The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1902-08-20
Copyright, 1901, Nv a. $. Richardson

COPYRIGHT iyVI, Nv a. y f'ithai0Soa
A ~ ~ S.>S ~. ~. -. ~. ~. =..s ~ W
1t was forlorn looking house. long
since forsaken of human tennntry, one
would have said Scurrying lizards did
sentry duty upon its porch and the
predaclous ants had eaten into its
woodwork But to civil engineer In
the unsettled center of Mexico any
shelter Is matter of gratitude Oar
rel and | took possession without any
qualms of guilt for IL was evident that
the owner had moved out years be-
fore While the cook built fire and
prepared dinner In the main room we
proceeded to explore, not without eau
ton. for the old shack looked like Il
promising resort for snakes. | had
just dispatched couple that were
keeping house in side room when
shout from Darrell summoned me to
the second story.
Here's queer thing 10 turn up In
an abandoned house." he called.
He was bending over n small box
bound In horsehide, the lid of which
ried 1t downstairs and went through
the contents They were surprising
enough; Mt least II was surprising that
the tenants should have left such pa
pers behind them. for here were deeds
to property, leases, some mortgage pa
pers and other valuable documents, be-
sides number of family records, all
dated many years before, but all In n
good state OF preservation. What In
terested me most, however, was a
email map drawn on prepared paper,
the work of an amateur. Whoever
drew Ii knew something about survey
ing, for he had his ranges and scales
fairly correct. He had started at
spring nj the foot of mn INDICATED hill
In the foothills of the San Luis range
and run line up rayine 52o feet.
Then he had run 125 feet up II cross
ravine, turning to the left, and had
marked cross on the face of II wall
rising sheer ninety feet. His marks
showed the elevation of this cross To
be thirty two feet above the bed of the
rayine. Here was food for speculation.
"Darrel," suid | 10 my companion,
'the man that drew that map didn't
do 1t for fun"
81 guess that's right" replied Oar
rel. "Theres something behind the
place marked by that cross, but what
is III"
whats the most likely thing to be
In the side of cliff In this countryP
"Oh, | Sect said he. "A cave, you
mean But what's in the cave, then?"
"That's what Wen find out If we
can locate the cave" said /.
Luck was with us In the matter. 1t
wasn't n week later when one of our
surveyors came In with a tale of hay
ing located fine spring at the foot Of
n hill and near one of the widest ra-
vines that he had ever set eyes on.
Neither Darrell nor | rested easy until
we were on the way TO the spot with
the little map tucked under my belt.
We were to split even on whatever we
found. Poor Darrell! When think of
that bargain. | have chill even to this
day.
1t took lis nearly day Oh muleback
to reach our destination. There were
the spring. the hill and the rayine run
ming back just as In the map. 1t was
one of the widest spots | ever saw In
Wild country; one couldn't help feel
ing bit put out with its loneliness.
Up the big rayine we trudged until we
reached the cross gulch. sheer cut
through the solid rock, the work of
centuries of fierce torrents.
1t took us long time to make out
the cross, as the iiff was In semidark-
ness and patches of moss were grow
ing over the surface, but we located 1t
at last and saw that the only way to
reach 1t was from the top of the cliff.
Having forcseen this contingency.
we had brought along stout rope, and
near the edge of the cliff, which We
mounted after II long detour, we found
O convenient tree. For one OF us to
lower the other would be an easy mat
ter. Both of us We're eager to go.
Which should 1t be- The good old
American method of a Tipped coin was
the arblter, and Darrell won. Present
ly he was sitting In the blight OF the
rope before the spot where the cross
was marked and calling up his reports
to me.
Eyes, there's cave here all right,
but it's walled up. Lower me down
that biologists hammer of yours. and
l can break the himsy thing In"
/ sent the hammer down on string,
and for five minutes Darrell hammered
and painted, and the sound of crum-
bling masonry told me that he was
making Roadway. Presently there
came a sort Of gasp from him.
"Phew! That's bad air! Don't dare
60 in there for bit"
Throw In n lighted match. and IL
it burns the air Is pure enough" l
called exctedly. for l was IN u hurry
to know what was IN that cave.
There she goes" said Darrell min
ute later; burns all right. oh, great
Cesarp'
whats tie matterf What Ia it"
/ cried. dancing ON the edge of the
cliff.
ITS gold. that's what 1t is-a big
bracelet OF it right near the entrance.
There's something that looks like bones
near it."
"Just what | expected" ! cried jubi
lantly. "An Aztec burial cave proba-
bly,. and the fellow that drew the map
found 1t out some way. They buried
their finest treasures with their dead.
It's fortune, Darrell
"Ghastly enough place to find 1t in."
he said. but here's for 1t anyhow"
And he entered the opening that he
had made.
For what seemed to me long minutes