Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1930-12-27
Continued from Page One)


The old man assured him that 1t
was the only one of its kind in
existence and that he had made it
according to the formula in the
Seventh Book of Moses.
Turner was greatly impressed and
his interest in the old mans
mysterious activities mounted Even
tually the old doctor" took Turner
with him on one of his trips to
the hills. 1t was on Sunday after
noon when Turner was not at work.
The ancient doctor of science"
led Turner by circuitous route to
a spot dense with underbrush and
trees, on mild slope a little below
the crest of hogback or ridge that
ran from the top of Cedar Bluff.
The spot designated was two or
three hundred yards in the rear of
the bluff. There was an old road
along this ridge. 1t had once been
used for hauling logs.
The old man set up his instru-
ment at the spot pointed out and
showed his interested companion,
Turner, how the hand of the dial
moved around. This was convincing
beyond doubt that there was gold
underneath where they stood.
The old doctor of science" then
made a proposition. The instrument
indicated that the treasure was a
considerable distance under the sur
face and that a good deal of dig
ging would be necessary. They would
form a company of twelve men,
who would perform the eXcavating.
Each man must pay either twenty
five or fifty dollars to the old doc
tor" to repay him for his expenses
in locating the treasure and recover
ing it. Turner was enthusiastic to
proceed and agreed to invest fifty
dollars.
Vague rumors as to the treasure
hunt had already been in circulation
in the town and the old man did
not have any difficulty in enlist
ing eleven other likely recruits who
had the money required or had it
coming. He took each of the men,
one at a time, to the spot where
his instrument performed its magic
and all were signed up in short or
der.
All were pledged to alright Sc
crecy as to the location OF the
treasure and the financial arrange
ments made. The men were sawmill
hands, timber workers and railroad
section men. All made good wages.
All gave UP their jobs for the
search for the elusive yellow metal,
"the pot of gold at the end OF the
rainbow"
Most of the crew of twelve were
practical leYel-headed men with
families to support, who, ordinarily
would not have risked their JOBS
time and money on something that
we'll might turn out to be the
merest will-o'- the-wisp but the
search for lost or buried treasure is
a lure that often takes strong hold
on mems imagination. Moreover, In
this case the old man limited 1t was
a chest of gold that had been buried
deep in the ground in Civil War days
by bushwhacker bandits.
Before beginning the digging the
old man commanded the men to
build him little house in the limbs
of tree that stood at the edge OF
the small lake which lay at the
foot Of Cedar Bluff. The tree-house
was about a quarter of a mile south
of the bluff. The Spanish moss
which he had brought in his wagon
from somewhere down South, anc
which he had used as bedding, was
hung on limbs around the ele-
waited shanty. The treehouse, he
explained, was to propitiate the
Spirits"
Each man furnished his own dig,
ging tools and before they began