Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-28

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@g" r EFT hint of hidden treasure once
RG5 get into boys head said Uncle
kSNS IL Tom Andy Bill next evening, when
IM0R we were all settled cozily about the
MEA~xA fire, and everything else gets out.
EN6&&AMSW There is a fascination about it that
ARERKtM no boy resist and in my opln-
kM1XAl/1gd ion no right minded boy ought to
If&&HCE4I try to resist it.
N&ST7F%G1 after Wyandotte left US, Balser
AS>Sase-esSU and l sat before the fire talking
excitedly about the gold that lay hidden somewhere
in the marvellous cave.
Five chests!' exclaimed Baser. L tell you,
Tom Andy Bill, must find that cave!
Yes said l, we must; but how can we! One
moon, two moons three moons, Journey from here.
He might as we'll have said that the treasure was in
the moon for all the good his story does us.
80 But think of i'll said Balser: Five chests! Sup
pose there are one thousand dollars in each chest
and no decent chest would think of having ess-that
would make five thousand dollars Why, tell you,
Tom Andy Bill, should be rich if we could find 1T!
Twenty-Five hundred dollars apiece! We could
each buy three hundred acres of ground-of good
ground- we could find the treasure"
=. MANY a man has fallen over that little word
.''Oh, but we know so much about it already,
returned Balser. We know that the treasure exists
We know that the cave is near great river and we
know even the number of chests of gold We know
all except the exact location of the cave
Yes l said sarcastically. That's all we don't
know How much more, for goodness sake, would
you like not to know
II admit it's good deal not to know said Bal
to know. Wyandotte said the cave was near a great
river He must have meant the Ohio River.
'"Or the Mississippi interrupted.
eyes he may have meant the Mississippi or any
other river but We'll have that treasure some day,
just you re alive! SAID Balser; ana SAID:
~ hope you're right.
.Balser and continued to talk about the treasure
till long past midnight, when turned in and
dreamed of chests of gold and caves and Indians
until Solomon awakened us singing for corn
A FTER the Wyandotte gold got to ringing in Our
"A ears the pelts took seemed almost worth
less and our zest in the work was sadly dlmmed
We did not, however, neglect the traps and guns;
but we loved best to sit before the fire after supper
discussing the and talking of what should
do with the money. At times said we should buy
land; but the land would have to be cleared, and
clearing was very hard work We thought of great
many uses to which could put the money; but
always fell back plan: Balser would give his
part of the gold to his father and should give my
part to my father.
the house and throw bagful of something down
the floor in front of father and say kind of careless
like, There's present tor you, father" And
father will look at it kind of careless like, and he'll
say What is it, SOM" And III say, "Oh, nothing
much lust a little gold" And then Ny! wish
/ knew where the cave was!
Il suppose there is not living that has be-
come rich, having been poor, who will not say that
his anticipation of wealth far sweeter than the
realization. l tell you, dream dollar is worth
double eagle of gold, though admit that it will
not buy much to eat. AS long as live, Ill never
forget dreams of treasure while sitting before
the fire stump chairs in the cabin on Brandy
wine. We rich then-richer than Croesus-in
health, youth, and dreams Merciful heavens!
what more could man ask? Health, youth, and
dreams That's the stuff heaven is made Of"
THE old man leaned forward gazing in reverie at
the fire; but he did not see the flames nor the
glowing ernbers He saw two boys sitting happily