EVEN IN THE depths of the uncharted forest the violent storm was clearly evident. Blinding flashes of light found each and every gap in the high tree canopies sending its unholy illumination cascading down toward the three riders who had made swift progress toward their irresistible goal. Deafening explosions of unimaginable power shook the trees as though they were little more than slivers of paper. Nature was flexing its muscles and there was nothing known to man that had ever been able to prevent it. The storm was worsening above the vast tree covered hills and showed no sign of abating any time soon. It was as though the ancient gods were venting their fury to demonstrate their ultimate power over mere mortals.
Since time began nothing had ever equaled the sheer power of nature itself. Nothing that man had ever created had ever been able to stand up to the force which dwelled high in the heavens. The acrid smell of sulphur filled the forest with its devilish odor.
Yet the three horsemen continued on toward the pulsating crystal rods in blatant defiance. Their collective minds shared only one thought and that was discovering a potential fortune within the gleaming mesas canyons.
Trees rocked as the unnerving sound of thunderclaps raged all around them like giants pounding upon unseen heavenly drums but the three riders forged on regardless.
Hogan, Dale and McCloud had been drawn to this place like moths to a naked flame. They were unable to resist the lure of the glowing light or the possible riches which awaited them within the perilous maze. A maze which matched and exceeded all the tales they had heard concerning this unbelievable place.
The spires seemed to be glowing even brighter as the storm travelled over the forest. For whatever reason the rods of pure crystal were increasing their pulsating illumination. As they neared the massive crystals, all were amazed by the unimaginable sight.
This was something that defied logical explanation.
It was impossible but there it stood in all of its magnificence. A beacon of radiant light in an otherwise dark and dismal landscape.
Something which should not have existed, yet it did exist and the bank robbers were helpless to defy its irresistible attraction. Strange colors beat like throbbing hearts from the mesas crystals.
The rhythmic display defied explanation.
It mocked the bank robbers as Slim Hogan drew reins and dismounted beside them. The hardened bank robber had no notion of what they had discovered as he studied the glowing rods which protruded from out of the forest floor.
A million oil lanterns could not have equaled the light which throbbed from the crystals as he stood in awe of the vision which confronted all of their eyes. Yet Hogan did not fear what he was staring at as the storm continued to rage outside the forest. All he could think of were the riches which were claimed to exist within the countless canyons which made up the body of the crystal mesas. Hogan wanted every single precious gem and gold nugget he and his men might find within the canyon. The tall stories told of the treasure just waiting to be picked up and pocketed.
As Hogan drooled with anticipation he heard the footsteps behind his wide back as they cautiously approached.
‘What in tarnation is this, Slim?’ McCloud asked as he slid from his saddle and kept a firm grip on his long leathers to prevent his skittish mount from abandoning him. The bank robber walked unsteadily through the light toward the leader of the gang as Tanner Dale looped his leg over his saddle cantle and dismounted behind both his cohorts. ‘I sure don’t like the look of these things. Nothing is meant to glow like this.’
‘I’m a bit nervous too, boys,’ Dale admitted as he led his mount toward the others. ‘This just ain’t natural. I’m feared of what’s making it light up.’
‘You and me both, Tanner,’ McCloud agreed. ‘This might be the entrance to Hell itself for all we know.’
Hogan laughed out loud. He shook his head, stared at the last of his gang and pulled out a cigar from his jacket pocket before biting off its end and ramming it into his mouth.
‘Maybe this is the Devil’s front door,’ he joked. ‘Personally I don’t give a damn. All I want is the loot folks tell me are scattered through the crystal canyon.’
The roof of the forested trees suddenly lit up as lightning erupted far above them. It was as if the sky itself was stained with a multitude of vibrating colors. Raindrops fell from the high canopies and caught the light emanating from the mysterious spires.
It was raining diamonds.
‘The storm is getting worse, boys,’ Hogan growled before returning his attention to the glowing rods of pure crystal beside them.
Both McCloud and Dale glanced at one another and then back at the brutal Hogan. Neither had the guts to turn tail and run away from the deadly gunman. They feared Hogan far more than they feared anything which might be lurking within the glowing canyon.
‘C’mon, you yellow bellies.’ Hogan was drooling as he slowly edged toward the entrance into the labyrinth. Any fear he might have felt was no match for the lust for untold riches that were meant to litter the ground within the maze. ‘Quit scaring yourselves with dumb stories. Let’s get started. The sooner we begin collecting the precious gems, the sooner we can quit and carry on to Apache Springs.’
The name of the lawless settlement caused Hogan’s cohorts to look a little more excited. Neither had any idea that they were so close to Apache Springs.
‘Are we close to Apache Springs, Slim?’ Dale asked as he trailed Hogan to the mouth of the giant rods of pure crystal.
‘How close?’ McCloud added as he shuffled along the trail behind the broad shouldered Hogan.
‘Close enough,’ Hogan snarled angrily. ‘By my figuring it’s just a few miles once we reach the edge of this damn forest and head out on to the open range.’
The three men turned the natural corner of the strange glowing rods and began moving toward the entrance to the labyrinth.
Dale confessed.
‘I’m for mounting up and forgetting all about this place, Slim,’ he said. ‘We’ve got us three bags of bank loot. We don’t need anything we might stumble across in there.’
‘Me too, Tanner,’ McCloud nodded. ‘I don’t like the looks of this place. Fortune or not I’m for riding on to Apache Springs and forgetting all about this. Something’s very wrong here and I don’t cotton to finding out.’
‘I got me a feeling we’ll die here, Leo,’ Dale said as Hogan glanced back at his them and bellowed.
‘Quit belly-aching, you cowardly vermin,’ he raged as his eyes blazed at them. ‘This is the place we’ve heard all them tall stories about. C’mon. Let’s find the entrance to this place and go prospecting. Let’s find the gold nuggets that are supposed to be in here.’
McCloud and Dale’s fear of Hogan was far greater than the strange place which glowed so brightly. They nodded at their leader and increased their pace until they found the entrance to the mystical maze.
There seemed to be a strange buzzing sound in the air. As though the rods of crystals were emanating an unseen power as well as the unholy throbbing light. Their horses were terrified and pulling hard against the long leathers which hung from their bridles as they tried to flee.
The bank robbers stared in awe at the sight which faced them in disbelief. None of this made any sense to the outlaws who knew that such things should not exist but it was right before them.
Massive rods of pure crystal arched on both sides of them and joined together twenty feet above their heads. There was no doubt in any of their minds that this was the entrance to the canyon of peril they had heard of.
The trail which cut a path through the crystals was so bright that they all had to shield their eyes with their hands.
‘Holy cow,’ Dale gasped as he screwed up his eyes in defense of the blinding illumination. ‘that trail is plumb painful.’
After securing his horses reins to a stout tree, Slim Hogan walked back to his men. He did not utter a word as he stepped into the maze and stooped. Both McCloud and Dale watched as the lumbering outlaw snatched something off the sandy surface of the trail and then turned back toward them. Neither had ever seen Hogan look so elated before as he stepped toward them with his hand held out toward them.
Dale and McCloud gasped as they looked at the large precious ball of gold on the palm of Hogan’s hand. It dazzled as though it was alive.
‘Look at that, boys,’ Hogan snorted as he showed them the large lump of gold he had just found. ‘This is pure gold. It must be as heavy as one of my Colt’s. Look at the ground. It’s covered in them. All we gotta do is pick them up and fill our saddle nags with them.’
Both his underlings were open-mouthed as they realized that Hogan was telling the truth. They too could see the gold nuggets scattered on top of the sandy trail which led deep into the maze.
‘And they’re all ours,’ Hogan grinned.
McCloud and Dale nodded. The sight of so much gold had somehow managed to brush all their fears away. They started to smile like children in a candy store. After they too tied their mounts leathers to the same tree trunk they rushed back to the side of the burly bank robber as Hogan rammed the nugget into his jacket pocket.
‘Let’s go harvesting this crop.’ Hogan grinned as he led his now willing gang members into the canyon. They started to pick the gleaming nuggets off the sandy floor and pocket them and continued forward as though drawn by the invisible demons which were reputed to dwell within the labyrinth.
Without realizing it, they had ventured far deeper into the maze. Deeper than any of them had intended and blissfully unaware of the perilous plight which awaited them.