The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-10-13

sccount TO speak QUE word--no matter what you
riay see or hear, De silent; for on your silence
cur success, aye, even our very lives depend.
Even whisper from your lips, would bring up
on us both swift destructionl Let down the
bucket, and when fill it with earth, draw tuP
carefully and steadily with the windass. To-
night, or never, shall find the pirates treas.
uIe.'
Hahns faithfully promised TO obey his instruc-
tons; when Christophe, again turning to his al
ready frightened companions, said,
| Il feel that the spirits of the invisible world
are even now lowering about u.s. The air is fill
ed with them tonight. o! there will be a sore
battle fought with the 6end that guards the treas
ure; but the amulet wear will protect US from
the demons power
A loud clap of thunder that reverberated
among the hills, as If the hend were answering
the hostile charge against him, made them both
tremble with superstitious dread. A dead silence
prevailed for some minutes, and each stood ga
ring earnestly at the other. The moon, that had
been shining with crystal splendor, was now OBJ
secured by dark masses Of clouds; the wind in
fierce gusts was sweeping into heavy waves the
leaden-eolored waters of the river; and the tree
tops, swaying their leafy heads to the breeze,
moaned loudly IN the gathering storm. Again
the thunder pealed from the shrouGed heavens,
accompanied by flashes of forked lightning, that
played ike 6ery pennon amid the deepening
gloom, illuminating for brief instant every Oh
ject with vivid distinctness, and revealing the
pale, horror-struck countenances of the men 10
each other.
i This sudden outbreak Of the elements, Chris
topic and Hahns believed firmly W rs caused by
supernatural influences. They thought, amid
the crash of the thunder, that they heard mystic
rlous whisperings borne on the air, wild words,
and wilder shrieks appeared TO mingle IN the war
of the tempest. The rain descended like a
mighty torrent overlapping its boundaries; but
still they stood, as if SPELL bound, regardless Of
Its overwhelming force Christophe was the first
to regain his self possesson, and firmly grasping
the arm ofhls companion, he moved towards the
rock. Hahns, shaking in every limb, resisted
with all his might the attemptto lead him II that
direction; and when at last Chnstophe's superb
OF strength impellsd him forward, he reeled like
a drunken man, and seemed as if about to swoon.
Strange TO say, In all this pantomine, not word
was spoken by either, both beng fearful of break.
ing the mysterious charm, hey believed to be at
work around them.
The storm subsidized as suddenly as it had ans
en-; and again the moon breaking from the dift-
ing clouds glittercd among the trees laden with
rain-drops, and the earth sent up her incense
filling the air with the fragrance of grasses and
leaves. The cheerful moonlight appeared to re-
vive their courage; and although both felt anx-
ious, if not spprehensive for the result Of their
temerity, in searching for treasure thus evident
ly guarded by evil spirits, they resoutely went
to work, removing the piled brushwood from the
excavation, and adjusted the windlass and
bucket securely.
In a few moments all was in readiness, and
Christophe, with his implements for digging, de-
seconded, and commenced his labors. Hahns as
silently and rapidly as possible, had five times
drawn up and returned the bucket, and was in
The act OF lowering it again, when the rope be-
coming entangled, he impa-iently exclaimed,
grasp, and striking against the side of the eyca-
vation in its rapid descent, in a moment, the
saturated earth caved in with a noise like SUBJ
terranean thunder, and buried Christophe be-
meath the surface. Hahns stood paralysed with
horror at this unlocked for misfortune; then with
an energy that desperation alone could inspire,
he eagerly began 10 dig away the loosened soil,
calling upon Christophe in accents of passionate
despair, or shouting for assistance, with scarce
hope, that IN that lonesome spot he would be
heard. Poorwretchl how the deep silence of the
summers night Knocked has agony. In vain. in
his frantic calls, would be bend his ear close tic
the opening, hoping TO receive an answer from
A ChristOphe. No word, no moan, evinced that
suffering life was thereI
And now, a more fearful shadow ell on his
spint; fantastic and horrible images seemed gath
ering around him; he saw, or fancied that he
saw, in the dark recesses OF the woods, some
thing moving towards him, with great eyes,
glowing like liquid fire. 1t was certainly the
evil fend that guarded the treasure coming for
him also. At the thought, he bounded up the
road with wild cnes, never pausing until he burst
into the midst OF some farmers, proceeding TO
the city with their early marketing. His start.
ling intelligence soon spread far and near, and
party of some twenty men, with crowbars and
spades, accompanied him back to the scene OF
the disaster, he never ceasing to implore them
to hasten their already rapid movements.
| After some hours ofincessant labor, they came
to the body of poor Chnstophe, covered with
blood and dust. The weight of earth that had
fallen upon him had crushed ard mutilated him
fearuLy. HIS palid face bore marks of extreme
suffering but he still breathed. He was borne
to the nearest house, and medical aid summon
ed; but he survived only long enough to see his
unhappy wife, and take last farewell of her
Yet to his dying moment, he persisted, in declar-
ing that he had seen the pirates chest, and was
in the act Of lifting it, when Hahns uttered the
exclamation, and it suddenly sank into the earth
beneath his feet, and he was deprived Of all con-
seriousness.
He left solemn charre to his son, when old
enough, to prosecute the search in the same d.
rection; and asserted, that he could not fail to
obtain the hidden treasure
But since the death of poor Christophe, no
man has been found courageous enough, to at. |
tempt the discovery of inches, thus guarded BY
maign influences. And those who are obliged |
topass the rock after night.fall, say, that in the
midst Of summer they feel as if their hearts
would freeze in their bosonas; and many affirm