The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-12-13

the bottom of a deep chasm in the solid
rock. On either side of them the walls
rose perpendicularly to the height OF
some fifty feet as smoothly as if CHS
eled by human agency. Far above them
a narrow strip of blue sky wound like
~aSfibbon, and in front, at a distance
of a few yards, a sharp curve in the
rocky way shut off all further view.
Where they stood the passage wild
ened abruptly for a space Of some ten
feet, and Taylor said:
'ThiS Is the bed Of some old stream
Which must have run here thousands of
wears to wear it's 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 accounts for the rocks being
worn out so much wider. When there
was a 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.
w came down from Selkirk,' he
said, but we struck off somewhere
north Of where the trail divides. 1t
was last summer We were prospecting
and headed over this way. We got all
lAAACu uP III liz "pouS dl!Y al last we
came out at the other end of the curl
GUS gully. We found gold and stayed
there. One day l followed this place
down from the other end n came out
here"
1t required some time to carry all the
goods into the opening, r although
TarboX soon returned and ever 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 s. tough
T 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
I just brought in here"
"Oh, of course" laughed Taylor.
Everyone can help, and you seem to
be a plucky little one. We shall find
plenty Of work for you mending and
cooking for US. Can O COOKE"
Can she COOKE" repeated her father,
proudly, Dick, you just wait TIL she
turns out a sample. We shan't ave to
live as we did in the old days"
Good! Well, talking about eating,
reminds me that we haven't had any
breakfast. l 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 a 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 the walls ap-
peared to be alternate layers Of rock,
gravel and dirt.
Soon it was all a sharp rise, and they
found it extremely difficult to carry
their burdens.
"You see why we have no need for
the horses remarked TarboX. Il have
sent them racing down the trail as far
as I could. We couldn't get them up
here, and hey wouldn't find anything
to live on if we could. I hope they will
stay away from this locality. They
would arouse suspicion IL 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 al
: rich, If we can only keep the place tC
ourselves long enough. We have food
enough for a year, and all we van Is
to be let alone"
Tom and Green stared blankly about
. them, but their unframed eye tolo
!, 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 q mile away. In the
!. foreground the heavy moss which GOV,
- cred the ground was cut up In places
:. by the channels Of defunct torrent:
. and dotted with fragments Of rock
~ some Of which seemed to have pierced
a the bosom of the; soil from below, while
4 others had been detached from thu
" ridge at some time and rolled into thu
= valley.
:, On the left of the ridge a small
, stream, scarcely two feet wide, wal
g running swiftly, and pointing to 1t!
q bank Taylor added:
- "See those two holes and the tw'
heaps Of dirt! Well, we've been wait
Z, ing for water to wash that dirt out
We've been thawing out that groun'
- with fires all winter SO we could die
- Thos two heaps are full of gold an
it'll run $40 to the pam"
~ Avery alone seemed to pay little o
y no attention to his friends words. H
was examining the scene before hir
~ critically, but he hardly glanced at tn
two heaps Of dirt upon which the 9th
ers gazed with intense interest. H
a made no comment, however, and Whe
Is TAYLOR moved forward he followed hir
IS without a word.
~ Continued Next Week.)
.