Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-01-11
BY ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON,

Qlnt Di authority OF FpflltSttflhipu Iis utNciN-
ers would he laughing in their sleeves. was
SO used TO see and to conceive him In high,
authoritative attitude that when | had con-
ceived his position on this journey ] was
pained and could have blushed. How soon
he may have entertained first surmiso we
cannot know; but IL was long, and the party
had advanced into tho wilderness beyond tho
reach of any help ere he was fully awakened
10 the truth.
II fell thus Harris and some others had
drawn apart into the woods for consultation,
when they were startled by a. rustlng in the
brush They were all accustomed TO the arts
of Indian warfare, and Mountain had not
only lived and hunted, but fought and earned
some reputation with the snvagcs He could
move in the woods without noise, and follow
n trail like hound and upon the energenoe
of this alert, no was deputcd by the rest to
plunge into the thicket FOR intelligence. He
was soon convinced there was nah In his
close neighborbood, moving with prccauton
but without art among tho leaves and
branches; aud coming shortly to place Of
advantage, he was able to observe Secnndra
Dass crawling briskly of with many back
ward glances At this he knew not whether
to laugh or cry; and his nccenplices, when
he had returned and reported. were IN much
the same dubety. There was now no danger
of an Indian onslaught; but on the
other hand, since Sccrndra Dass was
at tho pains TO spy upon them, 1t was
highly probable he knew English, and II ho
knew English IL was certain tho whole Of
their design was Ia the masters knowledge
There was one singularity in the position. II
Secundra Dass knew and concealed his hnowl
edge Of English Harris was proficient in
several OF the tongues nf India, aud as his
,,roat de.i ynrse tbon nrotljrnte Le had not
,bcrclt ,,ouor ~ ren,arl mon the rirci,m.
s,a,co r.cb ia, md thus n spy hole ON
,bo cn,,usnls of tho otbor The nlgtters *,
econ os this ADVANTAGE was explaincd. r.,
,urred 10 caun Harris. hearing the Hin.
dncstanoo yoa orro more cIosetel with his
,o,stc, c,,,t Ia The side Of th, tent mud the
80, sii,in,' ,bcn, the ,lra with ,hcir ,obocco
awaited his rennrt with imt,tlence When
10 c,,,,o a., ,,s, Ma f,ca ,crs ,ery black. ue
had n,,rbsord ono,,r,h IA confirm tho vors,
uf his suspicions 5ecuncrn Das, ,yas n co.,
English scholar: he had been some days
creeping and listening, the master was now
fully informed OF the conspiracy. and the
pair proposed on the morrow TO fall out of
line at a carving place aud plunge Mt ven.
ture in the woods.
What. then. was 10 be donef Some we're
for killing the master on the spot; but Harris
assured them that would be a crime without
profit, since the secret of tho treasure must
die along with him that buried IL. Others
were for desistiug at once from the whole en-.
teruris. aud making for New York: but the
nppetizing name of treasure, and the thought
of tho long way they bad already Travelled
disstiaded the ma iority imagine they were
dull fellows for the most pnrt Harris. in
deed had some ncuuiroments, Mountain was
no fool uastie ,yns mn educated man: but
even these had manifestly failed In life, and
the rest were the dreps of colonial rnscnlity
The conclusion they reached. at least. was
more the offspring of greed and hope than
reason. IL was TO temporize. TO be wary and
watch the master. To be silent and supply no
further ni,ment TO his s,lspicions. and To dc
pend entirely las well as | make outl on the
chance that their victim was as greedy. hone
,4esd irrational as themselves, ,Ild might,
nfter all, betray his life and treasure.
Twice, in the course of the next day. Sc
cundrn aud the master must bavo appeared
To themselves TO have escaped and twice they
wero circumvented. The master, save that
the second time he grew little pale, dis
played no sirn of disoppoiutmcnt apoIori2ed
for the stupidity with which he had fallen
inside, thanked his recaptnrcrs as for a ser.
tt.
usunl galluntry and cheerfulness of mien ant
bearing. But il Is certain he had smollcd
rat; for from thonceforib he aud Secundrt
spoke only In each others ear, and Harrit
listened and shivered by the tent in vain
The same night il was announced they wer,
TO leave the boats and proceed by foot; cir
cunstauce which greatly lessened the chances
OF escape
And now there began between the tw,
sides "A silent contest, for life on the ono hand
| for riches on the other They were now nea
! that quarter of the desert in which the maste
! himself must begin to play tho part of guide
| aud using this for a pretext Of prosecution
f, Harris aud his men sat with him every nigh
about the fire, and luborcl to entrap him int,
some admission. II he let slip his secret, h,
knew well it was the warrant for his death
on the other hand, be burst not refuse thei
questions, aud must appear to help them :,
tAe-best of his capacity, or he pryrrticall,
assr,s ,,,o ,ho ,nan,, br,,. wac no,a, ,'tsaa
| Inanod Mn,,n,ai, ,nnros.oI - n,, ,i,I,
,,a,,tJ CO.,, 80 a;shaiia,,,d ,,,o =;
81 s,,,,,,,,soI tt,s;, i,i"tt,
stiIi .,,;," ,'r,. uo,, Is';,' w.. :. a.
~ go ,a, ~. rr,,t;,,,nd a,'',,.,s,'',, -,
Wv i, I,'' ~ ,Ii y. M ~
ou.iS " e,,u ,ai1 a,, " iueI,'s' anu ",
| go. 90 a.a. ~ 90, y,
hra,,ht ,hi,as - 80 ,,,' y, ~, 80
h,s a. eI,o,a ~ ,. ,t,i, -, ~
| worn out, civility was scarce pretended, an,
| Tor one very significant circumstance tn
master ana ScCuhura hal been ION some pre-