The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1897-10-01
rNindre d,uro2" I repeated.


The old man eyed me for a few Sec
onds in silence, as If judging whether
was worthy or not; then he shook
his head and said:
at is my secret, and do not know
you well enough to confide it,"
l bowed and we rode back to where
the engineer corps had formed camp.
Levi Bronson remained with us near
ly week. and during that time be
refused very tempting offers to act as
guide for us as far as the Colorado
River.
He proved himself to be a famous
hunter, and h ventured off alone with
perfect contempt for what would
have been positive danger to any other
man.
He was voted "crazy" by all the
party, but in me the man excited the
liveliest interest, and by many conf
dences | tried to draw from him the
story of his life, which felt sure was
made up Of incidents of no ordinary
kind.
The night before he left us he drew
me to one side, and, sitting down with
| his hack to a tree and the flames OF
neighboring fire lightning up his PIC
turesque face, he said And so you'd
like to know something about Madre
d'Oro?"
l told him that I should, If he
thought me worthy of his confidence.
1T is a secret" he said, in half
whisper "but then what does it mat
ter If the world knew. so long as only
one man can find the place."
What placer"
The place where all the gold in
these rocks and streams comes from
La Madre d'Oro-the Mother of Gold.
An, thousands have died trying to find
the place, and it may be that now that
l know where it is | may not be per-
mitted to enter in, for you know the
Aztecs believe that the wonderful val
ley is enchanted"
"Indeed?"
Eyes, and l am inclined to that be-
lief myself, but then | have spent so
many long, weary years searching that
1t would not do to lose heart. now
that untold wealth is within my
reach"
l agreed with him, and by careful
questioning | drew out of him his story
of the valley Of gold, which l subse-
quently found to be an established be-
lief among the miners Of the Northern
Mexican states and to them it came,
without doubt. from the Aztecs, who
were once the masters of all this land.
Within a hundred miles of the place
where we were then encamped was
the wonderful valley of gold. and Levi
Bronson was confident that he knew
the exact location.
The valley was in the heart of the
Sierra Madre Mountains, walled in by
! towering rocks. and accessible only by
a secret passage through which flowed
stream that, excepting on one day
in every year, filled up the passage and
made ngress impossible.
This valley is small in extent and
perfectly circular. Through it the
river flows cool and clear and filed
with fish whose scales are golden The
banks are masses of variegated flow
ers. and trees ever in blossom made
delightful shades and fairy-like ar
bors. Birds of the sweetest song and
most exquisite plumage, of varieties
unknown to the outer world, make
vocal this wonderful valley and fash
through its dark green foliage like
animated blossoms.
Running across this wonderful val
ley there is belt forty feet in width
on which no vegetation grows, for the
belt is the top Of wall of gold that
flashes with indescribable brilliancy
when the sun balances in midheaven
and looks lovingly down on Madre
d'Oro.
The old Aztec priests know we'll this
valley, and as they still cherish the
belief that Montezuma will again APP
pear in the flesh, TO lead them against
the Spanish conquerors whom they
have never ceased to hate, they think
the wealth necessary to regain their
liberties will come from this valley.
But one white man ever saw it, and
that was a Spaniard named Jose AL
varrez, who entered through the sub
terrancan passage, and being discov-
cred by the guardian priests, was sac
| TlHCCu W the sun Ol lllG ssOluGu lHORG.
"And you know where this wonder
full valley is?" l asked Levi Bronson,
when he had finished his description.
YES" he replied, Il am sure could
lead you within one mile of the place."
Are you going there?"
81 am"
"And you are not afraid of the
Guardian nriests?"
NO. for l am a doctor. and l have
practiced my profession for years
among the Indians to make them my
friends. They would not harm me-"
But, granting that you can find the
gold" l asked, "of what use will such
q fabulous amount be-"
II Will only take what 1 want" he
replied.
And how much will that be?"
81 do not know. l have earned a
great deal in all these years of working
and waiting l want to maze my old
400 corona and baDnyn