American Family Robinson

by William Henry Giles Kingston

  Chapter Sixteenth.

  They set out over the Desert. Encampment in the sand. An island in thesand discovered. Singular appearance of rocks. Human skeletons found inthe sand. A mirage. Dreary prospects. Some of their horses give out.They arrive at an oasis. Beautiful scenery. They come to a lake.Singular geological features, They discover and explore a cavern inwhich they come upon mysterious implements. Gold found in abundance.The cavern supposed to have been an ancient mine. Its remarkablefeatures.

  The sky was overcast with clouds as they entered the desert, whichbroke and finally cleared away before the day was half spent. It hadbeen their intention to ride as fast as their horses could travel; butthey found that travelling in the sand, where, at every step thehorses' hoofs sank above the fetlock, was easier talked of thanperformed, and to their dismay, they found themselves reduced to awalk, by the time they lost sight of the forest whence they started. Afeeling of loneliness now crept involuntarily over them which deepenedby finding the desert bestrewed with bones bleached in the sun, ofthose who had probably been lost in this barren waste, and had perishedwith hunger and thirst. The mid-day sun now poured its rays on theirunprotected heads, causing a feeling of dizziness, while its glitteringreflection from the sand almost blinded their sight. At sunset, whenabout to halt for the night, they caught a faint glimmer of a bodyrising against the horizon, brought into relief by the expiring light."A forest!" they all shouted joyously at the sight. But, as they werenow fatigued and hungry, and the object ahead, if a forest, wasapparently miles away, they concluded to spend the night where theywere. That night the sand was their bed, the skins they used forsaddles their pillows, and the star-gemmed canopy above their onlycovering. At dawn they were again on their march, and as they proceededthe objects they had seen the night before faint and indistinctly,became more clearly defined, having the appearance of uneven bodies,scattered over a considerable extent of territory. In a few hours, theycame to them and found, instead of a forest, a singular mass of rocks,sometimes rising in smooth perpendicular columns, some of them cappedby a huge flat rock laying as regularly as if placed there by the handof mechanical skill, and then again they were thrown down and layscattered around as if by some violent throe of nature. Though therewere vast fields of rock, not a shrub, nor any sign of vegetation couldbe seen. All was desolate, sand and rock. What struck them as beingvery singular about these rocks, was the fact that, they were dividedinto two distinct parts, leaving a pathway through them fifty feetwide, unincumbered by boulder or stones, and which was smooth and even.Guiding their horses through this defile, which seemed like a portal tothe desert beyond, they could not refrain from the thought that thehand of man had built here a barrier, to prevent the incursion of somefoe; still these rocks were so massive, rude, and in such giganticproportions, it almost set at defiance the supposition that humanagency could have placed them there. Riding further on a few miles,they came upon the skeleton of an Indian, half buried in the sand,entirely denuded of flesh, and laying as if he had calmly lain down todie. Shuddering at the spectacle, they rode on a few paces, whenanother, and another, met their sight, until they had counted fifteenskeletons. They had probably been a party lost in the desert, and beingunable to extricate themselves had miserably perished in that drearyspot.

  Surveying these a moment, and then with a glance at their own store ofprovisions, they urged on their horses until night, when they wereobliged to halt, for their animals exhibited signs of giving out fromfatigue, although no indication of the expected forest, with its supplyof water and game, was in view, as they had anticipated. Nothing but aplain of sand, occasional rocky beds, and huge boulders scattered amongthem were seen. Well it was for them that they had taken an extrasupply of provisions, or they, too, might have perished by a death morelingering and terrible than cannibals could inflict. With heavy heartsand dread forbodings when light again dawned, they once more resumedtheir journey, the desert retaining the same appearance it had the daybefore, until towards night, when, to their joy! a forest loomedagainst the horizon. Forgetting their fatigue, they urged their weariedbeasts on, mile after mile, until darkness hid every object in itsmantle of gloom. Still on they went, till the horses paused, tremblingand tottering, ready to fall. They could proceed no farther. Givingthem water and grass, they ate their own supper and lay down to sleep,with the expectation of being in full view of the forest when daylightshould break upon them.

  Worn with fatigue they slept soundly, forgetting for a few hours, theterrible anxiety that tortured them when awake, and the sun had alreadyrisen before they awoke from dreaming of beautiful forests, throughwhich clear streams went murmuring, and where game of everydescription, from the huge buffalo to the tiny singing bird, abounded.Rousing themselves, their first thought was of the forest, and lookingaround not a vestige was to be seen, and the truth gradually dawnedupon them as they gazed horror stricken in each other's bloodlessfaces, that they had seen a mirage, and that, instead of terminating,it betokened that the desert extended far beyond them. Seeing the panicinto which they were all thrown by this discovery, Howe said in acheerful tone--

  "Come! come! this will never do: we have provision and water enough forus and the horses for to-day, and we can easily divide, and make itlast two days. We are caught and must do the best we can; at least wecan never free ourselves, if we stand still and bewail our fate."

  "Oh, uncle! this is terrible," said Edward, gazing abstractedly aroundwhere nothing but desolation met his eye.

  "We can do no better than help ourselves out of it," said Jane,encouragingly. "Be a man, Edward, and, doing your best, take yourchance with the rest."

  "That is a brave girl," said Howe, with a nod of approval. "Let us becourageous; the darkest hour of the night is that just before the dawn.Is it not so, chief?"

  "Always," answered the chief. "I have heard our old men speak of thesedeserts, but they are more vast and dreary than even the reportportrayed them. But if we would escape, every moment is precious, andwe must haste away."

  Alas! a new evil had visited them, for on going to their horses theyfound them lame, stiff, and hardly able to move. One refused to risefrom the bed of sand, and no effort could move him. Constant travel inthe desert beneath the burning sun, had done the work for him; he wasuseless, and to save his dying from thirst and starvation, they killedhim. They did that with sorrowful hearts, well knowing if they waitedto take him with them, it would be death to them, and that he couldnever escape from his girdle of sand, if left alive.

  The other horses soon began to show sufficient activity to warranttheir travelling, and again they rode on. That day they had sufficientto last them, but they could not make it hold out longer unless theyput themselves on short allowance. Halting at noon, where not a ray ofdeliverance shone upon them any more than their first day out, theyconcluded to kill the three spare horses in order to save the water andgrass for the rest. Selecting the three that exhibited the greatestsigns of lassitude, they killed them. Confident now of holding on theircourse another day, they took their luggage on the horses they rode,and again set out. A copious shower of rain fell before night which wasa great relief, as it refreshed their heated bodies as well as theirhorses, and cooled the temperature of the sand, from which they hadbeen greatly annoyed by its scattering, and sometimes almost blindingtheir eyes, causing them to become inflamed and exceeding painful. Thatnight also rain fell; but making a covering of the skins they used forsaddles, they managed to get a few hours' sleep, and as it served torefresh them and the horses, and knowing that rain in the desert is ofrare occurrence, they felt as if it was truly providential. They alsofound their horses in the morning in better condition than they hadexpected, and with a faint hope that they might reach a forest thatday, they set out expecting that, in all probability, they were nearland well moistened, and the showers they had received had been onlythe extension of a larger one that had passed over a tract of countrysupplying moisture for plenteous evaporation. This they knew the desertcould never do
, and it caused their spirits to elate with hope. In afew hours more a small speck was seen circling in the air. "A bird! abird!" cried the chief, pointing at the object. Howe's quick eye caughtthe sight of it, when it disappeared, and was lost in the distance.

  "Thank Heaven," cried Jane, fervently; "we shall be saved at last!" andtears of joy filled eyes that trials could not dim.

  "Yes, we are near a forest," said the chief; "the dark hour is passing;may the day in its brightness repay us for its darkness."

  "Amen to that!" said Sidney; "and may the day bring no evil worse thanthe night."

  "What can be worse," indignantly asked Edward, "than the terrible dayswe have spent on these burning sands."

  "Do not repine, Edward," said Jane, gently "Those bleaching bones wepassed indicate that others have fared worse than we have', for _we_still live."

  "They were nothing but Indians, and they get used to such things," saidSidney.

  "Does the young brave think the Indians cannot feel?" asked the chief,reproachfully. "He will not repine at his lot, because red blood flowsin his veins, and he scorns to be a coward. Those that wail most feelthe least; they throw their griefs to the winds; but the Indian is tooproud to be pitied, and hides the grief in his heart, singing hiswar-song to cover its workings."

  "You make heroes of your people, chief," said Sidney, touched by thedeep tone of feeling with which these words were uttered.

  "We are warriors and braves," returned the chief.

  About noon the waving tops of trees became visible, strangelyintermixed with bold outlines which they found on a nearer approach tobe rocks. This time the trees proved to be real; and as theyapproached, the forest grew more clearly defined, and towards night totheir inexpressible joy, they came to patches on which were foundsparse and stunted vegetation. Halting, they used their last water forthemselves and horses, consumed their last provisions, and lay down torest, until daylight should enable them to explore the place aroundthem. Alas! when the rising sun lit up the scenery around them, theysaw that they had not gained the main land, but had come to an oasis ofabout three miles in circumference, much of which was quite barren, andthe rest covered with coarse grass, large beds of slate rock, with hereand there a huge boulder, and the whole intermixed with scattered treesthat looked as if they had struggled hard to maintain existence. Thewhole tribe of cactae was here represented, stretching its longsnake-like arms over the rocky place, giving it a peculiarly uglyappearance. Fortunately, a few shrubs grew scattered over the oasis, onwhich their horses might feed, and turning them loose to glean wherethey could find anything, being well assured they would not of theirown accord, enter the desert, they dispersed in search of water andsomething to satisfy their own hunger. For, having been on shortallowance the day before, they did not relish the idea of fasting anylength of time.

  Edward and Jane took a course to the right, while the rest separatelytook courses in different directions, with the understanding that theywere to communicate with each other by hallooing, if they found eitherwater, roots, or game. The children's course at first was over a pebblybed, which terminated in a disjointed mass of sandstone, which toweredup to a considerable height, and was one of the objects that hadattracted their attention from the desert. Ascending to the top of thiswith much difficulty, a vision of loveliness met their sight--a visionwhich gladdened the hearts of the half famished children. A vale laybefore them shaded by luxuriant foliage, and covered with a greensward, in the centre of which, a lake spreading over about three acresof ground slept in tranquil beauty, its waters dotted with numerouswater fowl of brilliant plumage.

  They stood for some time silently contemplating the scene before them;their hearts were too full for words, and a feeling of gratefulnessthat they had been led thither, made them forget for the time all theyhad suffered.

  "Shout, Edward, and call them to us," said Jane, as the trance-likefeeling that first seized her, wore away.

  The hallo of Edward rung out on the clear air, answered the next momentby another, and then another, until all had been apprized of theirdiscovery. Guided by Edward's voice, they all arrived on the ledge ofrocks in half an hour, and as they, in turn, looked down on the scenebelow, they were almost overcome with joy, at the sight of thedeliverance at hand. They soon descended the rocky ledge, which theyfound exceedingly hazardous, as the pebbles gave way under their feet,often precipitating them on the sharp stones below. They heeded nottheir difficulties, for the vale lay invitingly before them, and withtheir eyes on that, they finally reached the bottom in safety, andentered the welcome shade. They found the soil was rich and productive,teeming with vegetation, and the woods filled with fowl. No signs ofother game were around, but they saw the lake was filled with finefish, which were so tame that they swam close to the water's edge.

  "Build a fire; we all want breakfast," cried the chief, exultingly, as,with stick in hand, he waded out a few feet, striking right and leftamong the finny tribes. In a few minutes a number of large fish,stunned by the blows, turned over on their sides, and floated on thesurface, when they were caught up by the chief, and thrown on theshore. A plentiful repast was soon ready, and having satisfied theirhunger, they turned their thoughts to their future.

  "We will encamp here," said the trapper, "until we shall have recruitedourselves and horses. Our luggage, though it is so scanty, is ofincalculable value to us, and must be brought thither also."

  "How the poor horses will relish this tender grass and cool water?"said Jane.

  "I am going for them," said the chief. "Let one of the young braves gowith me, and all may be brought at once." Sidney and the chief set outon their way, following the base of the ledge of rocks in order to getaround it, when they met the horses making their way towards them at arapid gait. The instinct of the wild prairie horse had caused them toscent the water, for which they were making by the nearest route. Poorthings! they were worn almost to skeletons, lamed and crippled, andwere pitiable sights to look upon.

  Building themselves a hut to shield them from rain and dew, they madepreparations to remain a number of days before they again ventured onthe dreary desert. They supposed by the large quantities of fowl, thatthey were at no great distance from main land; but as this was mereconjecture, they dared not rely upon it. Past experience, dearlypurchased, warned them to presume on nothing, and that their ownboasted woodcraft was of little avail, under difficulties like those inwhich they were now placed.

  For the three first days of their sojourn at that place they were sofatigued and debilitated that they were content to keep quiet by thelake, the delightful repose which they enjoyed so intensely, after theharassing terrors of the desert, strengthened the spirits of thewanderers as well as their bodies.

  The fifth and sixth days they began to explore farther around theplace, and the seventh they had become quite strengthened, so magicallyhad the pure water and an abundance of fish and fowl, together with thenumerous roots which they found, acted upon them. They found this lakehad no streams entering or running from it, and that no motion stirredits placid bosom save a singular circular one that never changed fromthe slow monotony of its course.

  In one of their rambles they had noticed a singular opening in therocks that formed the ridge; but something else attracting theirattention at the moment, they had passed it by without a closeinspection of it. A week afterwards they chanced to be in its vicinity,and they at once resolved to explore the cavern, for such the openingthey had no doubt would lead them to. Providing themselves withtorches, they ventured in, the chief leading the way. The opening wasabout eight feet high and three broad, resembling a doorway; andholding their torches close to the edge they found it had been actuallycut, as distinct traces of where the rock had been broken off werestill visible. Passing over the rubbish that had accumulated at themouth, they came to a solid rocky floor quite smooth as if worn so byconstant friction. For about fifty feet the passage had a uniformappearance, the sides and roof looking as if recently cut by a mason'shand. The pa
ssage suddenly terminated, and they found themselves in aplace about six feet wide, and running parallel to the ledge. How longit was they could not see, as it extended in two directions. Taking theone leading to the right they had gone but a few feet when a peculiarglittering in the opposite side of the cave arrested their attention,which on close inspection they pronounced to be particles of gold mixedwith the rock. They found, as they proceeded, that they were ascendinggradually, and that the passage was of a uniform height; and, as theparticles of gold were plainly visible imbedded in the rock, they cameto the conclusion that they had come to an ancient gold mine, and thetunnel had indeed been cut by human skill.

  They soon came to the terminus of this part, and when they returnedthey resolved to explore the cavern at the left, being very anxious todo so. The chief, however, dissented, for he had been troubled from themoment they had discovered the particles of gold. At first heperemptorily refused to go with them until he found they were resolvedto go even if he remained behind. Then yielding a reluctant consent hetook his torch and led the way. This passage was precisely similar tothe other, with the exception that it descended gradually while theother ascended. Here too the particles of gold were discoveredglittering in the rock that formed one of the sides of the passage;and, as none of the precious ore was visible on the roof or other side,they supposed a vein had run through the rock in a dip formed by anupheaval of the rock, and which having been discovered by some unknownpersons, the ledge had been tunneled and the ore taken from its hiddenbed.

  Following the tunnel a short distance, they came to a single step,about two feet high, which descending, they found others at regularintervals of about ten feet apart, until they had counted fifty ofthem. The sides along which the vein ran bore indications of havingyielded vast quantities of ore, with still enough to repay the labor ofcrushing the quartz in which it was imbedded, and extracting the gold.The steps now terminated, and the passage branched in two directions atright angles with each other. In one of the branches they found thecontinuation of the vein of precious ore, and followed it up. Insteadof its descending, they found it perfectly level, the passage havingthe same width and height as at its mouth for a considerable distance,when it suddenly opened into a large room, which they found, by pacingit, to be three hundred feet long, and two hundred and twenty wide, inthe longest and widest parts. Its shape was very singular, jutting outhere and there, and as the glare of the torches lighted up the gloom,millions of particles from every crevice and jutting point of itsrugged sides, reflected back their light in flashing rays.

  "The abode of evil spirits!" cried the chief, in great alarm, with moreagitation perhaps than he would have exhibited before a shower of dartsaimed at him, or than at the stake of an enemy. "Fly!" he continued,"before it is too late! The anger of the Evil Spirit is fearful, whenaroused; fly! fly! and save yourselves," and, with a vice-like grasp,he caught up Jane and bounded up the passage. Howe saw the movement,but the chief had been so quick, that he had made half the distance ofthe passage before he could overtake, and get ahead of him so as toblock up the passage.

  "Put her down!" thundered the indignant trapper, with menacing gesturesto the chief.

  Sitting her on her feet, he glanced first at the trapper who stoodbefore him with compressed lips and flashing eyes, then at theterrified girl, from her around the cavern, as if he expected a demonto pounce upon them at every moment.

  "Chief! this is hardly what I should have expected from you!" said thetrapper, angrily.

  The chief seemed stupefied, and stood gazing around him like onesuddenly demented.

  "No violence shall be offered to Jane, while I live," continued thetrapper. "I am her guardian here."

  "And after you, I, and her brother," said Sidney, defiantly.

  "Don't be too hard on the chief," spoke up Edward. "He intended nowrong, and, judging from his actions, I take it, he thought he wasdoing her a great kindness by securing her from some imagined danger.What say you, Jane? is the chief culpable or not?"

  "He was frightened, I presume," returned the young girl, evasively.

  "I am not a coward; yet, who is there that dare contend with invisiblespirits?" said the chief, in an humble tone. "This is an evil place,and the evil spirits that have their abode here, have stirred up strifeamong us already! Come, let us hurry away, else we shed each others'blood!"

  "Take my hand, chief, and forgive my anger," said the trapper, kindly."I was wrong to deal so harshly with prejudices taught at your mother'sknee, and which are inherent with your very nature."

  "That is right, uncle," said Edward. "Jane and I have long been underthe impression that it is no way to eradicate prejudice by becomingangry with it. This," he added, addressing Sidney, "is quite as muchfor your benefit as any one's."

  "There, the evil spirit is at work again!" said Jane, as a cuttingretort fell from Sidney. "Come," she added, "I have not seen halfenough of that wonderful room; let us return and give it a thoroughexploration."

  "No, no," said the chief, in alarm, "do not go, we have seen too muchalready."

  "I shall go, and so shall Jane," said Sidney, decidedly, "you canreturn any moment you like; but your heathen prejudices shall never marour pleasure."

  "Oh, yes, chief," said Edward, kindly, "we must explore the cavern. Ifbad spirits preside there, they will not harm us; you need not go; weshall think none the less of you for returning."

  "We are desirous to give this cave a thorough exploration, and whiledoing this, you get us some ducks for dinner," said the trapper. "We donot desire you to accompany us since you have such a great repugnancefor doing so."

  "Does the white chief think his brother is a coward, that he asks himto desert him in the hour of danger? If you go and rouse their anger, Igo also to share your fate; though that be death!" So saying, the chiefcaught up some broken rocks with which the floor was scattered in onehand, and drawing his hunting knife in the other, cried out in a toneof desperation, "lead on; I am prepared for them!"

  This last act of the chief of arming with missile and knife to fightinvisible spirits was too much for Edward's risibility, and theconsequence was a shout of laughter in which they all joined save thechief. The merry, mocking tones reverberated through the cavern,swelling and gathering strength from a thousand echoes that threw backthe sound until it seemed as if a legion of demons were mocking themfrom every crevice and niche of the passage. They were silent for themoment, and glanced around them in terror. The superstition of thesavage had not been without its influence, although reason refused toacknowledge it.

  "You are not frightened at an echo, are you? why I believe you are allcowards, scared out of your wits at your shadows!" said Howe, in asubdued voice; for, in truth, he did not care himself to awaken theechoes needlessly.

  Entering the room they had left so unceremoniously, they found the veinof ore had probably once covered the whole area and had been aboutseven feet thick, as the vein of pure ore commencing about two feetfrom the bottom of the cavern extended that height and then it wasmixed with quartz rock three feet further up. The whole cavern wasabout eighteen feet high, and had the appearance of being entirelyartificial. The children could not repress a cry of astonishment asthey comprehended the vastness of the hidden treasures before them--atreasure sufficient to enrich kingdoms. It might, for aught they knew,cover miles in extent around of the same thickness; certainly what wasvisible was unparalleled for purity and extent by any that had everbeen discovered. Heaps of quartz rock, in which particles of goldglittered, strewed the bottom of the cavern as if they had been blockedout and cast aside in digging the purer metal. Among these were found anumber of chisels made of a metal which, by reason of its being socorroded, they could not make out. Mallets of stone were also found,looking as if but lately used. These instruments had cheated time ofits prey, and lay there in their pristine distinctness a link bindingthe past with the future. They also found an instrument which wassomething like our pick-axe, and had evidently been used in dislodgingthe tr
easure from its bed.

  "The relics of the lost people whom the Great Spirit destroyed in hisanger!" said the chief.

  "Rather say, the treasure-house where the natives obtained theirtreasure before our people came to this continent, and for whichmisguided Europeans put thousands to death for not revealing thelocality where the golden deposit lay!" said Howe.

  While carelessly tumbling over the masses of rock that lay scatteredover the floor, they came to a circular helmet of copper, similar tothe one they had previously found; and by its side a javelin resemblingthat found sticking in the petrified body in the cavern through whichthey escaped from the cannibals. Stimulated by these discoveries theybegan to search with earnestness and were soon rewarded by thediscovery of a quantity of bones, some of them still quite perfect,sufficiently so for them to ascertain that they were those of a man,and that he had been of extraordinary size. Pushing their exertionsfarther on they came across a massive urn of pure gold bearing theappearance of having been cut out of a solid lump. The brim waselaborately wrought, as were also the handles and the three feet onwhich it rested, leaving a space running through the middle perfectlyplain with the exception of several beautifully carved hieroglyphicsthat were placed with great regularity and precision around the centre.The trapper took the urn in his hands, and after clearing it from dustand mould held it close to the torches and examined the hieroglyphicslong and minutely and laying it down, said--

  "Could we tell the meaning of these characters we should have morelight to illuminate the gloom that enshrouds the history of a nationthat once held this continent and enriched their coffers from thiscavern. This urn has been the work of the ancestors of the old man ofLake Superior. The characters on it are identical with those he showedme, and may the day be not far distant when we may be enabled to readthese records of the past."

  "How beautiful!" they all remarked, as this discovery came to light,with the exception of the chief, who sullenly stood apart regarding thediscoverers with unmistakable disapproval.

  "This must be ours," said Sidney; "if we should ever find our way homeit would be a great curiosity sufficient to repay us for some of thesuffering we have endured."

  "Oh, yes; this is too beautiful to leave here any longer," said Jane."We can wrap it in grass and furs and carry it on the horses verywell."

  "I agree with you in this," said Howe, "and think it would be asacrifice of the beautiful to leave such a mark of civilization in thislonely spot."

  "My brother forgets himself, as he will sacrifice the lives of thechildren of the great Medicine for a paltry love of a glitteringbauble," said the chief, sadly.

  "We must have our way this once, chief," said Howe, good humoredly,"but promise you faithfully whatever else we may find may remain."

  "That you may safely promise, for nothing more rich and beautiful couldbe found," said Jane.

  "Unless we find another chair of state set with star stones, as thechief calls them, but which I believe are veritable diamonds," saidSidney.

  On further examination numerous pieces of pottery were found, and alsomore bones, javelins and helmets, but nothing different from what theyhad seen. Leaving this vast treasure-house, they retraced their stepsto the place where the other avenue branched off, and there depositingtheir treasures, prepared to explore this part of the cavern. Thispassage they found grew wider as they advanced about a hundred feet,when it enlarged into a lofty, spacious room remarkable for nothingexcept being of an extraordinary size, and faintly lighted by anopening in the top which permitted a few rays of light to penetrate andsoften the gloom below. This part of the cavern was evidently a naturalfreak of nature, for they found no traces of hewn rock or precious ore.From the opposite side of the cavern they found a low opening which, onentering, they gradually descended winding round in a curve, thepassage enlarging a little until two could pass abreast withoutstooping. Following this a distance of nearly two hundred feet theywere astonished to hear the roar of water which sounded like thebreaking of surf against rocks. The sound grew louder and louder asthey advanced, until its roar filled the cavern with stunning echoesreverberating along its hidden passages. The cavern now became morelofty and wider, the sides more rugged, and at last it terminated onthe brink of a stream which boiled and lashed its rock-girt sides withits troubled waters. To attempt to penetrate further would have beendangerous, and they retraced their steps. They concluded that they hadfound a connexion with the lake above, which was some reward forexploring that part of the cavern.