The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-01-28

piled layer upon LAYER until the huge
bowlder was made and grown cold. Ore
hunter that he was he coAld now read the
Indian riddle, the mystery in which it had
been bedded, and felt creeping upon him
the responsibilities Of Sudden wealth that,
knowing somewhat of5its value by his prac-
teal eye, he did not dare ut first to turn
into figures. Sobered downby these respon-
sibi ites-,he care, the hazard the disposi-
Homecoming with this lump Of immense
wealth, he began to make calculations upon
the worth Of what he could see-for the
peculiar deposit seemed to enter, like q
wedge, into huge crack in the mountain
side as if, spewed out from a volcano, it had
flowed downward through quartz-dusied
crevices and stopped, dead and cold in the
gloomy cavern. With wall as a slate and
bit of charcoal from the fire as pencil he
laboriously ciphered away on the measure OF
his find.
"Sesen million and odd dollars, as it
stands," he said, walking back little to
study the calculations. 1T doesn't seem
possible. can't believe it." In his doubt.
ful state of mind he went over the figures
again, with the same result Then he sat
and with his head in his hands and his face
to the fire reviewed the past and planned for
the future far into the morning, starting
nervously at every weird noise of the
night and losing entirely his self.pos-
session when the 0nsted bear growIed
and fed away angrily, beyond the
FIRE barricade at the opening. Cy had be-
come suspicious and cowardly in few hours
through what most people would call good
luck. He felt that now, if never before, the
world would be against him because of his
~ Ii
bipaiions of the keenest inteliects.
His first move must be to get his treasure
away and into safe place in absolute Sc
crecy. How? He considered all sorts oi
schemes. The most Of them were not feas-
ible; others needed the cooperation of an
other person. At last he made up his mind,
and with the early dawn, after covering up
the cave as best he could, started for the
Gulch, 10 miles away. The first persons he
met were Rube Panghorn and Pete Gillespie.
Both, though they did not say 30, had been
scratching around Pinafore Hump looking
after the paniher-eyed rock. They cursed
themselves for believing an Indian story.
An whar you bin, Cy 2" demanded Rube.
Everybody's been wonderin'. told 'em
! yon was off look in for yR'self Any luck %
Same as nsual," answered Woodman
| iaconicaiiy. IF there's any gold in that
thar mountain God Almighty III hev to break
/ the Hump into small pieces to show it, and
J he turned away.
Say, Cyl" Pete called out twas that
| traders story down to Purdy's 'other day a
bait? Honest now? sAud both he and Rube
began to laugh. Cy slrook.his head and they
let him go. quietly enough, until he disap.
peared in the shop of Mike Curran, the black
smith. Then Rube spoke out. with his hand
on his companions arm-,I
| You, Pete, he's found something. He's
on half run an he looks,picared of every.
body, ST they was a watchin' him. say
make the sneak diyy!l,t
| Pm with you," said Pete. "But nc
blood-lettin'-not Drop
"Dinnymite?" querisd Rube.
Course. May have 70 split open suthin,
Course! We mustn't toseIsight of him."
Mike Curran was AZ old friend of Wood
mans and the latter bought of him, under q