The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1923-10-25

htlIeen ndU no means OF YET
Il was scarcely probable many were
In the secret Of what was going on
Meager himself, Sanchez and one or
two others perhaps; not enough to
prove particularly dangerous, If they
did not ever suspect His being alive.
Tomorrow surely that squad Of cav
alrymen must appear from Box can
yOn they would scout up this way If
nothing occurred to detaiD them
Those were their orders, and. If they
followed the trail. they could scarcely
fail to reach this hole in the desert.
All he needed to do in the meanwhile
was 10 discover exactly what this
gang was up To. and then wait.
To Lis mind the key of the whole
mystery must lie in that cave tunnel
described by Deborah. If he could
once probe into it's secret the whole
strange case would he solved. If any
Investigation was TO be made, ii must
be attempted now-he would take the
chance.
To decide, with Kelleen. was to act.
The peril of the adventure scarcely
occurred to him his life had long be.
fore Injured him TO danger. All he
sought was opportunity. Slowly, eau.
%tlously, keeping well back in the
shadow, he lowered his body down the
face of the cliff. taking advantage of
every irregularity, Outcropping rocks
giving him foot and %handhold, until
hn GnnIln ann,IAI 49, Aun. t,-.T -
low. AS he glanced back over his
course. mali ing the high outline of
the crest against the lighter sky above.
the memory of that awful plunge over
the edge left him for al instant sick
and n~erveless. Then he drove the
recollection from him with a bitter
laugh. What odds! he was alive he
would pay the debt. He could not
stand there like a frightened child in
the dark. He moved on in the depth
OF the cliff shadow with eyes searching
the gloom and ears listening for any
sound.
In that darkness he scarcely real
lied where he was. yet. when he
came to IL, experienced no difficulty
In recognizing the mound on which
he and Deborah had taken breakfast
together. He climbed the slipping side
cautiously on hands and knees, his re-
yolver drawn and cienched in his
neryeless fingers. The man was cool
now, and ready, advancing steadily
through the maze of rock strewing
the surface, until he felt out the
slight evidences Of a trail. Here was
her retreat. as II skirted the face of
the elf, which bulged out above him
The front was draped with ~clinglng
vines, While below he found a tangle
of bushes, almost impenetrab!e. Kel
leen crept along these, vainly seeking
some opening. and, finally. In despair,
pressed them aside, crawling noise
lessly into the dark covert. seeking
that opening In the rock which must
be hidden somewhere beyond. Its
discovery eluded him. and II was not
until he ventured TO stand erect, feel
ing above the lower barmer OF rock.
that he really convinced himself of it's
existence. He stood hesitatingly, his
heart humping from excitement
There was no sound of movement
within-only profound silence and i'm.
penetrable darkness. Yet surely this
could be no storage house, no mere
receptacle for stolen goods as he pre-
viousIy had imagined. There was no
beaten trail leading 10 II; no dead
trampled vines. no pathway opening
through the shrubs. The secret of the
place remained hidden, It's shield un-
disturbed. Whoever came here must
have weaved their way as carefully
as he had. ~concealing all evidence of
passage, leaving nc trail behind.
In spite of the shrinking of his flesh
Kelleen began 10 advance. feeling with
his feet, and keeping M hand against
beyond oil doubt. leading at first
straight into the cliff. the sides
clipped and irregular, leaving TO the
touch of his fingers the ridge marks
Of a pick. Men had toiled here. not
| nature, and had plainly left their
| handiwork. When? How long ago?
What had become Of them? "Alvara's
| Lost Miner" The words seemed tn
| burn themselves on his mind. and he
fore him arose q vision of the old
Spaniard working there alone IN the
| long years age Could Il be possible?
| After all this time had he actually re
| discovered that ancient stOrebouse Of
| fabulous wealth. that golden treasury
OF which all northern Mexico had
| dreamed? And what OF Akara? He
had disappeared. men said: died in
the heart q the desert went forth
never "a return. Had he met that
mysterious death here In this black
hole. surrounded by his golden treas
usef Did he lie there In loneliness
through the long years sinref and was
he there still Oh guard over his
treasurer
Kelleen storped. holding his breath
conscious ~ the perspiration headine
Ibis face. Was the place accursedl
1 hid Death tnrk there mockingiy eager
for another victim' Tie cast aside the