picked up and then Creedon
laughed, and said:

"By George! that is the bit of gold I lost, and I had a good hunt for
it."

Our hero had been impressed by Creedon's statement that he had examined
every nook and corner in the mountain, and yet he did feel a sort of
hankering notion that he could find the gold, and he said:

"I want to explore again."

"All right; it can do no harm, but I will relinquish all claim now to
any gold that you may find in this cave."

"I'll take you at your word," said Desmond.

Of course the youth had no real hope of ever finding any gold, but it is
a known fact that such finds have been made, and sometimes the skeletons
of the owners have been found bleaching beside their gold.

CHAPTER V.

BOY'S DETERMINATION--GOING THROUGH A CREVICE--THE
MOVABLE ROCK--AID TO DISCOVER--UP THROUGH
A HOLE--THE GOLDEN HEAP--DESMOND'S GREAT
TRIUMPH--THE OLD MEXICAN'S SECRET EXPOSED.

Desmond was somewhat impressed by the words of Creedon, but still
insisted that he would like to conduct an exploration.

"You will only go over the ground that I have already gone over."

"I know that, but I propose to look around all the same."

Desmond had been doing considerable thinking. He questioned Creedon
again and again, and made out that the old Mexican had lived in the cave
along with Creedon for months at a time, and as he learned, the old man
had thrown out a great many hints. These hints meant something; and then
again, if he had hidden his wealth in the cave he had done it so
securely and well that he had no idea of its ever being discovered until
such time as he saw fit to disclose the fact. Desmond knew how there
were some strange conformations in the rocks; the very place they were
in was a testimony to the strange freaks that nature in its upheavals
can and does create.

Brooks had nothing to say about the matter, and Creedon did remark
finally:

"Of course, as I've said, it can do no harm, but be careful you don't
strike--"

Desmond here interrupted, and said:

"I ain't afraid of ghosts; I've met one and I've got used to them."

"I don't mean a ghost, I mean a crevice; go very slow and carefully, or
you may become a ghost yourself."

Right here we wish to exchange a few words with our readers in regard to
these rock conformations. Right in the State of New York, in Ulster
County, and in what is called the Shawangunk Mountains, there are some
of the most wonderful caves and crevic