Beadle's Dime Novels, No. 91: The Lost Cache — page 36: what you’re looking at

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

88 7 THE LOST CACHE. “The fact is,” said sia “we are looking for a square stone that is buried somewhere hereabout.” _ “ Thun-der-ation! Couldn’t ye hev’ found. plenty of those in St. Louis? I begin to think that you two have gone crazy, or Satan himself has got after ye. Fust it- was the forks: of a river, next it was a spring, and now it is a square stun’, buried in the ground. The next thing, I reckon, will be the aise in’-off place.” “T have found that,” interrupted Harry. “To think of comin’ all the way out here, nigh the edge of the mountings, to hunt a square stun’ in the ground. Ye mought as well try to find a silver dollar that some one had lost between Westport and Laramie.” “T am much of your opinion, but am not inclined to give up the search. Sam Myers, I have an idea.” “Tdeas are wanted now. What is it?” | “ Suppose our measure should be 124 paces. It is not likely that the man who made the map had a:tape-line. We can easily step off the distance, and try it.” “We will do so. We will all go to the spring, se I will step off 124 paces, on the line we have run, and will leaye a mark where I end, and then you two will do likewise. Thus ' neither of us will be likely to follow exactly inthe steps of the other, and the average of the three results ought to be about correct.” The plan was carried out as proposed, and Myers stepped off the distance, followed by Harry Chenault and Farrar. The distance measured brought them into the edge of the thicket, not far from the deep cafion, and, as there was but little difference in the measurements, they took their axes, and commenced to clear away the brush, preparatory to dig- ging. “'Thar’s no need of huntin’ any more, boys,” said Ben Farrar, pushing aside some leaves and grass. with his feet, “fur [ reckon this yere’s the stun’ ye want.” The young gentlemen knelt down, and eagerly examined the spot at which the hunter pointed.. Sure enough; there was a stone, about six inches square, imbedded in the soil, its top level with the earth, and a small cross marked in the middle of it! . 7 comiclbodks.conn |