Yes, Fred Hammond was not a little astounded, as he learned by what
a singular means Teddy O’Doherty had discovered the cave of wealth,
and he listened to the close of his characteristic narration without
interruption. When he had finished, our hero remarked, with a laugh:
“Then I have all my pains for nothing, since Teddy has developed such a
remarkable genius for dreams.”
“But yer intentions were honorable, as me father remarked, whin me
mither fired the gun at his head, and by mistake missed him, and
therefur we give you credit.”
“Yes,” assented the others, “we’re jist as pleased as though we had
never heard of the cave afore.”
“Thar’s plinty of goold thar, is thar?” continued Teddy, in his eager
way.
“Yes; I have been in the cave more than once, and have seen that there
is an abundance--far more than you can carry away with you.”
“And haven’t yer taken any?”
“Not an ounce.”
“Why don’t yees?”
“That for which I was searching,” replied Hammond, with a smile, “was
worth more to me than all the gold in the Rocky Mountains.”
“Spoken like a thrue lover; jist as I always respictfully mintioned
the name of me love; but doesn’t yees intind to take any of the yaller
stuff wid yer.”
“Well, perhaps I may pick out a few chunks, although I ain’t
particular.”
Teddy now renewed his proposition to search the cavern at night.
They could build a fire within it, and secure all the gold that was
convenient to carry, and by daylight be ready to start on their
homeward journey, while if they waited until the morrow, they would
doubtless have to make a desperate fight with the Blackfeet, and very
likely would be driven away entirely.
There was wisdom in this, and Hammond joined with him, for, he knew
that, if the trappers should be ready on the morrow to start on their
return, Lamora would be prepared also; and thus, such a proceeding
would be entirely in his favor.
And so, after a few minutes more discussion, it was decided to visit
the cave by night.
It was yet comparatively early in the evening, when the four men
issued like so many shadows from “headquarters,” and noiselessly made
their way up the cañon. Teddy and Black Tom each carried a large pile
of faggots on their shoulders, while the tall stooping form of old
Stebbins took the lead, with his rifle and pick.
The night was quite dark, there being scarcely any moon, while the
sky was swept by numerous dark clouds, that seemed to indicate that a
fierce storm was at no great distance.
They had gone but a short distance, when they paused and listened.
Nothing but the mournful sighing of the wind could be heard, nor could
any indication of danger be detected.
On up through the cañon they made their way--on up until they stood on
the level prairie, when they turned off and plunged anew into the wild
and rugged recesses of the mountains. Down again, until they seemed
like miners descending into the bowels of the earth, when they reached
the small stream in which gold had been discovered.
Along this they made their way, with the same noiseless celerity, no
one uttering a word, till all four stood around the entrance of the
gold mine.
Here they compared “notes,” and it was found that not one had detected
any thing suspicious; every thing appeared auspicious.
Neither Black Tom nor old Stebbins had seen the interior of the cave,
and they were naturally anxious to explore it. Hammond, therefore,
volunteered to act as sentinel, while the three labored; but, before
doing so, all four went in, and without striking a light, scattered and
carefully reconnoitered the cavern to make sure that no enemies were
within.
Everything proving satisfactory, Hammond returned to his station, and
the fire was started. Teddy knew where to locate it, and when the
flame flared up, the eyes of the hunters sparkled.
“B’ars and bufflers!” exclaimed Black Tom, in a frightened undertone,
as he looked wildly about him, “don’t it beat every thing?”
“It does that,” assented old Stebbins, whose excitement was scarcely
less; “ef we can tote that home, thar’ll be an end to our trappin’.”
Teddy threw on the fuel, and the illumination was found amply
sufficient. The yellow nuggets were shining all about them, and all
that they had to do was to gather them.
There was something grotesque and weird in the scene. The vast,
corridor-like cave, lit up by the burning wood--the shining glitter of
the jagged wall--the three figures with their swarthy faces lit up,
not by the fire alone, but by the eager passion that was stirring each
heart to its utmost depths--all this made up a picture, impressive,
unnatural, and almost appalling.
A spell seemed to rest upon the men for a few minutes. They were so
overcome by this palpable evidence of the immense wealth lying within
their reach, that they were forced to wait for the reaction.
Stepping forward, old Stebbins swung his pick over his head, and buried
its point several inches in the compact earth. Then, as he forced the
handle back, several nuggets dropped to the ground.
“Pick ’em up,” he called out, in a husky voice, “and I’ll keep yer
busy.”
Teddy and Black Tom gathered up the chunks, and deposited them in the
huge sack, made of bear-skin, that had been brought for that purpose,
while the old hunter plied the pick with a vigor that amounted to fury.
Only now and then did they speak, for they were swayed by strange
emotions. Old Stebbins seemed literally tireless. Thump, thump, went
his implement, like the throbbing of an engine. Now and then the fire
was struck from the hardened point, and once it glanced with such
violence as to fly from his hand, and go spinning, end over end,
several yards away.
He walked to where it had fallen, and picking it up, without a word,
returned to his labor, and drove it in again, the chunks and nuggets
falling with such continuity that the others had little time for rest.
The perspiration streaming from his face, and the dust gathering about
his countenance, gave him a strange and unnatural appearance, such as
is noticed upon the faces of the restrictionists, when engaged at their
hideous labor; but still he toiled on, silent, grim, and determined.
But the old trapper tired at last, and paused so exhausted that he
could scarcely stand, and was unable to resist Teddy O’Doherty when he
took the pick from his hand.
“It comes aisy to me, as I can swing it the same as a shillaleh.”
His voice sounded like that of another person, and the attempt at
jocularity was terrible from its very ghastliness.
But Teddy swung the pick like a master of the business, and the fire
glanced and flew, as the pieces were chipped off from the stones and
rocks.
At first the work was comparatively easy, but it did not last long. The
pieces were chipped off with greater difficulty, and were much smaller
in size; but they were none the less rich, and the sack was gradually
filled with its auriferous richness.
The fire was kept burning brightly, and by and by their task was
finished. The three had loaded themselves down with the ore, until they
had all they could hope to carry away with them.
Their wealth was now in their hands, and it only remained for them to
transport it to where it could be made available.
They ceased from their toil and prepared to return home.
“Afore we go,” said Black Tom, “I’ll take a look outside.”
“What fur?” asked Teddy, in surprise.
“To see whether thar’s any ‘sign.’”
“But Hammond is there, ain’t he?”
“Yas, but there ain’t no telling what mought have tuk place while we’ve
been peggin’ away inside.”
As Hammond was much less experienced in frontier life than they, the
others saw the cause of Black Tom’s misgiving. The stealthy Blackfeet
might have stolen upon him unawares, and, having silently slain him, as
their race had often done under similar circumstances, might be lying
in wait outside until the trappers should walk into the ambush.
So it was arranged that old Stebbins and Teddy O’Doherty should remain
where they were, or rather should retreat into the darkness of the
cavern, and await the return of their comrade from his reconnoissance.
Black Tom moved away with the silence and stealth that had
characterized his approach to an Indian camp, frequently pausing and
listening for some indication of the danger that he feared menaced
them; but nothing reached his ears, save the dull, faint murmur of the
stream behind as it rushed through its narrow cañon.
It seemed to have lighted up somewhat on the outside since they had
entered the cavern, as he managed to discern the faint outline of the
opening, partly screened as it was by its peculiar conformation.
“I guess every thing is all right,” he said, as he crept through the
opening.
As he did so, a faint noise caught his ear, and looking somewhat to the
left, he was startled by seeing the dreaded animal, with its rings and
streaks, cantering awkwardly over the ground, while Fred Hammond was
caressing and playing with it.
“B’ars and bufflers! what does that mean?” muttered the trapper, who
could scarcely believe the evidence of his own eyes.
But such was the case; the dreaded creature, the horrid beast that was
impervious to powder and ball, that crushed in the skull of a man at
one blow, and was literally the terror of the country, was frolicking
with their young friend!
“Come, old fellow, it is time you went home,” suddenly exclaimed the
latter, as he ceased playing, and pointed down-stream.
The unknown obediently turned, and uttering its faint bark, trotted
away, and speedily disappeared.
Black Tom concluded to say nothing of what he had witnessed to any one.
He returned to his waiting friends and informed them that the way was
clear. A few minutes later, and the three emerged from the cave, and,
in the course of half an hour, safely reached “headquarters,” with
their newly acquired wealth intact.