The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-01-28

OF MS aunt. The house was very small
one with the front door opening directly
into the parlor Monsieur Simon was
seated at a back window reading very
Old copy of French newspaper. He
was small man with a bald head, a
shining, animated face, and q rusty coat
OF bombazine. We were duly introduced,
and after few preliminaries and injunc-
tons told him my plans and desires. As
l spoke the eyes of Monsieur Simon
sparkled, and when | finished he sprang
to his feet. ..f
,'..Archaolo-gie, my friend, is that
which possesses me. 1t fills me up. 1t
hoats me into thin air abuf the misaries
OF life" He spoke better English than
his aunt, merely peppering his sentences
with French accents and peculiarities
sufficiently to give them foreign flavor.
Il follow in my soul those great leaders
Belzoni, Layard, and even that execra-
bic Schliemann. Gift me the money and
the men, sir"
fastened to stop him at this point,
endeavoring to make him understand
my real intentions. had no money-at
least none of any importance and
wanted no men. l intended to make no
archaeological researches. L merely
wished to dig into a comparatively
modern structure, not quite three hun
dred years old. told him in fact was
afraid had made a mistake. | did not
wish man of science. | was merely
looking for a trustworthy person who
10
anrOinted; then his face sparkled again.
+ sIwill be that man. will work fol-
ou-for-for-for three dollars day
And when the discoveries are made,
shall share with you the glory
l told him that after had entered and
examined the chamber in the southeast
bastion, he might have three-quarters Of
the glory, or all of it if he chose. AS fol
the three dollars day, l thuught it pref.
ty high pay for man who had not the
strength and ability of a irregular laborer
but l felt sure the work could not con.
tinue very long, and l agreed to pay it
After all, the element of intelligence
should not be disregarded. Monsieur 81
mon was therefore engaged for the work
of exploration. | gave him full explana
tons and directions, Miss Mallette occa
sionally adding shrewd suggestion, ant
Madame Tonnin wagging her head il
continual affirmation. BE agreed with mt
in my hypothesis of the interval between
the two walls being filled in with sand
and was certain he could soon dig away
enough to leave passage to the innel
wall; but he differed with me in regarC
to the means of making an entrance
through this inner wall. had provided
some large chisels and a mallet, which
had left with the other tools in the darl
chamber, but he thought it would b.
better to make use of some of the mod
ern inventions. With one or two car
tridges of dynamite he said we coulC
blow hole through the wall in an in
slant, whereas it would take hours t.
cut one with chisel and mallet. But thi
l absolutely forbade. l wanted no ex
plosions to wake up the people in the Vi
cinity, and to blow, perhaps, my French
man into atoms. Monsieur Simon in
sisted that as the dwelling of the old ser
geant was some little distance outsid
the fortress, he would not hear a Sigh
explosion; but | remained firm in my
prohibition of dynamite, and he con
sented to break through the wall in tn
way desired.
| Operations were to begin Immediately
and that evening Monsieur Simon and
went to the fort, and Selling favorabl
opportunity, 1 conducted him into tn
dark chamber took him by the hand
and cautiously led him to the inner wall
| made him feel with his hands the hol
| had discovered, led him to the corne
where had placed the tools, and lef
him supplied with matches, candles an
food, and little bottle of wine.
For two nights Monsieur Simol
worked at his explorations. Each morn
ing visited him at his house, and re
ceived report. No one had notice.
his ingoings or outcomings, he said, an
on the second day he reported that h
had made passage which extende
some feet. All the sand which ha
fallen from above he had removed an
scattered over the floor of the dar
chamber, and he confidently expecte
in two or three nights more to reach tn
inner wall. l then strictly enjoined hin
as had done before, that when he ha
reached this wall he was not to max
the hole through it, as | intended to b
present when that was done. l wishe
to be the first to make the discoveries il
this hidden chamber.
On the morning of the third day
went to the house of Madame Tonnir
She was not in, and neither was Nor
sieur Simon. A girl handed me lette
from the latter parsonage. l opened
and read it in the little parlor. Their
with the open letter in my hand,
walked, or rather ran, to the cottage {
the Mallettes. .-... .........
Miss Mallette was sitting on the fror
porch. She ran down the steps to NEE
me. "What's the matter?" she said.
II want you to read this letter wit
me,' / answered; Il can scarcely III
derstand it." .......
And so we sat down on the steps {
the porch and read the letter together.
shall not give the words of Monsieu
Simon's epistle. 1t was long, and wa
written in English considerably wors
than that which he used when speaking
This is the purport of it. The night bt
fore he had penetrated into the chambe
in the southeast bastion. He had une'
pectedly reached the wall of the chan
Der, and had been unable to resist tn
temptation of cutting a hole through i
| Al. L. k, ho