, 1870-07-17
long way OF, but the twelve strokes sounded

long way on, but the twelve strokes soundsj
clearly across The long stretch Of bare fields,
now covered With enoK.
Scnven hid risen up, and roughly drawn his
As the last stroke died away they began to
stir, loosening themselves By Violent
e1ort from the earth IN which they
were embedded: they swayed about aud
leaned against eaeh other like tipsy men;
then spring:ng forward i7egu,ar!y they
rushed away to8et ether in the direction Of the
river, bounding over the frozen earth. and in
their raseage c1ushing the slandH birch trees
on the heath and The great cluster OF reeds
Ike uisps of straw.
scriyen seized Deneaaik's arm. "cone,""
Ge ssid, In voice so huArse that no ono would
have recognized it md thc< both rsn TO the
place where the stones hAd atood. The ground
WAS plowed up as il by tomb-shells On a bat
tie field, and IN every hole ucse seen gold and
silver and precious stonea-
BeneaaR waa NO dazzled that be would have
stood still to gaze at them, but Scriyeu forced
| hm to steop and pick up some Of the treasure.
ho back imnediately."
J.. A. se tpots he allied III the empty bags that
and both his bands were full Then loud and
terrible noise made him stayt up srddenly.
Inc STONES " he cried: aud they we're in
] fact rushing back again even faster Than thew
| nAu Etn Away. - II tney were tn 4 hurry to re-
turn to their places and to tho treasnrer ovar
which they watched Aa the. adyanceI thav
! formed themselves into An immense circle
and Beneaaik raw At g}ance that they wese
surrounded
1--WE ire lost. f." he cried.
I bosom the crpaa-Hnrt and the nve-2eave1
clover that it had cost him 80 much trouble tt
find on the eeashore- 1.-The .Stones OF Plou
chinec meter harm any ona who czrrlts thesi
plants with him. must have = baptlze<
Christian to stay hero after bare carried OF
the treasure, ard expect this favor from
you," he said, with ai.eolical Laugh.
The Stones turned aside a. he presented th,
magic PLANTS 10 them, and. forming them
selves agsin iuto = column behind the larses
one, they advanced directly upon Bensalik
who had fallen Oh his knees III an agony o
terror.
The beggar by this time had shut up hi
haes, and WAS preparing to tly.
In less time than it has taken to tell. tn
terrible battalion bad reached the ploHmAl
Of rlnsiguer, bns at the sight Of him The lArg
eet STONE stood suddenly stil : 1t bore tn
sign of the Cross, and could do no harm 10
Christian. Beneadik Was still on his knees
confuscdly murnuring prayers mingled viii
| the name Of AAt1e1.lS, Nhen the CREST Bton
place'1 ittelf III front OF him Ike rampant
and protected HIM With Its enormous sixo
and the rest, separating, rolled into thei
r9acts, once mote hiding from hun,an gaz
| those treasures on Which rash eyes had ven
:used to look for ticue.
scnyen meanwhile found the gold be ha
/ collected pre- 20 heavily on his shoulder
that he threw awas his bags. hoping som
other time to come back aud look for then
His only thought uo~ Ms to save his Eae, e
when the large stone had accom-; m;Ished il
work Of protection j, began to roll back, III
the otAe1s. into its place; the beggar was j
front Of IT,. a,d though be held tp tho nagi
| p1anta In his trembling hands, they hid Il
ppwer over the stone On which the sign Of Il,
rroes had been nado; it rolled on, lesviu
the miserable mai behind it, crushed to deaf
under its weight. His hos1or-striclen con
panion, appalled, By the sishs, fell forwarl Il
sensible On tho ground.
Beneadik arreated the next morning At It
farmhouse losded With gold, and staggczin
under the bags he had picked up on the heatt
Int Eo had grown ten years older, and it VI
only attoz many years os happiness With Il
yiemik and his children that he ceased
/ tre.nhle when he heard the clock strike T.
midnight.