Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1899-12-27
job, but there's plenty of time and five

Piuchy little one. we SnaI md plen-
ty of work for you mending and cook
ing for us. Can you cook?"
Can she cook ?" repeated her father.
proudly. 'Dick, you just wait till she
turns out a 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. 1 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 a sudden rise for
about ten feet, and tie walls appeared
to be alternate layers of rock, gravel
and dirt.
| Soon it was all n 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 l could. We couldn't get them up
| here, and they wouldn't find anything
to live on if we could. l hope they will
stay away from this locality. They
would arouse suspicion if anyone saw
| Them"
Another five minutes climb and they
emerged on 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 a 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
| dense timber half mile away. In the
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 it's
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 word.
"Now I'll show you where we live"
There was no sign of a tent or hut
visible, but they soon saw that he was
heading for 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 open
ing partially concealed from view by a
big bowlder, while others had been
added by human hands to make conceal
| ment more effectual.
''This is our house." said Taylor. ut
will do nicely for your daughter, Bill
and the rest of us can use the tents.
It's hot enough for the rest of the sum-
mer."
The cave was about ten feet square,
and was not altogether the work of
nature. The rock was very soft. and
| the two men had spent many hours
charging it, until it was very COM
Portable place of abode. Several skins
covered the floor, and Clara Avery gave
a cry Of delight as she entered.
"I'll soon have breakfast ready now -
| she said.
| While she was preparing it herfather
strolled off by himself, and examined
l >-N~ 8 AoohA WIN q III IA GAL. AAS
came to the cave when his daughter
called that the food was ready, but his
appetite seemed to be poor, and he had
little to say. Even his daughter noticed
his preoccupation, but whatever was
troubling him he kept it to himself,
and Joined the others, after breakfast,
in the work of bringing up the rest of
the goods, which proved no easy task.
| Three hours later, when the last
package had been safely piled in the
cave, Dick Taylor said thoughtfully:
| "Why wouldn't it be good plan to
block up the passage? Those two
men are too near to suit me, Joe.
They've got my letter and are sure to
find where we camped last night if they
look long enough. The very fact that
we let our horses go will let them know
that we must have gone where we could
not possibly take them. They are sure
to see the animals. Suppose they go
nosing round and find the opening un-
der the moss? We are on American soil
and they have as much right here as we
have"
| But one of them tried to murder
me-" cried Tom, Indignantly, "and he
did rob mel"
"We might make him give up what he
Il