Beadle's Dime Novels, No. 91: The Lost Cache — page 31: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

[HH @POT. : 88 able to speak with some certainty after making further obser- vations at the spring. _ Owing to the great difficulty of hauling the teams; and the — circuitous routes by which they were obliged to travel, it was not until near the close of tlre fourth day after leaving the river, that they arrived at a little eminence, where Farrar halted the party, and pointed to a pleasant valley in the plain below them, near which, as he said, the spring would be found. Harry Chenault and his friend eagerly spurred their horses, and hastened down, to find a scene that was a perfect para- dise, in contrast with the rough region over which they had passed. The plain, where the tall and waving grass reached to their saddles, was spotted, like a park, with beautiful oak, ash, elm and sycamore trees; before them, at no great dis- tance, towered the dark and precipitous declivities of the Rocky Mountains, snow-covered, even at that season ; and be- hind them stretched the rugged region that they had traversed so wearily. In the midst of the plain was a spring of water, as clear as-crystal, that boiled up out of the ground, to the hight of about three feet, and fell back, with a musical splash- ing, into the rocky basin, from which it glided away, a danc- ing, laughing rivulet, through the shady and beautiful valley at the left. Harry leaped from his horse ‘and thrust his head into the sparkling fountain. The water was as cold as ice, and he drank with an exclamation of delight. “This is the spot!” he shouted, tossing up his hat, and throwing himself on the soft grass. “If we had found noth- ing but this, it would be worth coming to see. This is the water of health, the fountain of eternal youth, Myers, and we — only need the philosopher's stone to make the place perfect. With health all around us, and boundless wealth in prospect, What more can we wish or hope for ?” “You are enthusiastic again,” said Myers, as he alighted, “T trust that your cheerful and hopeful mood may continue, - for we are only getting into the haystack, and have not found the needle yet. JI declare, my boy, after drinking this water, I feel almost as jubilant and enthusiastic as yourself Cow- per might well have set up here the lodge in the vast’ Comiclbooks.com *