The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-12-13

this this time, of Joy, but of pain. As
he sprang to his feet, holding his hand
aloft, a reptile, all of two feet long,
dropped to the ground and wriggled
away in the darkness,
my God It's a cobra r. exclaimed
poor Sulky. "Mate, I'm dead man.
The treasure IS yours y
"No, no !" | exclaimed, Il will call
assistance; the natives will know of
some remedy for snake bite"
"Call assistance" murmured Sulky,
land have your head struck from your
shoulders before daylight for your pains.
No, you must get away with the box.
NV voyage is near an end; can even
now feel the poison working TO my very
heart. Help me to the jungle, and then
put az many miles between this spot and
yourself as you possibly can, and may
the Lord help you"
So sudden and fatal is the poison of
the cobra that in half an hour after re-
ceiving the bite. poor SulSy was uncon-
scious; but before he qul'e lost his rea-
son he handed me the piece of paper
the will of the young EngliIhmen-to-
gether with the valuable stone he had
carried SO long.
| W lcdNt wv pun iC'i'" NhNiN
all along, but 1t could not he otherwise.
He was past all human sid, and for me
to remnin would have meant my death,
and so, with a sad heart, took up my
return journey towards Benares, with
the treasure that we had come so far to
obtain, and which had cost poor Sulky
his life.
The return journey to Calcutta was
long and tedious, and without incident; I;
the cLsket | kept constantly about me.
but had wrapped it up in large silk
handkerchief, that irs polished ebony
surface and silver mOuntings might not
tempt the cupldity of the natives with
whom came in contact.
On reaching Calcutta, | went directly
20 the palace of the Gnvernor-Gentral,
Lord Mayo being then charge d' dtdireS:
but the guards refused me admission to
the presence of the great potentat', and
it was not until the fourth application,
on four successive days, that succeeded
n gaining an audience.
| After the way in which | had been
treated by the guards and subaIterns, |
expected to be nearly crushed by the
presence of the Governor; but imagine
my surprise when was met by the ut
most court sy by a gen leman a little
past the meridian Of life, who listened to
my story with the greatest interest, and
when | handed him the casket, ex-
c. ned
"Wunderful ~
1t was then for the first time that l
read the inscription on the box, which
was Indy Isabel Draper, Manchester,
England"
Calling oeveral members of his suite
about h m. the Governor ordered the
casket to be opened, and then, to our IN
terested gaze, was revealed gems OF a.
most countless value.
Young man." began the Chief Magi
trate of Indi', by this slip of paper
which ynur shlpmate received from the
gallant Englishman, think that you
are entitled to portion of this immense
wealth." and at this, the high official
took handful of the sparkling Jewels
and allowed them to drop slowly back
into the casket.
mo, no, sir = l exclaimed, qui ky,
II am but poor sailor l never should
feel right in touching any part of hat.
Two good men, and maybe more, lost
their lives to obtain this wealth. No;
send the jpwels to the poor lady in Eng
land, for, no doubt, they are the last be-
quest of loving son, whose coming had
been long waited for in vain. No. sir;
this GEM" | continued, displaying the
beautiful emerald which had been
boarded so carefully by my poor ship
mate for so many years, "is all that |
shall keep Of '.Sulky's Treasure. .''-MdrL-
ton DOlcninq, in Yankee Blade.