Omaha daily bee., 1914-06-07

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wood to the father of his godchild, say
ing that he had brought what he could
and that he must accept the wood as q
gift. The man was thanked and thu
wood was duly stored away iDf the courI
of the house. Some time after that the
bundles OF sticks and roots were opened
and inside each was found a great bag
OF gold in nuggets and dust In the
meantime the Indian had disappeared
and could not be found. The man took
the gold and built two large houses on the
street called Triumph. II you do not
believe this story come to Cuzco. and
the people will show you the street ana
point out the houses.
Searched nnd Found.
Another treasure story is the tale of an
Indian woman 100 years old II relates
to great hoard OF gold that was mid
den in the Andes by one of the chiefs.
who was murdered before he came back
to Cuzco. This treasure has long been
searched for in vain by both foreigners
and Peruvians. Not long ago this old
Indian woman. being about to die. sent
word to a haciendado Of Spanish descent
for whom she mad WORKED. asking him 10
hasten to her. He reached her hut in
the mountains just In time to get her
last message. This was that her maternal
grandmother. who had died eighty years
before, had given her a word that would
indicate where this treasure lay. The
word was an Indian one and 1t meant
the Lake OF Two Stones The old woman
was questioned, but she would tell moth
ing more. That night she died. The story
went forth and the whole country was
searched by treasure hunters all seeking
for the Lake of Two Stones. At last a
narrow valley was discovered containing
a lake in which there were two tall rocks
rising high over the water. The investiga-
tors drained the lake. They dug down
under the largest stone and there found
a platform of masonry, covering a cham
ber in which the treasure was found. The
secret was kept from the officials for
fear of confiscation. And so no one knows
just how much gold was discovered. but
1t was Of such value that 1t made all Of
those who participated in the division
rich.
Some More Gold.
Another OF those Inca traditions relates
to a cave in a mountain called Pillchan.
near Cuenca in Ecuador. This cave con-
tains a mighty treasure OF gold, but its
entrance is closed by giant OF granite,
under whose arm is hole which is open
only once a year and that on Good FRI
day. Then. and then only, the giant
raises his arm and the man who can be
there at that time can crawl in under It
and get an immense treasure of gold.
As the story goes, the gold is in piles
so labeled that only one pile is 70 be taken
at a time II one man takes only the
assigned quantity he will get away
safely. But II he is greedy and takes
more. he will be squeezed to death by the
arm of the giant as he goes out This is
the belief held by the Indians. Many
superstitious people have looked for that
cave, but so far neither the cave nor the
giant has yet been discovered.
A fairly we'll authenticated tradition
refers 10 an Inca named Ruminagui, who
is said to have carried away the gold
and silver OF Quito and buried them.
These treasures were taken from the
palaces of Atahualpa and from the tenn
plse and converts Of the virgins Of the
sun at that place II is said that SONS
Of the gold was started to Cajamarca In
order that It might aid in freeing Ata-
haulpo, but that Ruminagua feared the
treachery OF the Spaniards and buried
the gold on the way This story came 70
the SpaniarCs, and Sebastian de Benal.
cazar, one OF the subordinate officers
under Pizzaro. took $50 men and started
for Quito, searching along the path OF
Ruminagm. but finding nothing
In the meantime Ruminagui had dug