CHAPTER IX. “I HAD A DREAM WHICH WAS NOT ALL A DREAM.

There could be no doubt that gold in abundance existed in the section of the country where the three men had located themselves. We have shown the discovery made by Black Tom, and showed, too, how narrowly he escaped falling into the hands of his enemies.

Teddy O’Doherty and old Stebbins took a different direction, and without knowing it reached the same stream in which their comrade had found his nugget, but at a point considerably lower down. They were walking along in an indifferent manner, scarcely expecting to find the precious metal, and yet searching for it on “general principles.”

“_Morra! howly Vargin!_”

And with a panther-like leap and screech, the Irishman made a leap far out in the creek, dashed his hand into the water, as though he had caught at a salmon, and then he sprung back again.

“What in thunder is the matter?” demanded the amazed trapper, as he stood wondering whether his friend had suddenly turned crazy, or whether he had been struck by some silent arrow.

“That’s the matther,” replied Teddy, as he held up an irregular nugget of gold, the size of a hen’s egg. “Isn’t that ’nough to make a fellow dance the jig, as me uncle obsarved whin he resaved tidings that his beloved wife was no more?”

And, without further words, Teddy tipped his hat upon one side of his head, placed his arms akimbo, _a la_ Barney Williams, and executed a jig, dancing back and forth and around old Stebbins, who, having received the yellow nugget from his hand, smelt and tasted and “hefted” it, until no doubt could remain that they had secured a most valuable piece of pure virgin gold.

By-and-by Teddy became exhausted and ceased dancing.

“We’ve sthruck luck, haven’t we?” he asked, as he nudged the old trapper in the ribs.

“Yas; thar ain’t no gitting over that,” he answered, as he handed back the heavy chunk; “that’s worth _several_ beaver hides. Why don’t you take it?”

But Teddy declined receiving it.

“It’s a prisent to you, to ’mind yees of this day’s hunt.”

“Thar’s little danger of my furgettin’ it,” returned the trapper, as he carefully placed the prize in his pocket; “but s’pose we don’t find no more.”

“Little fear; but let’s folly the sthraam down--hark!”

Both listened. As the channel of the stream was quite smooth at this point, scarcely any noise was made; but, as they stood motionless and listening, they heard a distinct roar, the meaning of which was clear to all.

“The stream _kenyons_ afore it goes much further,” remarked old Stebbins, as they resumed their progress.

One was on either side the stream, vigilantly searching the bed of the limpid stream, as they walked along; but they saw nothing more of the coveted saffron, and every step they took brought them near the cañon, which could now be at no great distance.

Finally they came in sight of the place, where the stream narrowed and deepened and increased in velocity, while the banks rose to a hight of twenty and more feet, so close in some places that a man could easily leap across.

The instant they caught sight of the cañon, Teddy O’Doherty started back, with an exclamation of surprise.

“Crazy ag’in!” asked the trapper, somewhat provoked at his performances.

“I’ve seen that place _afore_.”

“When?”

“Last night.”

Stebbins looked at him, as if he verily believed his head was turned. Before he could speak, Teddy added, in a voice free from all jest.

“I saw that place in a dhraam durin’ the little shlaap I secured last avening. Yis,” he added, “jist exactly as I saa it there.”

“Wal, what of it?”

“And I dhramed that a little ways down the kinyon widened out, so that the sthraam run slower like, and down thar was _goold_--yes, goold enough to make a sootible prisent to the Pope of Rome, and there it had been layin’ fur miny long years, waitin’ till Teddy O’Doherty should come along and scoop it up--and that’s jist what Teddy O’Doherty is goin’ to do this minute.”

And diverging to the right, they began making their way up out of the valley, so as to come up around to the cañon at the top. Before they had reached, or were near enough to decide the point, the Irishman stopped again, and laying his hand upon the arm of his companion, said, in the same deeply earnest manner:

“Do yees belaave me dhraam, Steb.?”

“I can’t say yet,” returned the trapper, reluctant to confess his faith in that, which, to say the least, had deeply impressed him.

“I dhraamed that the widenin’ in the kinyon was about a hundred yards below where the kinyon begins. Let us saa whither it is true.”

With an intensity of interest which it would be difficult to understand, the two men strode rapidly forward, their gait increasing almost to a run, as they neared the cañon. A few moments more and the question was settled.

The widening of the cañon was precisely as Teddy had dreamed!

Both men stood, for several moments too astounded to speak. Then the Irishman asked, with a strange smile:

“Do yees belave it now?”

“Yes,” was the awed reply.

“And do yees belave thar is goold down there?”

“I am sure of it.”

“Thin all we have to do is to git it.”

“Yes; that’s the difficulty.

“And, be jabers, how is it to be done?” continued Teddy, with something like his natural joviality of manner. “I didn’t _dhraam that_!”

They approached the edge of the cañon, and carefully examined it. At the point referred to it was nearly twenty feet in width; and, as this was very nearly the usual latitude of the stream, it flowed by this place as smoothly and quietly as the dead level.

Looking over the edge of the chasm, they could discern the edge of a table or ledge, which seemed to be the floor of some cavern that extended quite a distance back into the rocks. This was the point which Teddy was desirous of reaching.

But how was it to be done? The natural plan was to drop down upon it; but as it projected at the most only a few inches beyond the perpendicular wall, it was morally certain that, if he should strike the edge, he could not “stick,” while, so far as could be ascertained, it was too high above the stream to be reached by any one standing in the bed of that.

The only possible way, therefore, was to be lowered by some rope, or something that would answer the same purpose, and such a thing was not in the possession of a member of the company.

“What shall we do?”

The two men stood silent, and debating the question with themselves. Neither had the remotest doubt of there being unbounded wealth lying within a few feet of them, and they were determined to reach it by some means or other.

As they stood looking about them, as if in search of something that would suggest help, the trapper started, and pointed toward the trees and woods, a short distance away.

“We’ll git in thar,” he said; “it ain’t the time of year fur bark to peel good, but thar ar’ vines thar.”

The next minute both were running at full speed toward the trees, where good fortune awaited them. There was found any quantity of grape-vines, which, by the aid of their knives, were speedily trimmed into the proper size and length.

They were not as flexible as could be desired, but, with the assistance of powerful muscles, they could be made to answer their purpose.

There was considerable to be overcome before they could hope for success. It was agreed that Teddy should leave his rifle behind upon the rocks, so as not to be encumbered with it, while he should grasp the vine in his powerful hands and lower himself to the table, when he could let go of his support, and be free to make his explorations. When he chose to ascend to _terra firma_ again, he could do so by means of the vine, as he proposed to use it in descending in the cañon.

All this presupposed the fastening of the upper end of the vine, as it would be rather a too difficult task for old Stebbins to act the part of windlass.

By twisting it around a projecting point of the rock, this was finally accomplished, and then Teddy prepared for his descent.

He let himself carefully over the edge of the chasm, and the next moment was dangling over the cañon, with the trapper anxiously watching his movements.

Slowly down, down, sunk the Irishman, until half the distance was descended, and he looked at his feet to make sure of reaching their support. Carefully the rough vine slid through his hands, until at last he touched the edge of the table, and believing his support secure, he let go his hold, and stood at the mouth of the cavern.

As he looked in the twilight of the chasm, he saw something move, and instantly after, to his unbounded amazement, discerned two Blackfoot Indians!

“Begorra! but I didn’t dhrame _that_, either,” he muttered, as he prepared to defend himself as best he could.