The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-01-09

There's a smoked caribou ham,
among other things. III bring back
a backload, anyway"
Bill then announced he'd like to
find the grlzzly's den. He felt
sure It was near.
But Harold had very special and
particular reasons why such a
course appealed to him not al all.
"Yes-and maybe find a couple OF
other bears In there In the dark
and no chance to fight. I'm not In
ttaoin etaoin
terested anyway. Go and look, IL
you Ike"
y will, IL you don't mind. Do
you want TO come, too, Virginia?
There's no danger-teally there
isn't. II this had been an old she-
bear We might have found some
cubs, but these old males travel
around by themselves" $685..
We'll be back in q minute. Har.
old, And IL you don't Mindful
take my own gun"
They exchanged rifles and Vir-
gtnia and Bill started back toward
the fallen grizzly.
They back tracked the bear
through the snow and came upon
the cavern mouth.
Back five feet from the opening
the interior was dark as night;
the cavern walls, gray at the
mouth, slowly paled and faded and
were obliterated in the gloom. Bill
was puzzled
This caye-1've never seen a
cave just like this. Virginia"
The man stepped forward and
scratched a match on the stone. It
flared, the shadows raced away.
Then Bills breath caught In a
half.sob.
Instantly he smothered the
match. The darkness dropped
around them like a curtain. But.in
that instant OF light Bill beheld a
scene that tore at his heart.
Against the cavern walls, long
lost in the irremedible darkness
he had seen strange, white
shape-a ghostly thing that lay
still and caught the match's CLEAN
"a grim relic of dead years.
He turned to the girl, aud his
voice was almost steady when he
spoke. you dbotter go out, Wiz.
glnia-into the light" no advised.
Why? Is it-danger?"
mot danger" His voice in the
silence thrilled her and moved her.
"only wickedness. But It isn't
anything you'd likc to see."
The single match-flare had re.
vealed 70 him the truth.
The thing he had seen was a
naked skeleton, flesh and gra-
ments having dropped away in the
years; and the grizzly had simply
rnadn his lair In the old shaft OF
his fathers mine. Bill had found
his fathers sepulcher at last!
~ believe understand. she
said. You've found your mine
and your fathers body
Eyes. Just 4 Skeleton.
I'm not afraid. Don't you want
me to stay?"
I'D lovo to have you, IL you will.
Some way-it takes away a lot Of
bitterness-to have you here"
He made another light.
They stood together, looking
down at the skeleton. But she
wasn't quite prepared for what she
saw. A little cry Of horror rang
strangely in the dark shaft
This had been no naural death.
Undoubtedly tho elder Bronson
been struck down from behind, AS
he worked ard he lay Just as he
fell. There was one wound in the
skull, round and CHASTITY. and in
moment they saw tho wepaon that
made It. a sarted splck, such as
miners use. lay beside the body.
~ won't try tn d. much today"
tho man told her, except to set up
one Of my cornerposts aud erect a
claim notice."
He held the light close, studying
the reat wall OF the cave. 1t was
simply \ gravel bed verifying his
guess that hero lay an old bed OF
the creek. In tho first handful Of
stone he scrapei out he found a
half ounce nugget.
TITS rich?" she asked.
Beyond what J ever dreamed.
But there's nothing more we can
do now. I've maze my find at last
but 1t doesn't seem 10 make me
las happy as Il ought to. OF
course, that sight-there against
the wall-would naturally keep a
man from being very happy. Oh n
! could only find and kill the devil
who did Ill"
He was setting his claim marks
when Harold came muchiug TO.
ward them.
So intent were they upon their
work that they didn't notice him
until he was almost up to them.
you've found mine?" he
guessed.
Virginia looked up. Joyful at
Bills good fortune. We've found
his faher's mine-the old shaft
whore the bear has been sleeping.
But there's d dreadful side OF It,
too" 2
Show me where it is. wanted
to see It. Tale me into 1t, Virginia
right away"
They started together
Continual H. nur Mat feo,,aN