atlantis.found-第6部分

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t　down。　Over　the　next　sixty…five　years；　it　became　only　a　memory　and　a　slowly　healing　scar　on　the　panoramic　landscape。　Not　until　1996　had　its　haunted　shafts　and　tunnels　heard　the　tread　of　boots　and　the　clang　of　a　pickax　again。
　　　　　Marquez　shifted　his　stare　onto　the　mountain　peaks。　A　four…day　storm　had　e　and　gone　the　week　before；　adding　four　feet　of　snow　to　the　already　packed　slopes。　The　increasing　air　temperatures　that　acpanied　the　spring　turned　the　snow　into　the　consistency　of　mushy　mashed　potatoes。　It　was　the　prime　avalanche　season。　Conditions　were　extremely　hazardous　in　the　high　country；　and　skiers　were　warned　not　to　wander　from　the　established　ski　runs。　As　far　as　Marquez　knew；　no　major　snowslide　had　ever　struck　the　town　of　Pandora。　He　was　secure　in　knowing　his　family　was　safe；　but　he　ignored　the　risk　to　himself　every　time　he　made　the　drive　up　the　steep　icy　road　in　winter　and　worked　alone　deep　in　the　bowels　of　the　mountain。　With　the　ing　of　warm　days；　a　snow　slide　was　an　event　waiting　to　happen。
　　　　　Marquez　had　seen　an　avalanche　only　once　in　his　years　on　the　mountain。　The　sheer　magnitude　of　its　beauty　and　power　as　it　swept　rocks；　trees；　and　snow　down　a　valley　in　great　clouds；　along　with　the　rumbling　sound　of　thunder；　was　something　he　had　never　forgotten。
　　　　　Finally；　he　set　his　hard　hat　on　his　head；　slipped　behind　the　wheel　of　the　Chevy　pickup；　and　started　the　engine；　letting　it　idle　for　a　couple　of　minutes　to　warm。　Then　he　began　cautiously　driving　up　the　narrow；　unpaved　road　that　led　to　the　mine　that　once　was　the　leading　gold　producer　in　the　state　of　Colorado。　His　tires　had　made　deep　ruts　in　the　snow　after　the　last　storm。　He　drove　carefully　as　the　road　wound　higher　up　the　mountain。　Very　quickly；　the　drop…off　along　the　edge　stretched　several　hundred　feet　to　the　base。　One　uncontrolled　skid　and　rescuers　would　be　untangling　Marquezs　broken　body　from　his　mangled　pickup　truck　on　the　rocks　far　below。
　　　　　Local　people　thought　him　foolish　for　buying　up　the　claims　to　the　old　Paradise　Mine。　Any　gold　worth　extracting　was　long　gone。　And　yet；　except　for　a　Telluride　banker；　no　one　would　have　dreamed　that　Marquezs　investment　had　made　him　a　rich　man。　His　profits　from　the　mine　were　shrewdly　invested　in　local　real　estate；　and　with　the　boom　of　the　ski　resort　he　had　realized　nearly　two　million　dollars。
　　　　　Marquez　was　not　interested　in　gold。　For　ten　years；　he　had　prospected　around　the　world　for　gemstones。　In　Montana；　Nevada；　and　Colorado；　he　had　prowled　the　old　abandoned　gold　and　silver　mines　searching　for　mineral　crystals　that　could　be　cut　into　precious　gems。　Inside　one　tunnel　of　the　Paradise　Mine；　he　discovered　a　vein　of　rose…pink　crystals　in　what　the　old　miners　had　considered　worthless　rock。　The　gemstone　in　its　natural　state；　Marquez　recognized；　was　rhodochrosite；　a　spectacular　crystal　found　in　various　parts　of　the　world　in　shades　of　pink　and　deep　red。
　　　　　Rhodochrosite　is　seldom　seen　in　cut　or　faceted　form。　Large　crystals　are　in　great　demand　by　collectors；　who　have　no　desire　to　see　them　sliced　to　pieces。　Clean；　clear　gems　from　the　Paradise　Mine　that　had　been　cut　into　flawless　stones　of　eighteen　carats　were　very　expensive。　Marquez　knew　he　could　retire　and　spend　the　rest　of　his　life　in　style；　but　as　long　as　the　vein　continued；　he　was　determined　to　keep　picking　the　stones　from　the　granite　until　they　petered　out。
　　　　　He　stopped　his　battered　old　truck　with　its　scratched　and　dented　fenders　and　stepped　out　in　front　of　a　huge　rusty　iron　door　with　four　different　chains　attached　to　four　different　locks。　Inserting　keys　the　size　of　a　man's　palm；　he　unsnapped　the　locks　and　spread　the　chains。　Then　he　took　both　hands　and　tugged　the　great　door　open。　The　moon's　rays　penetrated　a　short　distance　down　a　sloping　mine　shaft　and　revealed　a　pair　of　rails　that　stretched　off　into　the　darkness。
　　　　　He　fired　up　the　engine　mounted　on　a　large　portable　generator；　then　pulled　a　lever　on　a　junction　box。　The　mine　shaft　was　suddenly　illuminated　under　a　series　of　exposed　light　bulbs　that　trailed　down　the　shaft　for　a　hundred　yards　before　gradually　growing　smaller；　until　they　became　tiny　glimmers　in　the　distance。　An　ore　cart　sat　on　the　rail　tracks；　attached　to　a　cable　that　led　to　a　winch。　The　cart　was　built　to　last；　and　the　only　sign　of　hard　use　was　the　rust　on　the　sides　of　the　bucket。
　　　　　Marquez　climbed　into　the　bucket　and　pressed　a　button　on　a　remote　control。　The　winch　began　to　hum　and　play　out　the　cable；　allowing　the　ore　cart　to　roll　down　the　rails；　propelled　by　nothing　more　than　gravity。　Going　underground　was　not　for　the　fainthearted　or　the　claustrophobic。　The　confining　shaft　barely　allowed　clearance　for　the　ore　bucket。　Timbers　bolted　together　like　doorframes；　known　as　a　cap　and　post；　were　spaced　every　few　feet　to　shore　up　the　roof　against　cave…ins。　Many　of　the　timbers　had　rotted　badly；　but　others　were　as　solid　and　sound　as　the　day　they　were　set　in　place　by　miners　who　had　long　since　passed　on。　The　ore　car　descended　the　sloping　shaft　at　a　rapid　rate；　ing　to　a　stop　1；200　feet　into　the　depths。　At　this　level　there　was　a　constant　trickle　of　water　falling　from　the　roof　of　the　tunnel。
　　　　　Taking　a　backpack　and　his　lunch　pail；　Marquez　climbed　from　the　car　and　walked　over　to　a　vertical　shaft　that　fell　away　into　the　lower　reaches　of　the　old　Paradise　Mine　until　it　reached　the　2；200…foot　level。　Down　there；　the　main　drift　and　crosscut　tunnels　spread　into　the　granite　like　spokes　on　a　wheel。　According　to　old　records　and　underground　maps；　there　were　almost　a　hundred　miles　of　tunnels　under　and　around　Pandora。
　　　　　Marquez　dropped　a　rock　into　the　yawning　blackness。　The　sound　of　a　splash　came　within　two　seconds。
　　　　　Soon　after　the　mine　closed　down　and　the　pumps　at　the　pumping　station　below　the　base　of　the　mountain　were　turned　off；　the　lower　levels　had　flooded。　Over　time；　water　had　risen　to　within　fifteen　feet　of　the　1；200…foot　level；　where　Marquez　worked　the　rhodochrosite　vein。　The　slowly　rising　water；　spurred　on　during　a　particularly　heavy　wet　season　in　the　San　Juans；　told　him　that　it　would　be　only　a　matter　of　a　few　weeks　before　it　reached　the　top　of　the　old　shaft　and　spilled　over　into　the　main　tunnel；　spelling　the　end　of　his　gemstone…mining　operation。
　　　　　Marquez　set　his　mind　on　extracting　as　many　stones　as　he　could　in　the　brief　time　he　had　left。　His　days　became　longer　as　he　struggled　to　remove　the　red　crystals　with　nothing　but　his　miner's　pick　and　a　wheelbarrow　to　carry　the　ore　to　the　bucket　for　the　ride　up　to　the　mine's　entrance。
　　　　　As　he　walked　through　the　tunnel；　he　stepped　around　old　rusting　ore　cars　and　drills　left　by　the　miners　when　they　had　deserted　the　mine。　There　had　been　no　market　for　the　equipment；　since　nearby　mines　were　closing　down　one　by　one　at　the　same　time。　It　was　all　simply　cast　aside　and　left　where　it　was　last　used。
　　　　　Seventy…five　yards　into　the　tunnel；　he　came　to　a　narrow　cleft　in　the　rock　just　wide　enough　for　him　to　slip　through。　Twenty　feet　beyond　was　the　rhodochrosite　lode　he　was　mining。　A　light　bulb　had　burned　out　on　the　string　hanging　from　the　roof　of　the　cleft；　and　he　replaced　it　with　one　of　several　he　kept　in　a　backpack。　Then　he　took　his　pick　in　hand　and　began　to　attack　the　rock　that　was　embedded　with　the　gemstones。　A　dull　red　in　their　natural　state；　the　crystals　looked　like　dried　cherries　in　a　muffin。
　　　　　A　dangerous　overhang　of　rock　protruded　just　above　the　cleft。　If　he　was　to　continue　to　work　safely　without　being　crushed　by　a　rockfall；　Marquez　had　no　choice　but　to　blast　it　away。　Using　a　portable　pneumatic　drill；　he　bored　a　hole　into　the　rock。　Then　he　inserted　a　small　charge　of　dynamite　and　wired　it　to　a　handheld　detonator。　After　moving　around　the　corner　of　the　cleft　and　into　the　main　tunnel；　he　pushed　down　on　the　plunger。　A　dull　thump　echoed　through　the　mine；　followed　by　the　sound　of　tumbling　rock　and　a　blanket　of　dust　that　rolled　into　the　main　tunnel。
　　　　　Marquez　waited　a　few　minutes　for　the　dust　to　settle　before　carefully　entering　the　natural　cleft。　The　overhang　was　gone。　It　had　bee　a　pile　of　rocks　on　the　narrow　floor。　He　retrieved　the　wheelbarrow　and　began　removing　the　debris；　dumping　it　a　short　distance　up　the　tunnel。　When　the　cleft　was　finally　cleared；　he　looked　up　to　make　certain　that　no　threatening　section　of　the　overhang　remained。
　　　　　He　stared　in　wonder　at　a　hole　that　had　suddenly　appeared　in　the　roof　above　the　crystal　lode。　He　aimed　the　light　atop　his　hard　hat　upward。　The　beam　continued　through　the　hole　into　what　appeared　to　be　a　chamber　beyond。　Suddenly　consumed　by　curiosity；　he　ran　back　up　the　tunnel　for　fifty　yards；　where　he　found　the　rusty　remains　of　a　six…foot　iron　ladder　among　the　abandoned　mining　equipment。　Returning　inside　the　cleft；　he　propped　up　the　ladder；　climbed　the　rungs；　and　pried　loose　several　rocks　from　the　rim　of　the　hole；　widening　it　until　he　could　squeeze　through。　Then　he　thrust　his　upper　torso　inside　the　chamber　and　twisted　his　head　from　shoulder　to　shoulder；　sweeping　the　beam　of　his　hard　hat's　light　around　the　darkness。
　　　　　Marquez　found　himself　staring　into　a　room　hewn　in　the　rock。　It　looked　to　be　a　perfect　cube　approximately　fifteen　by　fifteen　feet；　with　the　same　distance　separating　the　floor　and　roof。　Strange　markings　were　cut　into　the　sheer；　smooth　walls。　This　definitely　was　not　the　work　of　nineteenth…century　miners。　Then；　abruptly；　the　beam　of　his　hard　hat's　light　struck　a　stone　pedestal　and　glinted　on　the　object　it　supported。
　　　　　Marquez　froze　in　shock　at　the　ungodly　sight　of　a　black　skull；　its　empty　eye　sockets　staring　directly　at　him。
　
　　　　　The　pilot　banked　the　United　Airlines　Beechcraft　twin…engine　plane　around　a　pair　of　cotton…fluffed　clouds　and　began　his　descent　toward　the　short　runway　on　a　bluff　above　the　San　Miguel　River。　Though　he　had　flown　in　and　out　of　the　little　Telluride　airport　a　hundred　times；　it　was　still　a　chore　for　him　to　keep　his　concentration　on　landing　the　aircraft　and　not　on　the　incredible　aerial　view　of　the　spectacular　snowcapped　San　Juan　Mountains。　The　serene　beauty　of　the　jagged　peaks　and　slopes；　mantled　with　snow　under　a　vivid　blue　sky；　was　breathtaking。
　　　　　As　the　plane　dropped　lower　into　the　valley；　the　slopes　of　the　mountains　rose　majestically　on　both　sides。　They　appeared　so　close　that　it　seemed　to　the　passengers　as　if　the　aircraft's　wings　wo