Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1889-02-08

started down the mount at trot. The wind
had risen steadily during his hours of work,
and was now blowing furious gale. 1t was
about a quarter to in the morning, and the
stars shown brightly in the hard, clear blown
sky. BY their light and that of the waning
moon he struggled on In the teeth of the
raging tempest. As he passed under one of
the oaks he heard a mighty crack overhead,
aud guessing what it was ran like hare. He
was none too soon. A circular gust of more
than usual fierceneSs had twisted the top
right out of the great tree, and down it came
upon the turf with rending, crashing sound
that made his blood turn cold After this
escape he avoided the neghborhood of the
grooming trees.
George lived in a neat little farm house
about quarter of Il mile away. There was
n short cut to it across the fields, and this he
took, breathlessly fighting his way against
the gale 1ich swept, and roared, and howled
In its splendid might as it came leapng
across tho ocean from its birthplace in the
distances of air. Even the stiff hawthorne
fences bowed before its breath, and the tall
popals on the sky line beat like rod beneath
the fresh rush Of Il salmon.
Excited as he was, the immensely and
grandeur of the sight and sounds struck upon
him with strange and awful force. Never
before had he felt so far apart from man,
and so near to that dread Spirit round whose
feet m on of rolling worlds rush on for
ever, at whose word they are, endure, and
are not
Ho struggled on until at last lie reached
the house. 1t was quite silent, but in one of
the windows light was burning. No doubt
its occupants found it impossible to sleep in
that wild gale. The next thing to consider
was how to make himself heard. To knock
at the door would be useless in that turmoil.
There was only one thing to be done-throw
stones at the window. He found a good
sized pebble, and, standing underneath,
threw ii with such good will that it went
right through the glass, lighting, as he after
ward heard, full upon Mrs Georges sleeping
nose, and nearly frightening that good
woman, whose nerves were already shaken
by the gale, into fit. Next minute Il red
night cap appeared at the window
George roared the colonel in a lull Of
the gale
"Who's therc!' came the faint answer
"Me-Col. Quaritch. Come down want
to speak to you"
The head was withdrawn, and a couple Of
minutes afterward Harold saw the front door
segin to open slowly. He waited till there
wns space enough and then slipped in, and
together they forced it to.
''Stop bit, sir, said George; IN light
the lamp" and he did.
Next minute he stepped back in amaze
ment.
'Why, what on 'arh hev Won bin after,
sir2' he said, contemplating llurold's filth
begrimed face, and hands, and clothes rs
anything wrong up at the castle, or is the
cottage blown DOWN.
"No no. said Harold; "listen. You've
heard tell Of the treasure that old Sir James
de la Molle buried in the times Of the Round
heads
Eyes, yes have heard tell of that Hev
the gale blown it up!n
"No, but by heaven believe that ! am in
n fair way to find it,"
George took another step back, remember
ing the tales that Mrs Jobson had told, and
not being by any means snre that the colonel
was not in a dangerous condition Of lunacy.
"Give me a glass of something to drink,
water or milk, and I'll tell you. I've been
digging all night, and my throat's like q
limeliiln.'
"Digging, why, whereT
"Wherei In Dead Mans Mount"
SIN Dead Mans Mountr said George.
"Well, blow me, if that amt q funny place
to dig at on a night like this" and toe
amazed TO say anything more, he went off to
get the milk.
Harold drank three glasses without stop.
ping, and then sat down to tell as much Of
his moving tale as he thought desirable.