The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-01-24

He had with him small supply of |
matches, and as he lighted one after
another he saw that he was in fairly |
good sized chamber, or feet in height |
and perhaps 80 feet in length and half |
as broad. He advanced to the center of |
the cave and by the dim match light |
saw that there were clear evidences of |
former habitation. At one side on the |
floor were two broken ollas and other |
fragments of pottery.
"Just some old Indian hiding place.,
thought Morgan, and, lacking antigua
rian tastes, he was about abandoning |
further exploration when his attention
was attracted to certain dark bundle |
like objects at the rear of the cave. He
approached them with mingled feel
ing of curiosity and distrust. He was
not impressionable, but when his first
near view assured him that one was a
tumbled roll of blankets and the other
a partially clothed skeleton of a man
the damp chill of the cave seemed to
penetrate to his very marrow.
Stupg by the flame of the match,
which, unnoticed in his excitement,
had burned to his finger tips, he drop
ped it and was left in darkness 1t was
but second before he lighted another,
and then for the first time he noticed
that close to the blankets lay pair of
leathern saddlebags He stopped to lift
them and was surprised at their weight.
They were unstrapped. and his curiosity
now overmastering all other feelings he
threw back the flap of one and holding
a freshly lighted match close to the
opening was speechless with amazement
at what he saw. The bag was half fill
ed with coined gold.
For the second time, in his excite
ment, he had nearly allowed his match
to burn out. His stock was now reduced
to four, and, realizing that he must
make haste to leave the cave, he seized
the leather neck connecting the two
bags and dragged them to the opening.
In another moment he was again
| standing in the sunlight and threw the
| remains of his last match among the
rocks outside. 1t was all so strange and
passed so quickly that it seemed to him
| almost that he had been dreaming and
still dreamed, but when he opened the
mouth Of the saddlebags and plunged
his hands into the jingling, shining
yellow coin which both contained there
was an end to all his doubts. "This
beats dry washing or striking ledge"
he exclaimed aloud. eff Boly don't
think I'm eligible now, I'll give up
| beat"
On the side of each of the heavy calf.
| skin bags in sprawling, pen printed let
| ters, was the name "H. Meeks'' and a
date some 12 years back. "That's the
name of the feller that robbed old man
Bascom, and it was down in this Mud
Spring country that the old man lost
the trail. While I am out discoverin
| things, / seem to be workin up the
whole job to once" said the now exult-
ant Morgan to himself. "Old C'lumbus
amt in it with me-. :"
When be reached Mud Springs late
| in the afternoon, he was discreetly
silent about his discovery in the cave.
He cached his saddlebags mile or
more back on the trail, and his prepa-
rations for an immediate and impressive
return to the Belshazzar camp were un-
dertaken at once. These consisted in va
rious purchases. From the proprietor
of the Magnolia saloon he obtained a
black mule, with a silver mounted sad
die and bride and pair of deep rowel-
ed spurs, with little, jingling chains
These had been left for sale by some
newcomer from Sonora with bad luck
and extravagant tastes. He also obtain
ed at the same place diamond Of large
size, but of doubtful purity, which he
pinned in his blue flannel shirt front.
He added to this guitar for Boly, se-
cured at an exorbitant price from an
impecunious Mexican, and, having bade
his friends goodby, started on his tri-
umphal homeward march just as the
full moon was rising over the eastern
ridges.
He reduced the four days. time Of his
outward trip to less than three on his
return, and an hour before sunset was
riding up the last heavy grade on the
trail into the Belshazzar camp. He
hardly expected to find Boly so late at
the arastra, but still on the chance be
gathered himself together for an i'm
pressive entree. His new mule, laden
with the precious bags, trotted in ad-
vance He followed with the guitar
swung by its bright ribbon about his
neck and held in place before him, his
questionable diamond flashing resplen.
IDENTIFY, his spurs jingling and his som.
brero well back on his head.
AS he neared the camp his spirits
sank for the moment as he recognized
the loud voice of old Bascom raised
to even a higher pitch than usual. He
hurried his animals, and in another mo-
ment was in camp. Boly's pony, Gyp
was in harness in the arastra. She her
, self was sitting despondently on fiat
rock near by with her face buried il
her hands and sobbing at short inter
walls, while old Bascom was vociferouslJ
upbraiding her for the infatuatior
which had led her to deceive her father
and clandestinely operate the arastra il
her penniless lovers absence. The stu
alton, however, was soon changed t6
one of glad excitement and friendly
greeting and congratulation when Nor
J gan appeared and, briefly recountins
his adventures, astonished them will
the sight of the coin in the saddlebags
: "Two-thirds of that there coin mater
ally belongs to me-" shouted old MAJ
, Bascom, land one-third of it" (mean
ing Meeks' part) ''of course goes to you
but won't stand on that. This is my
, day for bein lib'ral, and I'm goin tt
allow you half of the whole pot ant
, throw in Boly as an extra, alow'n, O
{ course, as she's agreeable to the arrange
ment."
81 amt got no objections as know
, of, - said Roly, with a laugh, as sh