So there I was, feeling around above me for a firm grip. With one swift movement, I pulled myself up and over the ledge jutting out from the side of the mountain. I stood up and looked triumphantly down at the tiny landscape below. My ponytail was plastered to the back of my sweating neck, and my face was flushed. I smiled despite the hot July afternoon. As I leaned daringly over the edge admiring the view, a bead of sweat fell from my face. I watched as it fell to the rocks far below and was reminded of my own fate if I should slip.
After taking a drink from my water bottle, I put it back into my emergency pack I kept at my waist and started investigating the uneven mountaintop. All around, the beauty of the Black Hills extended out until it met a flawless blue sky. My parents were somewhere down in those hills, roaming the trails and enjoying our vacation. Earlier in the day, I had split up from them to go exploring my way – free climbing.
As I climbed between two rocks, I stepped into a pile of brush and my foot caught on something. Kicking the brush aside, I spotted a rusted handle attached to a small metal door. I adjusted my position and grabbed the handle. With a firm tug, I tried to open it. At first it didn't move. I pulled harder, and before I knew it the entire door fell off its hinges and was clutched in my hand. Inside, a metal ladder led down into darkness. I admit, there was a second of hesitation, but my curiosity quickly overcame it.
The hole was just big enough for me to fit through, and I made my way down the ladder. The temperature dropped as sunlight from above grew dimmer. After descending for quite some time, my foot finally hit a hard surface. Positioning myself on the ground, I froze and listened for any noise. It was absolutely silent, with only the sound of my labored breathing filling my ears. On my left and in front of me, my hands immediately felt the cool surface of rock. To my right, however, there was nothing. With my arms still outstretched, I slowly proceeded.
As careful as I was, I still managed to trip and fall flat on my face. I felt around the area I had fallen, and my hand hit something. Since it wasn't rattling, squeaking, pinching, or crawling I decided it was safe enough to pick up and investigate. Just then I remembered the flashlight I kept in my pack and took it out. Suddenly, the darkness that enveloped me overflowed with light. I could finally see! Looking down, I saw what I had stumbled over--a stick of dynamite.
What I saw around me was mainly what I expected--a narrow tunnel carved into rock. What I hadn't expected was a clearing just a few feet ahead of me. From there, a small tunnel branched off in another direction. I followed the tunnel and caught my breath at what it led to. Loose, yellowed papers spilled out of the drawers of an ancient-looking wooden desk. I ran over to the desk and picked up a torn piece of paper that had fallen onto the ground. It was dated August 4, 1937. In small cursive, the words read:
It will be 10 years next week since the fellas and I began this job. Honestly, the time's gone by so fast it seems like only a couple years. We're about finished with the third one, which proves that construction is ahead of schedule. My daughter is getting married tomorrow. I hate to miss it, but the days get so rushed when we get close to finishing each section and we need all the help we can get. I will contact her the minute I get the chance. For now, I won't have any difficulty falling asleep tonight and the morning brings new work.
The bottom of the page was signed "Gutzom Borglum." I was confused and interested about what Borglum was talking about. Whatever they were working on must have been a big deal. I set the paper on the desk and looked around. Yet another tunnel extended from the room at the opposite end. I walked down it, expecting another chamber, or even a glimpse at the creation Borglum had talked about constructing. All of a sudden, the tunnel grew lighter, and I could see sunlight in the distance. I walked faster, anxious to see what lay ahead.
Then, as I saw the outside world, I realized where I was. How on Earth was this possible? I came to the end of the tunnel as well as a huge hole carved out of the rock. Standing there, I found myself staring at George Washington's magnificent stone-carved face. Beside him was Thomas Jefferson, and in the corner Teddy Roosevelt gazed at me. It took a minute to realize I was standing in the eyes of Abraham Lincoln. To my left, flags waved and crowds of people scattered a walkway. They were all staring directly at me, though I knew it wasn't me they had come to see. They had come to see the four famous faces of Mount Rushmore.