Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-05-07

more attempt" In mistaken pity for
him | yielded.
As we reached the summit, behold
There were three mountain peaks i'll
row. Tom sprang forward and after an
other struggle we were at the top of the
central mountain. As we approached
the top it could be seen that there had
been volcanic action in ages past. Ia
petl's eyes were rolling i'll every direc-
ton, on the look out for some superna-
tural phenomenon. Suddenly bursting
through dense fringe of bushes we found
ourselves on the very edge of vast
crater. As with common impulse we
looked to the center and there was an
immense bowlder. cat last cried
Tom, sat last!' Then he ran his eye
along the verge, scanning it foot by
foot. "The path" ho almost screamed,
and he stumbled along at a pace that,
exhausted as we were, we could scarce
ly maintain. "Take care, Tom, man
aged to calculate, though l was nearly
as wild as he. But Tom apparently
heard nothing. He had eyes and ears
only for the one goal
The path along the side of the preci-
pice, we could see, led upward from the
wide floor Of the arena far below MS, but
the top was concealed from our intent
gaze by a dense mass OF shrubbery.
Around the sides Of the crater we half
stumbled, half ran. When we reached
the spot where we thought it possible tc
strike upon the opening. we made dashes
here and there into the greenery. After
many disappointments cry from Tom
told me the path had been found Ia,
! petl by this time was i'll a state of col
lapse through fear and fatigue. Again
warned Tom to exercise caution, but he
plunged ahead, and followed as slowly
as could. The path downward was moi
more than foot in width, and it re-
quired all my strength and dexterity tt
keep my footing. Suddenly on rounding
a sharp angle in the face of the preci
pice was confronted by fiat rock five
minutes climb farther down. 1t seemed
| to be set in the face Of the crater and tt
jut out, cutting off farther progress IL
that direction. The rock was Of a pc
culiar reddish yellow color and, OIL look
ing more intently, it seemed to taxi
upon itself the shape of a monstrou
hand. It flashed over rue all at once
this was the golden hand OF the Indian !
legend. I called to Tom, but he was ia
below me. "Tom, the rock!" l criet
hoarsely, and my own voice sounded
strangely in my ears. But Tom had al
ready reached it. Suddenly a scream o
anguish shall never forget rose i'll tina
awful stiffness, and in another instant
saw that ponderous hand of golden ston
sink lower, still lower. Another scream
wilder than before, and Toms form
could be seen striving vainly to clutcl
with his hands the smooth surface as
sank downward with increasing rapid
ity. shut my eyes and listened. LII
sight was too awful to bear. When
opened them, the rock that had turne
on pivot with poor Toms weight wa
upright and was moving back to it
original place. Of that frightful fall III
to the crater I never dared to think. Oh
Zapetl and l had weary days of toll i
our return to the plantation, and my lit
was nearly forfeited by fever i'll whic
I could hear Tom g last despairing shrie
4 and see him sliding to his awful deatf
Brooklyn Eagle.