Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1904-05-20
CHAPTER XVIII.


MR.. PENCE DISCOVERS GOLD.
With much difficulty Mr.. Simon
Pence scaled the heights overlook
Ing the bay. and, aided by Vincent,
finally reached the top. He cast one
lingering look behind, and followed
his young and sturdy companion into
the half-jungle which lay before
them. They found it possible, by
following the cliffs along the ocean,
to make fairly rapid progress. Their
march was hindered by frequent
gorges, but they proceeded laborious-
~ but steadily in a southern direc-
ton.
Shortly after noon they ate their
luncheon. They rested on a ledge
fronting the sea. Two miles to the
south a huge crag reached out into
the blue water. and beyond no land
was visible. They decided to make an
attempt to climb the promontory,
believing that it would afford view
OF the south shore, and perhaps q
general survey of the island.
The brush thickened. They slowly
forced their way through thicket;
Mr.. Pence in advance. Suddenly he
gave a cry of terror, and fell over
Vincent In his wild retreat.
Before them stood a monster-the
grotesque figure of a human being,
with outstretched arms, hideous face
and protruding teeth. At a glance
Vincent recognized it as a stone inn
age. and shouted reassuringly 20 the
fleeing explorer.
In the open space before them
were the massive ruins of temples
and palaces; the tomb of a city
which had -fiourished and decayed
long before the dawn of recorded
history. On mound and terrace
ewere crumbling relics of former
grandeur.
The ruins covered many acres, and
lay back from the cliffs distance
not exceeding 100 yards. There
were traces of ancient fountains,
with figures half-buried in the mud
and slime of what once were pleas
ing pools.
In the center of the ruined city
was n pyramidal mound. surmount-
ed by the wreck of what once Anust
have been an imposing structure.
Vincent climbed up this mound and
figures which were scattered in odd
spostures around the stone floor of
the temple. In one corner the floor
had caved in and revealed subter-
ranean vault or chamber of I'M
known extent. Vincent lowered him
SELF to the floor below. At first it was
SO dark he could not survey his sur
foundings, but his eyes became ac-
customed to the gloom. He stumbled
over the uneven surface and entered
q passage,yay leading to the left.
Mr.. Pence called to him from over
head, and Vincent answered.; his
voice sounding sepulchral as it
echoed through the corridors.
Ofallen stone block half closed the
opening into q smaller room. Vim
cent lit q match and entered. The
walls were covered with a growth
of fungus. but his eyes were riveted
to a collection of carved figures OF
various size which lined three sides
of the wall.
They evidently were images or
idols, and were ugly enough to have
scared the worshippers into any con
fession or belief. They rested on
. stone shelf. formed by the top of
. mosaic wainscoting which project
cd from the walls. Vincent picked
up one of the smaller images and
started back to examine it more
carefully in the daylight. 1t seemed
remarkably heavy, but he imagined
e TO be bronze or copper, furnished
by the rust of ages. Vincent found
Mr.. Pence looking down into the
hole. but making no move to quit
terra frma.
See what have found" said