The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1937-07-05
SUPERSTITION n0Un7nI..
By OREN ARNOLD Copyright, 1897, NEA Service, Inc
They frightened NE

yes, sir. They frightened ME
plenty" ''
"Don't blame you, but you like.
ly wouldn't have come to no harm
These here lions amt vicious IN
man. But femme tell you-thcv
kill many a deer and COW and
boss. And a boss knows it. Son
if yo' boss got one Whit of lion
near him.. he'd go loco. I've seen
it. I've killed, I reckon. 4 hun.
dred lions in my day, and when
they tree I have to whup my boss
to get him in shootin' range
Yours likely snorted and trembIrd
and run hisself right over that
cliff without KNOWN it,"
"And ripped open my cantccn
in the fall, | suppose" Stuart fin.
ished.
Likely"
1t wasn't convincing, but il All
seemed to dovetail. The sheriff
in common with most old-timcrS
loved to talk. He gave S,uarr
more regional lore than a book
of history could have done. He
even told of the Spanish days
when Don Miguel Peralta. So.
moran rancher, was send cxpcii.
tons up to the mountain to bring
out gold ore. And of the time
when Don Miguel sent his creates,
cavalcade of all. The United Stat.
es had acquired Arizona by the
Treaty Of Guadalupe Hildalgo in
l848, and Don Miguel krcw the
Yankees wouldn't respect his own.
ership of the rich mine. He sent in
300 men and many pack animals.
They worked the gold, did crude
smelling to make concentrates
right there in the mountain, Stor.
ed their valuable cargo until all
packed were filled, then headed
back for the home rancho.
"But tn DANCED Redskins, III
Apaches, surprised that outfit and
killed everything but two boys"
old Tex was telling it in excitabIc
fashion. "Then snuk off in the
bushes and hid thar, and got back
home half starved. Even tn mules
was killed. We have found little
bushel-sized mound of tn rich ore
right where the animals dropped
and rotted. Gold amt no good 10
tn Reds. It's cursed"
Stuart didn't accomplish much,
but he learned more about Sup.
erstition's treasure than he had
ever dreamed of knowing. He had
taken the stories lightly hereto.
fore. Now he was intrigued by
the possibilities. The Spanish cpl.
sodes, and the half dozen or 50
subsequent murders that were on
official record, were convincing
proof to Stuart las to many an.
other) that Superstition mus,
somewhere clutch a rare treasure.
But-as old Tex laconically an
swered his inevitable query
Gold is where you find it, and
Superstition is mighty big"
Stuart was about to shake hands
with the venerable sheriff and
take his leave when the desk telc-
phone rang. The old man mo-
toned him to wait until the call
was done.
Stuart couldn't help overhear-
ing-not that he tried to. A sher-
iff is sort of public property any.
way, everyone feels; his affairs
should be open to public scrutiny.
At least it's II convenient excuse.
Stuart wasn't especially attentive,
though, because the officer listen.
ed much and asked a few qucS-
tons. Finally he hung up.
"Be damned If this wouldn't In
terest you, son." he declared,
Sunny. But wait'll call Wat
son. Superstition's mostly IN
Pinal."
When old Tex got Sheriff Wat.
son Of Pinal county on the phone
Stuart strained for every word
"Wat? This here's Tex Leather
wood. Call from woman al
Apache Junction. A Miss Golfer
C-o-l-t-e-r. Said her brothers lost
in Superstition. Yeah, they been
huntin' gold. His pappy and broth
or went for him, and found MS
hat and nothin' else. Carried a
quart Of water. That's iack
! Yep. Yep, Golfer; Paul Col
! ter"
ITO Be Continued)