage from his eyes, and he looked
about him, blinking in the light of q
torch held by ere of his conductors.
After the long period of darkness that
he had endured il was several seconds
before Padre Ambrosio could get accus.
toned to the light, but a. last he saw
clearly and locked helplessiy in the
faces of his wild companions, and then
about him with much dismay and dis
trust. But his trepidation was quickly
mingled with interest and delight at
the remarkable scene in which he found
himself. Sides. bottom and roof of the
great chamber in which he stood were
OF jagged rock just as the miners had
left their blasting and hammering ON
the day of the great massacre a century
and half before. But nature, working
in silence and darkness during the long
intervening time, had turned the rough
cavern into grotto of beauty. Stalac-
tites, snowy white, hung from the roof
and every projecting point of the sides,
making Gothic setting like marble.
The seepage of water from mineral
4, of . n,
cent stain Of every glowing hue with
tints as changeable as the sheen upon a
peacock's neck and o thousand times
more variegated. The padre forgot his
fatigue and fear and gazed enchanted.
The utmost that he had imagined of the
glories of the lost mines was realized
In the appearance Of the objects about
him. His delight was increased when
his guides led him to side of the cavern
where he saw imprisoned between walls
of rock q wide vein of crumbling silver
ore of great richness. Then one of the
Indians pointed to pile of massive
bars stacked up like cordwood, and
handing him knife motioned him to
scrape one of them. He did so, and be-
meath the tarnish and discoloration was
revealed the glittering surface of true
silver.
"El oro." said Pablo, pointing to
where lay, retaining still the shape Of
the box that had rotted from around it,
pile of gold bullion that to the priests
eager eyes seemed like kings ransom.
Padre Ambrosio lifted one Of the bars
that had lain there 50 many years in
undimmed brightness. admired its
weight and color and held it, reluctant
to let it 60 But the Indians were un-
easy and eager tn get away from the
place. The PADRES gloating over the
gold came to o sudden end, for Pablo
motioned him to drop the bar, and put
ting the bandage about his eyes shut
from him the sight Of the grotto and its
alluring treasures. The poor priest
sighed grievously at the thought Of leav.
ing the place empty handed, and, most
unwilling, he was led back along the
passage to the shaft.
If anything could have been more
dreadful than his descent into the mine
it was the dragging Of his corpulent
person out from it, and pitiable indeed
were Padre Ambrosio's slips and strug-
giles as he CROPPED his way up the un-
steady notched pole in such mortal ter
ror Of fall that for the time being he
forgot the scratches and Commissions that
he had sustained and the rheumatism
that his nights ride and his wettinQ
would probably give him. At last he
gained the earth's surface, and once in
the upper air he flung himself down il
mingled exhaustion and relief.
While the Indians covered the en-
trance to the mines and restored every
thing about it to its customary appear
ance, the priest had time to collect his
thoughts and prepare to put into effect
cunning plan that he had matured be-
fore leaving his house. When the Indi.
ans came to him and the party moved
down the mountain, Father Ambrosio
in an absent manner looseued the end
of his rosary and let fall bead, then
another and another, and so on down
the mountain side he marked tho