Part 20 (1/2)
The distance was nothing, but the depths below made it seeone over it before him, and without further hesitation he bounded across and stood beside the chief, who led the way farther into the rift to where, so, ha intently at the newly chipped rock and the fragments that lay around
”At last, Bart!” he cried joyously
”What! Is it a vein?” said Bart, eagerly
”A vein, boy? It is a reat threads of the precious ht down the sides of the canyon, and from what the Indian appears to know, it does, Bart, I never expected to make such a find as this”
As he spoke, he handed pieces of the rock to Bart, who found that in soular pieces of what seemed to be native silver, while others were full of threads and veins, or appeared as pieces of dull e fortune--wealth untold, Bart,” said the Doctor
”Is it, sir?” said Bart coolly, for he could not feel the same rapture as the Doctor
”Is it, boy? Yes! enormous wealth”
”But how are we to carry it away, sir?” asked Bart dryly
”Carry it away! Why, do you not understand that this e nureatness of this find”
As he spoke, the Doctor hurried to the mouth of the rift, and then cautiously lowered hi to the stout stems of the various shrubs
For a few moments Bart hesitated Then he followed till they were both quite a hundred feet below the shelf, and the part of the rift they had first entered, and were able to creep right out till they were level with the side of the canyon, and able to look down to the river
But the Doctor did not care to look down upon the river, for tearing away sorowth from the rock, he cast it behind him, so that it fell far out into the canyon Then two or three pieces of rock followed, and somehow Bart felt more interested in their fall than in the search for silver, listening in the hope of hearing theht,” cried the Doctor, excitedly, ”the vein or ht down the side of this vast canyon, Bart--the Silver Canyon, we et back I must tell my child Such a discovery was never norant Indians enerations, and beyond working up a few pieces to s for their horses' lariats, or to secure their saddles, they have left is as it is”
As he spoke, he was already cli up towards the shelf, his exciteet the risks he kept running, for to one in cool blood, the face of the rock, the insecurity of the shrubs to which he clung, and the ave way beneath his feet, were very terrible, and Bart drew his breath hard, cli slowly after his companion till at last they stood once more upon the shelf
And all this ti eachhis white friends to cli half aerness In fact, Bart fancied that at tiht hat he found, for it was sobeside the possession of a fine swift pony, or an ample supply of powder and lead
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
UNTRUSTWORTHY SENTINELS
They soon reached the little caerly co Joses aside he repeated it to hilad, of course; and I hope it'll h after so many years of loss with your cattle”
”It has made me rich--I aood,to be done? Are we to carry the mountain back to the old ranche?”
The Doctor frowned
”We shall have to return at once, Joses, to organise a regularparty We must have plenty of well-arreat find We o back at once”