The Lost Caverns

1812

"What a long journey from Saskatchewan!" Hank George said, walking through the plains of what would 31 years later be called Des Moines, Iowa. On the place that would soon be called the corner of Euclid and Cambridge, stood a tin and log shack. On a tin awning was painted SLACKERS! "How odd..." Hank said. He approached the cabin and knocked on the door. From behind came the sound of a gun. Then a hillbilly voice:

"Well hello 'dare fancy coat" Hank looked to his right to see a man in a tattered pair of khakis eyeing his tail coat. On his head was a straw hat, over black, short hair.

"Hello?" Hank asked. Two more men appeared at his side. The one on the man's left had shoulder-length, wavy, black hair. He wore overalls and a white shirt. And the third had short, brown hair and was wearing the fur from a bison's shoulders for a vest over a white shirt, and black slacks. "I'm Hank George!" Hank said.

"Oh, yes," said the second man. "We've heard about your family! I'm Muzun. Just Muzun. Here in the hat is Panski, and in the vest is Nuzum!"

"Glad to meet you!" Hank said.

For the next 2 months, he lived there with them,helping in the feilds and doing the chores with them until... He was out in the feild digging when he saw a thick black fluid bubbling out of the ground.

"Nuzum!" Hank called, to the one he knew the most.

"What is?" Nuzum asked, showing up in a matter of seconds.

"What is this?" Hank asked, pointing.

"Oil!" Nuzum said, a grin exploding on his face. They dug further until they had five barrels full. Then they continued to dig, looking for more, when they found a clear, crystal. They had found a diamond.

They dug for monthes, forming underground tunnels, and building mine cars for transportation. They dug down what would be Euclid, all the way to the woods, where there were deep ravines. They built a fort there, what would be the George Mansion. Then they went down into the ravines and dug into the land, finding the largest amount of diamonds ever found in one place. They even found an underground lake of vibrant bright blue, a turquoise. The sparkling stalactites above made the cave's beauty more noticeable than the gold in the walls. The following is a passage from Hank George's lost diary, found on June 27, 1980.

'I looked around and saw something the likes of which I have never seen before. A sparkling cave with a turquoise lake. The walls are loaded with gems, the reflection of the water making them shine. As Nuzum and I stand here admiring the beauty, I realize that there isn't a more beautiful sight on Earth, than the one I am presently looking at.'

They raised families and went on the Deadwood Trail. But sometime during the three generations of HAMN's abscence, a land slide occured. Having kept it all a secret, the caverns were never dug back up. Not until now...

2010
"Okay, men!" commanded Harold George. " We're gonna dig up the caverns described in this diary!"

"You found that diary 30 years ago," Gill said. "It's not up to date!"

"These mines are one-hundred nintey-seven years old!" Harold said. "Don't worry about my great-great-great-great grandpa's diary!"

"It's six greats for me!" Harrison said.

"Okay..." Harold said, awkwardly. "Gill and Artkid: East side! Sterling and Little Geek: West side!"

Hey!" Harrison said.

Harold snickered. "I'll be foreman!"

One and a half hour later, Sterling shouted:"A cave!"

Harold, Harrison, and Gill came to look. "You found the Lost Caverns!"

"I don't see an Atari game, aka, Pitfall II!" Gill joked.

Harold glared. "Even though I bought Atari, I want you to go home! And take Artkid with you! He's just been standing there!"

Harrison laughed as Artkid spaced out and drooled on his shoe. Then Harrison slipped, laughing so hard. "I twisted my ankle!"

"Gill, take him up to the mansion," Harold said, as Gill helped him up and dragged Artkid away. "His dad is a doctor."

Harold turned to Sterling. "Looks like it's just us two."

Sterling got a walking stick and wrapped newspaper around one end, lighting it with his lighter. "Let's go!" He walked into the cavern.

"It's cool that you're dressed like Indiana Jones!" Harold said, adjusting his Pith Helmet.

They walked into the opening, torch in hand, parting thick, 192-year-old cobwebs. They looked around them, admiring the gold and emeralds in the walls. The ground was hard dirt, with small animal skeletons scattered here and there.

"I wonder where this underground lake is," Harold said. He waved his lantern over the diary and studied a well-drawn map. "Okay. There should be an opening to a tunnel leading to a burial chamber around ths turn!"

They turned sharply to the left, entering a tunnel hidden in the shadows. They waved there torch and lantern around and found a chest. Harold and Indy... I mean Sterling... examined it.

"We should search around before we remove his," Sterling said, turning to Harold.

"Should we remove this?" Harold asked.

"The good of education?" Sterling asked.

"There you go!" Harold replied.