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

seems to be nothing remarkably strange
Will you join me p he continued ear.
nestly, as we stepped out on The deck
"And never breathe a word to morta
ear until we have found the treasure ?
Pausing a moment thoughtfully,
then gave him my hand. Yes, Sulky
l will"
IAN right. Well say no more about
it until we get to Calcutta"
| And as four bells then struck, my
shipmate left me abruptly to go aft and
relieve the wheel.
Weeks passed, and the Sand Heads
light ship, at the mouth of the II )oghly
river, hove in sight.
Not a word about the treasure had
been spoken by either Sulky or myself
but it is safe to say that there was
scarcely a moment when the thoughts
of it were out of our minds,
Slowly the huge tug boat dragged our
ship up the long river to the City OF
| Palaces.
The evening that we moured amid the
| fleet, Sulkey drew me aside and began
Il don't suppose it's any use asking if
you've got any money. Now we'll need
some, and amt got very much, 80 now
that we're here in India, we'll work
along aboard the vessel until we get the
first liberty day, then strike the old man
for all he will stand and hist the jib and
away"
1t was all OF two weeks before an op-
portunity offered, and then, with TWEEN
ty-fve dollars apiece, we left the vessel,
our clothing and the balance of our
wages behind us, and started for North
ern India.
Upon come shslIovv pretoxt we drew
awaw from the rest OF our shipmates,
aud, hiring ghurry (carriage), we drove
some ten miles up the river and there,
after considerable haggling, chartered
one Of the large, up-country dtnghieS
(boat) to take us 10 Benares.
1t was long, tedious journey; the
whole distance had to be worked against
the swift-howing current of the Hoogh-
ly and Ganges, and we were two weeks
in the cramped and uncomfortable quar-
ters of the native boat.
At BeDares, we hired miserable Hin
doc, and more miserable cart and pair
of cows to carry us further on our jour
ney.
Sulkey had the route well laid out
We were to travel from Benares in about
north, north west course, following
which we must, according to his calcu-
lations, pass directly through the town
of Budgapore.
The uncomfortable journey in the
rumbling cart, beneath the glazing sun,
almost disheartened me, and began,
long before the trip was finished, to wish
that had remained on board the ship
at Calcutta; but as all things have an
end, 80 did our journey, and in twenty
eight days from leaving the vessel we
found ourselves before the Temple of
Shira. in the town of Budgapore.
And there stood the White Elephant.
made wholly of ivory, the pieces 80
skillfully put together that it required
the closest scrutiny to detect any joints,
and thousands of the huge beasts must
have been sacrificed to this colossal
statue of one of their race.
1t as early morning when this magnit-
icent piece of sculpture was first dis
played TO our wondering gaze, and it
was with great difficulty that we could
restrain ourselves from at once attack
ing the foundation of the particular ped
estal which we had come 80 far to find,
anu uIa" lIOih A's uiuihB pIdSO tno "a
pected treasure.
But to have done this by daylight
would have meant the loss of the veal b
il not our lives as well; and even now
our actions were attracting the jealous
glances of such of the natives as were
about.
1--WE will have to sheer off until after
the sun goes down. said Sulky, turning
and walking away towards thick piece
of jungle which was but short distance
away from the temple.
On reaching the grateful shade OF the
trees, we sat down and talked over the
possible results of our journey.
Slowly the hours wore away, until the
barking of this jackals and the occasional
screech of some other noctui nal animal
assured us that night was approaching
We did not, however, begin the mo-
mentous search until, as near as we
could judge, the time was advanced tp
nearly midnight.
Then, more like two thieves than the
trusted executors of an honest mans
possessions, we crept forth from our
statue, the perfect outlines of which
walls of the temple beyond.
Not word was spoken as we proceed
ed directly to the southwestern corner
OF the gigantic idol, and there dropping
upon his knees, Sulky began to feel
along the stones OF the foundation.
AT length slight exclamation broke
from the lips of my companion. He
had discovered stone which had been
loosened from its place, and yielded TO
his his touch.
In another instant, he had worked it
out and disclosed an aperture, perhaps
eight inches square.
This now was the moment OF uspense
and the faithful sailor involuntarily hes
itated before thu usting his hand into the
cavity to explore its depths.
AT length he nerved himself for the
effort, and plunged his arm deep into
the opening.
l could see by his movements that he
was fumbling about large orifice, unit
in voice husky with emotion, he whls-
pered
Il have got there it is," and he held
before my astonished gaze small box,
the fastenings Of which were of some
bright metal. as they glistened in the
dim light of the stars.
Hold on to it," whispered Sulky, al
most beside himself with excitement,
there may be more under there" and
he again plunged his hand into the dark
opening.
A second cry from my companion not,