Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-12-29

~ned abruptly for space OF some ten
feet, and Taylor said:
.sThis is the bed of some old stream
which must have run here thousands OF
years to wear its way down through the
rock to this depth. Right here where
we are standing it seems to have backed
up and made a sort of basin, which &C
counts for the rocks being worn out so
much wider. When there was freshet
the water couldn't get out through the
opening fast enough. But we must be
getting the rest of the goods in here.
Drop your loads here till we have it all
out of sight"
The others obeyed and as they went
back and forth he told them how he had
discovered the opening.
sWe came down from Selkirk," he
said, "but we struck off somewhere
north of where the trail divides. TWAS
last summer. We were prospecting and
headed over this way. We got all mixed
mp in the woods and at last we came
out at the other end Of the curious
gully. We found gold and stayed there.
One day I followed this place down
from the other end and came out here"
It required some time to carry all the
goods into the opening, and although
Tarbox soon returned and even the
young girl assisted with all her
strength it was an hour later when
Dick Taylor pulled the sheltering mass
over the entrance and hid it from view,
saying:
"There! We are safe now from all
prying eyes. The next thing is to get
all this stuff into camp. It'll be tough
job, but there's plenty of time and five
of us to do it,
"Don't you count me" pouted Clara
Avery. ''See the great, heavy bundle L
just brought in here"
so, of course" laughed Taylor.
Everyone can help, and you seem to be
a plucky little one. We shall find plen-
ty of work for you mending and cook
ing for us. Can you COOKE"
proudly. 'Dick, you just wait till she
turns out sample. We shan't have to
live as we did in the old days."
Good! Well, talking about eating.
reminds me that we haven't had any
breakfast. I couldn't wait to get this
stuff out of sight till after breakfast,
but now it's different. We will leave
all we can't take at one load and go
up to our camp now. We can come back
and get the rest after we have eaten.
Don't load up too heavy. It's not very
smooth walking where we are going"
Throwing package over his Shout
der he led the way until the turn in
the passage was reached. Beyond this
the way grew narrower, until there was
barely room to walk. Twenty yards
farther there was sudden rise for
about ten feet, and the walls appeared
to be alternate layers of rock, gravel
and dirt.
Soon it was all sharp rise, and they
found it extremely difficult to carry
their burdens.
'You see why we have no need for
the horses" remarked Tarbox. ST have
sent them racing down the trail as far
as I could. We couldn't get them up
here, and they wouldn't find anything
to live on if we could. 1 hope they will
stay away from this locality. They
would arouse suspicion if anyone saw
them"
Another five minutes climb and they
emerged On a rocky platform, and Tay-
lor said, quietly:
There! In front of you lies our
camp, and gold enough to make you all
rich, if we can only keep the place to
ourselves long enough. We have food
enough for year, and all we want is to
be let alone"
Tom and Green stared blankly about
them, but their unframed eyes told
them nothing. A huge ridge of rock
ran from where they stood across the
valley before them, and was lost in the
6o1f 10 Tn hn
foreground the heavy moss which COW
cred the ground was cut up in places by
the channels of defunct torrents and
dotted with fragments of rock, some of
which seemed to have pierced the
bosom of the soil from below, while
others had been detached from the
ridge at some time and rolled into the
valley.
On the left of the ridge a small
stream, scarcely two feet wide, was
running. swiftly, and pointing to its
bank Taylor added:
''See those two holes and the two
heaps of dirt! Well, we've been waiting
for water to wash that dirt out. We've
been thawing out that ground with fires
all winter so we could dig. Those two
heaps are full of gold and it'll run ten
dollars to the pan
Avery alone seemed to pay little or no
attention to his friends words. He
was examining the scene before him
critically, but he hardly glanced at the
two heaps of dirt upon which the 9TH
ers gazed with intense interest. He
made no comment, however, and when
Taylor moved forward he followed him
without q word.
"Now I'll show you where we live"
There was no sign of tent or hut
visible, but they soon saw that he was
heading for a stout bush not far from
the little stream and about 100 feet
from where they had emerged from the
natural tunnel.
Behind this bush they saw an onen-