interposed i sure that uncle has some sinister design in this sneered you want the jewels for yourself took a pinch of snuff and looked doubtfully at me it might be as you say mr he remarked i never yet knew your uncle to forgive his enemies don t go don t go said my mother drawing back let the diamonds be you want them for your son but the dead man s diamonds they are mine by right and i mean to have them come she shuddered and gave one despairing glance around m sky sun and sea then by her husband s will she followed him into the leaving the three of us looking at one another you are afraid to go i see said with a look at me no i answered i intend to see this out i suspect something is wrong but if does not keep his eyes open i shall my mother s objections with a kiss i slipped into the gallery after jack and his wife and in a few minutes i found myself standing with them on the lips of the hole which led into the of the mine the three of us were now fully committed to the adventure would that we had foreseen the end and had retired while there was yet time ill the situation was enough to try the nerves of a stronger woman than mrs and she leaned against the sides of the faint with terror seeing this her husband administered a sup of brandy from his travelling and so her up for the adventure she became as anxious as he to find the jewels and her to descend into the shaft whence she had shrunk some minutes before taking advantage of this sudden access of courage made ready for the descent it will be awkward for you to scramble down by this rope he said kneeling on the edge of the shaft the dead man s diamonds here s a rope ladder that s capital i shall go down first you follow me and then if mr chooses to come he can do so mr does choose to come i said sharply but how are you going to lower this and by this rope of course replied drawing up the cord which swung by the rope ladder see i ll tie them to the end and lower them so the shaft is not so deep as i thought we heard the of the iron as axe and at the bottom of the shaft afterwards with a word to his wife cautiously descended the and bending over the yawning mouth i could see the candle fastened in his cap twinkling in the thick gloom after the of some minutes he apparently reached the ground for we heard him shout faintly and felt the guiding rope violently shaken now mrs it is your turn said i and as she started nervously back i added do not be afraid i will tie the end of this rope to your waist and you will thus be supported while descending the ladder with an effort she consented and pulling the rope up i bound the end round her waist then she swung herself fearfully on to the shaking ladder and i let the cord pay out slowly through my hands as she down in a few minutes she accomplished the descent also and like glow worms the at the bottom of the shaft without hesitation i the rope and making no use of the ladder i myself into the abyss accustomed as i was to climbing it was easy work for me to descend and shortly i found myself standing beside the pale wife and the anxious husband in the of the earth by this time the effect of the spirit had died out in mrs and in the wavering light of the candles her the dead man s diamonds face looked curiously pale notwithstanding her awe of i believe she would have fled but that it was now too late to retreat her husband with flushed face and bright eyes paid little attention to her agitation but he about for the rope which as mentioned in uncle s letter would guide him to the place where the jewels were hidden here it is he cried in an tone picking it up from the side of the gallery look after my wife and follow me as i liked her i was sorry for the poor woman she my hand with the courage of despair and we hurried along the gallery after jack the proceeded in a direction for some distance until it stopped short at another chasm down which depended a rope ladder our descent was accomplished in the same manner as before and again we walked on i judged that by this time we were under the sea so that the adventure was even more perilous than we had deemed it hark i said pausing a moment with s hand in mine we are under the ocean do you hear the of the waves we all listened intently and heard distinctly the of the waters overhead the grating of the rocks grinding along the bed of the sea and the drowsy swell of the waves on the rugged beach by the lights of the candles we could see that the rocks within which we were were quite dry and here and there a of light was struck from the veins of ore the sides of the the air was thick and so thai we could hardly breathe oh jack i am afraid � i am afraid moaned in wide eyed terror let us go back what after coming so far not if i know it was his response and he seized his wife as she sank on the rocky floor get up and come along you fool the dead man s diamonds passive in his hands from sheer terror she 