"Dutchman's" Lost gold-mine!?---It's out there...waiting!?

 

Seductress-“she”!

 

Thought she had me this time. Hmm! Almost did! Indeed!

My fault. Of course! I know what an “evil” she really is.

That damned “treasure”? “Dutchman’s lost gold-mine”!? Wow!

 

I read the books. Watched the movie many times. Studied the clues.

 

Still! It’s been lost 150-years---and…I am going to find it!? Hmm!?

 

But, the gold is not my nemesis in this “phantom”-quest, self-assumed.

 

That damned palpable-evil!---the cunning seductress…“desert”-pernicious!

 

Subtle! She is---like warmth from sunshine…a gentle whisper-wind.

Tugging nearly negligible-to-consciousness; quiet as any midnight-dark.

 

She sets her traps: a loose rock, heat, thirst, blisters, sidewinders.

Little things: like irritating needles. Cactus! Scorpions! Spiders.

Always shake my leather boots---Cautious!…I like to live.

And, the awful lack of life-giving water; she plays her games.

 

Today! I had it guessed through determined “education”; 1,000-yards!

Yonder! Just directly 179° to the base of the escarpment cougar-pictograph;

the eye-of-the-cat a milky-white stone reflecting the season-sun hint-sparkle.

3000-feet! Just a measly “10”-football fields. There! In the desert-sand. Hmm!

 

But, that epiphany hit me mid-morning---clear as a bell…I’m short on water!

My plan for today had been to trek 5-miles to the secret high-tank for liquid; I took

advantage of the early-cool, slept a bit too long; what could be the hurry? Hmm!?

 

Sloshed the old canteen---if I sipped, slowly…maybe three hours!? Maybe!?

 

The clue literally hit me in the eye---reflecting-bright…off the “cougar”-eye. Yonder!

I had visited the etching myriad-times, never “seeing” the obvious needed-clue.

But, the sun directed me the way---directly above the cat’s-“eye”…a cave?

I could see the shimmy-shadow of the cavern not five feet above the “glint”.

I could make the 1,000-yards in less than an hour---“Rich”…in another 60-minutes!

 

Oh! But, the slim-water matter. I shook the canteen. Yeah! Enough? I’m sure!?

 

100-feet to go. Seems I ran part of the way. Tripped! Turned my ankle. Damn!

Last sip! Ugh! But---the gold…Hell! I’ll buy Lake Meade! Lots of water, then!

 

No cavern! No gold! Oh! God! Cool-water in the hidden-tank! Ugh! Last-breath!

Her “secrets”-safe! Still! Score: Seductress-desert: 1-more! Idiots: Dead! Hmm!