Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-06-30
THE HAUNTED TREASURE CAVES.
Weird. and Terrible Adventure OF Man
Who Attempted to Explore Caverns
In 6oer Mountains. e.sse-s sss.e' -


tude on the South African veldt know
what that means.
For II long weeks | had seen no
white man or woman, my only COM
panions having been my Kaffir boys.
NV calendar showed that it was De-
eember 80. 1895, and / reckoned that
an early morning trek would land me
at the little dorp of Pietpetgietersrust
on New Years Eve.
| had been told off to survey an a.
alternative route for the proposea
railway to be constructed between
Pretoria and Petersburg in the
Transvaal. and to map out the general
features of the surrounding country,
while my two camp companions con-
tinued the work on the main line Ct
country. My job being now nnlsheo'
/ was looking forward to meeting them
again on the morrow for New Years
Notification.
But a thrilling episode that might
have ended fatally to me was 10 inter-
yene.
Throughout my trip the MONDAY
sun had been almost unbea-able, anu
had been forced to do the bulk OF my
work early and late, resting for three
or four hours each midday. | found
sleep almost impossible during this
interval. though the boys generally
managed it. sleeping in bath OF per
SEPARATION, either stretched out beneath
the trees or under riggea-up DUCK
sail. Trekking at midday was equal
lv hard on the oxen, so whenever pos
sible night tricks had been undertaken.
and NJ these times | had experienced
several minor adventures with my gun.
1t was while returning from one OF
these night stalks that my two katiir
huntsmen first old me of the Weiru
story of the Treasure or Makapah.
These two boys had been recruited from
the Makapan tribe of kaflifs. whose
settlements were among the noun
fains within few miles of Pietpot-
and their eStfaofaiha'
tale was not only interesting, pa. mos
alluring. In short. it told OF one oil tue
many conflicts of white versus olacN
in the days when the Beers anu '''s
kaffirs we're always at death grips
when the natives resenting the ao-
Won. and dominion of the white race.
arose in rebellion, ana,
down on outlying see'i'
ments, wiped out men, women anu
children alike.
To retaiiate the Beers organized an
exnedition and besieged the caves. liy
means of fires kept burning at the
mouth of the cave they hnaily sue
ceeded in suffocating every kainf.
Tradition had it that priceless treas
ures waeAsecreted in the caves, eh-
lgnc.vn X the Beers; that the Key 10
The treastirs was known to but IL"
~ tho dead men. am that 1t re-
paainea still unclaimed owing to ire
shirts who watched over it=preveh''hS
mortal man from approaching.
III. latter part of this reInafkaple
.tor,, was at SEINE trouble to Obtain
ia indeed one of my boys, who was
ON induna-a kind of tribal head nun
rafusad 10 speak of it, only confirm
ing his companions narrative
a westruck acquiescenee. "hei' me-
ING obtained as much detali as pos'
hla nv means of cross questlohihs'
s,,eoested that on our arsAval near Tue
FOUNTAINS they should conduct me 10
tha enot I was MET with lrih any
terrilied refusal. The penalty LOT III
! uding into the haunted caves We"
informed, was death. ..o.,,.
For several days l argued qut,S
Win these two boys, but all III YAM
nntil one evening the more loauaeious
- ,t,a two came to my tent and, nav
;no nloced me under a pledge OIL X
crecy. offered to lead me TO Tue
IN return for a suitable reward
Tho bows were fetching wood anu
a,nn for their culinary operations
and we attracted no speciai. a''eh.i
,rhen / set off, shotgun In hano, u"
,o,rea nv nv guide, as We so often ou
for shoot.
Together we forced our way iorw'sfa'
and having arrived under the feeNs
lin we lit our torches, for dense plach,
ness law a few steps ahead. A sec"h"
later Sudden cries and a rush OF WIFE
in onr faces checked our advance a.iu
sosrad MS considerably. My guhue'
with a veil, turned to flee. but causn'
hi. arm and fiercely enjoined shense'
I then recognized that the SURPRISE
haa heen caused by some Owls anu
n,bar birds which had been frighteheu
nv the unaccustomed glare. and nay
ans.v companions shattered nerves
were somewhat Gained lie wouiu
now however only advance hoioihs
an 70 NV coat tails, and his breatnins
vas short and stertorous. our ,oieh-
es only seemed to pierce the gloom u
- tow feet ahead, and. as the ROCKY
roof was very low in places, we Weie
conpelled to proceed in bent posi-
ton. see who, T
had gone but few PAGES Wien
,hsarved in the inky darkness 10 ,he
,aft a faint glimmer, as of some Whi,e
Iight which seemed to move from siue
70 side. Holding my torch beniho nie,
IN order 10 see better, beheid' 10 my
utter arnazement, the appearance VI
q human skeleton. standing motiofiiess
I'd far back in the gloom. MY suiue
tonls the torch from my extended manu.
and as gazed, grasping my gun Tue
annarition moved Swiftly ana NOISE
iass,y il giided in our direction, raising
ono spectral arm as it came. a yen
fold me that my guide had seen IT, ZOE,
though I shouted to him TO stop anu
tring the lights, he fled heaoiohs'
left alone in the darkness. my nrs'
;npnlse. was to retreat, but py an e.