The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-21
Caverns Were Said to Con-
tain Priceless Treasures
Guarded by Spirits
SPECTRE PROVED TO
BE ONLY A KAFFIR
Not Proof Against Buckshot-Caves
Were Used as Storehouse for
Stolen Diamonds-Hoard
Was Not Discovered

on the South African Neiut KNOW WHAT
that means, says writer in the Wide
World Magazine.
| For II long weeks I had seen no
white man or woman, my only COM
panions having been by Kaffir boys"
My calendar showed that it was De-
cember 80, 1895. and | reckoned that an
early morning trek would land me at
the little dorp of Pietpotgietersrust on
| New Years Eve
I had been told off to survey an
alternative route for the proposed rail-
way to be constructed between Pre-
| toria and Petersburg in the TransvaaL
and to map out the general features of
the surrounding country, while my two
camp companions continued the work
on the main line of country My job
being now finished. was looking for
ward to meeting them again on the
morrow for New Years jollification.2
But thrilling episode that might
have ended fatally to me was to in
tervene
| Throughout my trip the MONDAY sun
had been almost unbearable. and l had
been forced to do the bulk of my work
four hours each midday found sleep
| almost impossible during this inter-
| VAL. though the boys generally man.
aged it, sleeping in bathsof perspira-
ton, either stretched out beneath the
| trees or under rugged up ,bucksail.
Trekking at midday was equally hard
on the oxen, so whenever possible,
night tricks had been undertaken, and
at. these times l had experienced sew
Iar od .
Talk of Treasure
1t was while returning from one of
these night stalks that my two Kaffir
] huntsmen first told me of the weird
story of the Treasure of Makapan."
These two boys had been recruited
from the Makapan tribe of Kaffirs,
whose settlements were among the
| mountains within few miles of Piet-
potgietersrust. and their extraordinary
tale was not only interesting. but most
alluring. In short, 1t told of one of
the many conflicts of white versus
black in the days when the Beers and
4 the Kaffirs were always at death grips
when the natives. resenting the adj
+ vent and dominion of the white race,
continually arose In rebellion, and,
swoopng down on outlying settlements,
wiped out men, women and children
alike.
To retaliate the Beers organized an
expedition and besieged the caves. By
means of fires kept burning at the
mouth of the cave they finally sue
ceeded in suffocating every Kaffir
Tradition had it that priceless treasures
were secreted in the caves unknown to
the Beers; that the key to the trea sure
was known to but a few of the dead
men, and that is remained still unclaimed
owing to the spirits who watched over
it preventing mortal man from approach
ing.
l The latter part of this remarkable
story l was at some trouble to obtain,
1 and indeed one OF my boys, who was an
induna-a kind of tribal head man-re-
fused to speak of it. only confirming his
companions narrative with awestrucl:
acquescence. When. having obtained as
much detail as possible by means of
cross questioning, 1 suggested that on
our arrival near the mountains they
should conduct me to the spot, l was
met with firm and terrified refusal
The penalty for intrudng into the haunted
caves, | was informed was death.
For several days | argued quietly with
these two boys. but all in vain, until one
evening the more oquacious Of the two
came to my tent and having placed me
under a pledge of secrecy. offered to lead
me ito the caves In return for a suita BILE
reward.
The boys were fetching wood and water
|
tracted no special attention when sci
off, shotgun in hand, followed by my
guide, as We so often did for shoot
Together we forced our way forward
and, having arrived under the rocky lip
we lit our torches, for dense backness
lay few steps ahead. A second later
sudden cries and a rush of wings in our
faces checked our advance and scared
us considerably. My guide, with a yell,
turned to flee. but l caught his arm and
fiercely enjoined silence. / then recog-
q nized that the surprise had been caused
by some owls and other birds which had
been frightened by the unaccutsomed
glare, and my dusky companions shat
tered nerves were somewhat calmed. He
= would now, however, only advance hold
ing on to my coat-tails, and his breathing
was short and stertorous. Our torches
only seemed to pierce the gloom for a
few feet ahead, and as the rocky roof
was very low in places, We were COM
PEELED to proceed in a bent position.
| had gone but a few PAGES when OBJ
served in the inl1y darkness to the left q
faint glmmer, as OF some white light,
which seemed to move from side to side.
Holding my torch behind me, In order to
see better, l beheld, to my utter amaze
ment the appearance of human skele-
ton, standing motionless and far back
in the gloom. My guide took the torch
from my extended hand, and as I gazed,
grasping my gun, the apparition moved.
Swiftly and noiselessly it glided in our
direction, raising one spectral arm as it
came. A yell told me that my guide
had seen it, for, though shouted to
him to stop and bring the lights, he fled
headlong.
Left in Darkness
Left alone in the darkness, my first
impulse was to retreat. but by an effort
of will remained steady and, sinking
on one knee pointed my gun toward the
specter.
The figure stopped and then for the
first time during the past eventful sec
ends noticed that the skeleton form
was headless. My heart and head were
both humping. and l was bathed in a
cold perspiration, but apart from these
symptoms of stress had myself pretty
| well under control and decided to with
hold my fire as long as possible. 1
guessed that the apparitiop was some
80 PAGES distant though it might have
been less.
Suddenly as was collecting my wits
~ away. bearing to tile right as it went
while its right arm undoubtedly beckoned
to me to follow.
The action was startling, and swift
thoughts rushed through my brain of
spectres that had lured men to death, re-
vealed their murderers or pointed out the
whe reabouts of hidden treasure with
clenched teeth and muscles set, l de-
terniined to see the business through, and