FATAL SEARCH FOR GOLD

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 294, 11 December 1900, Page 2

FATAL SEARCH FOR GOLD

DYING WITH FOUTUNK IN SIGHT

An old miner named Amesworth made his way down through Mexico, always following -some ignis fatuus. He had seen some rich finds made in his day, bad heard of a great many more, but his own wanderings aud toil had. never yet been rewarded. There was a record of a lost mine in the vicinity of Antigua, according to which the mine could be found by passing a certain point on the mountain, from which the candles burning on the altar of La Mercedes Church could be seen through one of -the windows. Old Amesworth employed the sacristan of the half-ruined, massive old Spanish church to see that candles were kept burning on the altar, and he speut weeks (.-limbing ami stumbling around on the mountain at night -trying to find the jwiri'icuhir point from which the lights could be seen burning in the distant church. At last when he had given up this search in despair his hope was brightened again by fhe discovery on an old Chart of a Spanish mine marked near the Piseaiyal River.

Amesworth at once saddled his pony and with lils blanket roll strapped on behind over well-ailed saddlebags and coffee-pot 'dangling from the saddle horn, he set out over the niountai-ns in search of this new mine. His search was rewarded by finding ■two shafts nearly covered with debris and a tunnel penetrating the side of the mountain. He pitched camp by the tunnel long enough to collect _i few samples of the ore, and returning to Guatemala City his evidence was so conclusive that he found a few speculators to invest v limited amount 'iii the -abandoned mine. Peons were en- i gaged, the tunnel and shafts were cleaned out, and work was progressing favourably, ' 'when at the bottom of 'the mine a -human skeleton was disclosed grasping in its fleshless fingers a rich chunk of precious ore. The peons at once fled, leaving old Amesworth and the skeleton alone with the mine, and no amount would induce them to return to the work. Old Amesworth didn't seem to be upset by this outcome, but looked hopefully to w future day when the Indians would have forgotten all about the skeleton and return. Amesworfh had heard of some other mine or claim of rich outcroppings, and wandered off again In search bf -it. He was on the trail of ra lead this time which was particularly rich in the yellow metal. Ho was sure It was all right. It was like riding to the edge of the world, if such a thing were possible. Green hills, green fields, green trees all disappeared. The tableland fell awny, and beyond rose high into the blue sky great barren mountain peaks, with the sun glinting upon them, expressing every variety of red, orange, and yellow. A narrow, stony trail led down the side of the tableland 2000 feet below, and when the bottom was reached the shadow of night was covering the deep valley. There was a thatched ranch there and an old, g?ey-haired native, with one eye, standing in front, offered the shelter of Ills lonely abode for the night. THE OLD FELLOW HAD REAL STUFF. As the Ihorses were being unsaddled attention was attracted to a tall chimney towering over stunted trees and brush. To the inquiries of Amesworfh the native said it was t_e ch-imney of an old sugar mill. The prospector shook his head dubiously. "Why," said he, "there is not an acre of land in this ravine for sugar (nowhere." The old native looked astonished. He had never thought of the fact before, and he had lived there 70 years, he said. The chimney had been there just the same as ever since he could remember, and there was another chimney a little further on, and a lot of ruined buildings, which had always passed for a ruined sugar mill. Amesworfh asked him if there were any mines iv the vicinity. "Mines!" and the old man's face brightened as, stooping down under a bed of rushes, he pulled out several specimens of ore rich in gold, and copper. The eyes of Amesworth sparkled as he weiglied the various chunks ln the palm of his hand. "I got them from the vein," said the old man, "and no one knows where it is but myself." "And you mean to tell me those chimneys were put there for. a sugar mill?" asked Amesworfh; and quickly Shifting from Spanish to English. "That's an old Spanish mining plant, and this old fellow has got at the real stuff."

It was a long time before there was any sleep in that ranch that night. Curious specimens of rich ore were weighed and examined, mimes were talked over, aud the reasons for the existence of the extensive plant in that locality were speculated upon. The next morning bright -and early he was up, pushing his way through the dew-be-spangled bruslh and exploring the ruins. There were two chimneys as the old man had said, one of them intact. There were fhe remains of the furnaces and buildings, Which showed that t3ie establishment, beyond the shadow of doubt, was a mtining plant, and had been -erected on a magnifl-

cent scale. Some of the walls were six feet I thick, and their -age might be determined by trees whicOi had 'actually grown on top, of them. Starch as 'he would, Amesworth could And no trace of a. dump showing that the plant had ever bee-n worked. He poked all that day among the bricks in vain-j The old native suddenly became very reticent He refused to disclose -the vein where he -had obtained the rich specimens he exhibited, -saying he had spent years, yes, his life, In climbing up and down the rocky sides of the ravines and mountains to make his discoveries, amd now he did not propose to disclose lin a single day what it 'had taken so many years to find. If Amesworth would furnish the money to work the claim, I'ix which he, of course, would hold an interest, he would willingly show where it was. Amesworth grew wild with excitement. "I'll get you the money," said be. "11l get you all 'the money needed, but I don't understand Why tbe Spaniards gave it up. That plant must have cost thousands, yes, In the day it was built £20,000. The ore you show warranted it, but why didn't they work the mine?" The old man was silent for a While, then he muttered: "Hostiles." "Hbstlles?" repeated Amesworth. "Yes," said the old fellow. "The country below here was conquered amd Christianised with the advent of Alavarado, who led in person the last battle with the Quiches, but the tableland above bere, and all the country to the' north, remained unconqu-ered and unexplored for many years afterwards. Prospectors found tlie rich vein, and It Is so rich In gold and silver that Spanish capitalists were found ready to invest in the plant which they built here With the aid of the conquered Quiches. They had scarcely got the plant up, however, when the -hostiles on the tableland above, aware of what was going on, watched their 'opportunity, and, making a sudden onslaught, massacred every human being connected with the work. For many years the bones of the massacred people were scattered about 'here. After the massacre nothing would induce amyone to penetrate the valley from the Quiche country, and from this -side the hostiles were virtually unassailable. GOLD IN GREAT SHINING GRAINS. That afternoon was a gloriously h-appy one for Araeswortfli. Gold In great shining grains lay in the brown rock, and the old

man declared the vein was ever so much higher than he could reach, and as wide as a carriage read, between two well-defined walls. Putting several of the .-hunks in his saddlebags, Amesworth saddled up, declaring that he would proceed at once; he would get the necessary papers drawn up. Amesworth, in his haste to get to Guatemala, for this time he was thoroughly convinced that he had struck It rich, took a •narrow pass through the mountains which is known as- that of Chiquin. For sis leagues The trail follows the contour of the mountain half way up. a new path cut along fhe mountain side, with precipices falling away in places a thousand feet helow. It is a path along which an Indian may trudge with comparative safety, but a man and n horse can attempt it only at tiie risk of being dashed to pieces outlic rocks below. Amesworth took 'the risk. Sonic days afterwards Indians were attracted by buzzards to a spot at the bottom of the mountain. The remains of a horse were found 'there, saddled and bridled, heels In the air. Above, lying -across a jutting rock, was the body of Amesworth. The old miner, after years of wandering and lonely toil, had met his death just when success seemed about to crown his efforts.