atlantis.found-第7部分

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　Montrose；　sixty…seven　miles　to　the　north。
　　　　　His　routine　was　never　plete　until　he　lingered　over　his　coffee　and　stared　around　what　was　now　a　ghost　town。　Under　the　spectral　light　from　the　moon；　the　few　buildings　that　still　stood　looked　like　tombstones　in　a　cemetery。
　　　　　Following　the　discovery　of　gold…bearing　rock　in　1874；　miners　poured　into　the　San　Miguel　Valley　and　built　a　town　they　called　Pandora；　after　the　Greek　fairy　tale　about　a　beautiful　girl　and　her　box　full　of　mysterious　spirits。　A　banking　interest　in　Boston　bought　up　the　mining　claims；　financed　the　mine's　operation；　and　constructed　a　large　ore…processing　plant　only　two　miles　above　the　more　famous　mining　town　of　Telluride。
　　　　　They'd　called　the　mine　the　Paradise；　and　soon　Pandora　became　a　small　pany　town　of　two　hundred　citizens　with　its　own　post　office。　The　houses　were　neatly　painted；　with　mowed　green　lawns　and　white　fences；　and　although　Pandora　was　set　in　a　box　canyon　with　only　one　way　in　and　out；　it　was　not　isolated。　The　road　to　Telluride　was　well　maintained；　and　the　Rio　Grande　Southern　Railroad　ran　a　spur　line　into　town　to　haul　passengers　and　supplies　to　the　mine　and　the　processed　ore　across　the　Continental　Divide　to　Denver。
　　　　　There　were　those　who　swore　the　mine　was　cursed。　The　human　cost　of　extracting　fifty　million　dollars'　worth　of　gold　over　forty　years　was　high。　A　total　of　twenty…eight　hard…rock　miners　had　died　inside　the　damp　and　forbidding　shafts　fourteen　in　one　disaster　alone　while　close　to　a　hundred　were　maimed　for　life　because　of　freak　accidents　and　cave…ins。
　　　　　Before　the　old…timers　who　had　moved　down　the　road　and　resided　in　Telluride　died　off；　they'd　claimed　that　the　ghost　of　one　of　the　dead　miners　could　be　heard　moaning　throughout　the　ten　miles　of　empty　shafts　that　honeybed　the　steep；　ominous　gray　cliffs　that　rose　nearly　13；000　feet　into　the　lazy　blue　skies　of　Colorado。
　　　　　By　1931；　all　the　gold　that　could　be　profitably　processed　from　the　ore　with　the　aid　of　chemicals　was　exhausted。　Played　out；　the　Paradise　Mine　was　shut　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。