Show GOLDEN GOL it in S fascinating b 0 tales of edithe L i watson lost mines owma anu SPANISH BULLION NCE upon a time there were 0 ONCE two young prospectors they hail had been tramping the new mexico mountains for some time and as winter was drawing near they were short cutting across the ranges toward home late one afternoon snow began to fall well have to hole bole up for the night george baldone said one of the men to the other first likely looking cave we come to well call it I 1 a day looks like one ahead there said mid the other and they quickened their steps the cave proved to be a fair sized cavern after supper relaxed before the tire they looked about them at the far end of the cave a second smaller hole appeared some gome 10 feet up the rocky wall well we find any hidden treasure this trip said the man called george no and we never will there any why oil oh I 1 dont know ive heard listen dill bill did anyone ever tell you about the lost treasure of 0 the golden giant nope sounds like a fairy tale I 1 the giants ate up all the no this golden giant Is a mine at pinon altos south of here it has been gop hered just under the surface surf nce and from the extent of the workings rd id say that a lot int of ore wa wag 9 taken out ot of that mine one time and another its supposed to have been worked by the spaniards who lived at santa rita the local legend says that the spaniards got a fabulous fortune whatever that means and the next nest thin thing to do was to take it over to santa rita nita where the fort was so they loaded it on burros and set out santa rita hita Is about 25 23 miles southeast of altos as the crow flies but burros dont fly and they had to go around they got up above where lierley now stands and I 1 suppose they were congratulating themselves that they licy were on the last lap when when the golden giant woke up and came alter after them politely inquired kill bill no you dummy I 1 nothing like that it was indians that showed up about then good old hoss boss tile apaches the priest in charge ot of the pack train just had bad time to get them up on the mesa and hastily bury the gold then the apaches got too near for comfort and although the spaniards put up a brave fight they were all killed 1 ill bet that right in these very mountains theres treasure cached away if a person could know where to look a big if moralized moralizer zed bill what do you say bay if we get some sleep the next nest morning bill looking about him with a practiced eye for traces of ore noticed again the small cave in the rear of their lodging im im going to look and see wha ts in that little cave he told his partner who was ready to start on now chos got funny ideas about hidden treasure jeered george come on no use climbing up in that hole im going to look anyway replied bill here goes ile he managed to scramble up the rocky wall and landed safely barely in tile the darkness of the little cave it was hard to see anything he be lit a match another ncy illy Ce george orgel 1 he called urgently george who had started on heard hear d the summons and came back give me a flashlight and hurry up the matter nowr lie ile unpacked the flashlight and handed banded it to bill whose hand trembled a little what have you gott got for answer dill bill threw down a dusty heavy small oblong that fell with a thud to the floor ot of the cave george bent over it to pick it up but lie he straightened up again and looked at dill bill as it if he wore were a ghost G gold be stammered weakly G gold b bars baesl P you will talk about golden giant 9 will you roared bill well heres hidden treasure for you more than you and I 1 cain can carry I 1 lie ile jumped down went over to the door of the cave jand and looked out then he turned back or am I 1 going crazy he mumbled no he was not crazy though the two behaved boli aved like idiots for a while in the exuberance of their emotions finally they calmed down long enough to plan that they would take the gold home then return in the spring and hunt bunt for the nine mine from which it came and here dill bill and george pass into the valhalla of legendary heroes no one knows anything further about them and whether they ever returned and found the mine remains a secret not even a legend remains to explain the source of that hidden bidden treasure 49 |