The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-10-04

10 steep incline tnat was 1athOms deep
in ashes and where, with each step up
ward, they seemed to slip back step and
q half. The dust was suffocating, the
heat almost unbearable, the thirst it en-
gendered torturing, and when they had
finally accomplished the ascent the doctor
sank down exhausted.
Boy" said he when he had recovered
his speech, did you come all this way
last night? How were you able to do
it?"
The Indian boy smiled sadly. at was
the dog in me. senor," he answered
What does your mother call your"
asked Pedro.
She should have called him Pedro"
the doctor interrupted, "for he has a
dogs endurance and perhaps may prove
equally faithful"
The boy looked at him reproachfully,
but he merely rose to his feet and said,
If the senior is ready"
Up. up, through the broiling sun, over
fields of lava and volcanic slack, the trio
climbed persistently until they stood on
the mountains crest and gazed down into
the ominous depth of the crater that
yawned before them.
ply, pointing toward the black mouth of
a cavern half obscured by a cloud of
steam that shrilly escaped from some un-
seen crevice.
1T is the mouth of hellw exclaimed
Pedro. Even the sturdy doctor shrank
back, but the lust for gold will lead a
man to brave the greatest danger.
Come. them" he cried, but the Indian
boy detained him.
mot that way, senior. See where you
would go. 1t is none too sure, senor."
He took a small pick from Pedro and
struck it through what seemed to be a
solid rock. but which proved to be but
mass of light ashes. 1t was on this that
the doctor would have stepped and be-
meath which, had he done So he might
have disappeared forever.
Testing each foot of the way with the
greatest caution. he took the lead, now
through cloud Of white vapor. now
across bottomlosS seam, from which
poured cloud of black smoke, filed with
deadly gases, till the mouth Of the cave
lay before them.
1T is suicide muttered Pedro. 81, for
one. will go no farther"
Into the cavern the young boy crept.
and the doctor. first lighting torch that
he took from one Of the sadllehags they
had brought followed after as best lie
could. 1t was not far that they had to
60. \ few short steps from the entrance
the doctor saw the thing he sou-ht-vir-
gin gold. a mass of gold which the wealth
of klondihe could not equal such as
men might have dreamed Of. but none
had ever bchcld before. Mad with the
sense of sudden power. the doctor clutch
ed it. He foudlcd it. With tears Of JOY he
kissed it, swearing. laughing and crying
by turns, and theu-there was a sudden
trembling of the rock. The cavern seem
ed to sway in space, and there came a
sound as if the earth was splitting in
twain from its center. Pedro turned and
fed. The doctor threw the gold from
him with curse and frantically eudeav-
ored to follow, but the boy held him back.
No, no, selor, if you would liye," he
pleaded.
But the doctor did not hear him. There
was the din OF chaos without. \ wide
crack opened across the cave. and a suf-
locating vapor poured through it, Again
the rocky walls trembled and swayed.
and the crack closed its jaws with a
vicious snap, like some gigantic animal
enraged that it he'd not engulfed them.
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