Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-04-06

was "A room fifty feet wide, hewn out of
the solid rock. Iklapel held the light aloft,
and Eric saw that the floor was covered
with heaps of gold ingots, statues and
images, vases, bowls and rude orna-
ments. strange in form and of inesti-
mable value, piled together in rich con-
fusion.
, Some of the statues were of life size,
beautifully modelled, and there were
lnysteriously shaped objects of ancient
ceremonial use; chairs, or rather stools,
tables, tripods, urns, platters, cups, bra
Tiers. censers, chains, suns, moons, stars,
flower work. aImlets and anklets, all Of
solid. heavy material and skillful work
,manshlp.
Along the side of the chamber were
ranged three rows of urns filled with
gold dust, "a kingly store of itself, that
leoualed the widest fantasy of the Ara
bian story teller and made Eric almost
fear that he was dreaming. Among all
these treasures Iklapel picked his way,
and Gilbert followed him until the old
man paused before heap of silver bars
and lifting several passed them to him,
saying:
"Six of these are all that you require.
They are worth a thousand taos and
more, but we need not be particular.
1t is wears since these things were
touched. We do not have as much
/ need of them as we once had, it seems"
How long have these treasures been
accommodating" inquired Eric.
"Many thousands of years. In the
ancient times we had twenty temples,
and these statues adorned them; the
utensils and furniture were used in
them, and the people yearly brought
new and rare gifts; but as our race de-
clined they We're gathered here, and here
they have remained"
But are they safe here, with no
guard:'
Very safe indeed, for no one knows
except ourselves of their existence or of
this chamber. OF course our people
know OF the maze of underground pas
sages, but they fear to penetrate them,
and the passage leading to this room is
we'll concealed, as you observed. But
we will return with our burden before
it grows late" And the aged priest
moved up the dark way with the light,
while Gilbert carried the silver ingots.
1t was no mean load; they weighed
many pounds, and his arms ached when
they reached the sacred chamber and
climbed up into daylight.
That night Eric went with kulcan tC
Chalpa's dwelling for the first and only
time, taking the silver with him. They
arrived late, and us they entered heart
loud and boisterous voices in eager
, iclamor. There were four half drunken
priests squatting around the tablet o.
stone eagerly watching the fitting of the
,dicebox. Their uproar drowned an,
noise that kulcan and Gilbert's entrance
had made, and Chalpa, with his hark tn
ward the door, did not perceive them a
he sat waiting for the bets to be made,
sneering smile upon his face and hi
hand over the end of the box. He start
ed as Kulcan seated himself at his side
saying:
"Chalpa, have come with the thou
sand taos to once more, and for the las
= time, test my luck and yours. Remem
J Der the agreement-all my losings ant
l my sister against thousand taos"
Chalpa turned pale, stole a scare,
glance at Eric and faltered He foun,
9 himself in difficult position. He feare,
= Eric most nightly and felt that hi
Y methods We're suspected If not know
e to him; but he dared not hesitate, and Il
a moment he had resolved to allow kul
+. can to regain his wealth, or seem to a
Nv, l,n n
I had lost it. He smiled and said, wit
4 well assumed heartiness:
q 1T is we'll my Kulcan. / wished t
q give you an opportunity to recover,
i possible, what you had lost. 1t is fai
bargain"
j Then | wcger you now ON the od
l. dice five hundred taos against my sit
n teri" cried Kulcan, placing three lngot
@ on the tablet. A couple of other player
= laid wagers also upon the odd side, an
@ Chalpa tilted the box.
One glance showed that kulcan ha
won. Chalpas face was serene, how
ever, as he replaced the dice, aud tn
young priest again wagered tive hundre
taos against his lost property, lie title
the box and shot the dice out upon tn
tablet once more, and Kulcan won again
He had freed his sister and regained hi
estates, and now for revenge! With
look full of meaning into Chalpa's CRUZ
eyes, he cried:
"Once more, five hundred against fly
hundred taos on the even numbers
Chalpa did not dare refuse nor did h
dare cheat, yet five hundred taos was IA
immense sum for him, successful thong
he had been in his operations. He fe
Gilbert's keen searching gaze upon hin
and he feared to look up. His nervou
fingers shook the box, and the dice ia
tied.
Come" cried Kulcan. "You do NJ
fear the test now. You have taken tn
same wager before from met"
Il fear nothing the gambler al
Swered IL take the bet"
The other players also placed sinall'
sums upon the bosrd upon the evFn sid
and the trickster tipped the box I'll
eleven clay cubes rolled across the stor
with clinkine rattle, and the eager eye