Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1897-04-29

F1AN SUi0- ASF6 ~ ID. Next,
went to the commissioner and OBJ
tanned from him a written permis
sion to dig IN the RAM Bagh 70
treasure. His advice to me was (.
keep all ! found and say nothing
about IL (; therefore we shall knov
how to act in this respect.
Nov, Nicer Alec, as you hav.
behaved 30 handsomely toward me
III wish 70 treat yon equally well
We will go into partnership in tn.
undertaking; / will find all tn.
money requisite to hire labor {,
clear away the wild growth of the
place and dig up the ground, and
we will share equally of the
profits of whatever we find. Dc
you consent to this ?"
"Sure, the sahib is much toe
generous. replied he.
cit must be our business to keen
as quiet as we possibly can over the
matter. Once we let it get wind
that we are seeking for treasure
people will come flocking about us,
and it may end in the government
laying claim to whatever we dis
cover, since the land is crown prop
erty. Where are we to get, saw,
half a dozen good, trusty fellows,
who may be relied upon to keep
their own counsel 90
IF the sahib will leave it to me.
l will undertake by tomorrow to
find six such men, who will eat
of my chupattees and swear to se-
crecy.'
Directly after breakfaat / set out
for the m-Begh, clad in a suit of
kharkee and knee boots, useful
costume in hot climate.
In due course the half-dozen ma
tives my servant had hired arrived.
They were stout-likely-looking fell
lows, and came well-armed with
shovels and pickaxes.
We set 20 work in real earnest,
and by the hour of noon, when |
called halt to rest, the coolies had
cleared away broad space of land
extending the whole width of the
bagh. The number of snakes,
chiefly cobras, which lay hidden in
the tall grass was incredible.
The shape of the Ram -Bagh was
nearly square, and my idea was to
start by digging trench about four
feet deep close mp against the wall
whence we began cutting down the
growth and work our way from this,
turning up the soil till we had COW
cred the whole length of the gar
den.
Nicer Alec, who was himself the
most enthusiastic among the work
ers, turned the coolies to work afresh
after short interval and they labor
ed on with but little pause until
All was now in readi-
ness to begin digging, and | am
free to confess it was with no small.
degree of anticipation that, on the
following morning, i set the natives
to work upon the trench l have al
ready spoken Of.
The coolies toiled on for several
hours without lighting upon any
thing more than some fragments of
broken pottery; then we came to
our first find.
This was neither money nor jew
slry, but an elephant. The ami
NAL lay upon its side about-a yard
below the surface, pressed as fat as
4 board and in a wonderfully good
state of preservation.
Our next discovery, made some
yards away from the spot where we
had come upon the elephant, was
IL more welcome character. 1t
consisted of a long-necked, brown
vase, of the size of a |
arge melon.
The neck of it was filled up with |
LAY, but on handling it the weight !
If the thing gave rs to know that
3 was full of some heavy substance. |
took pickax from one Of the. ma !
ives, and by cautiously dire cted |
,low shattered the vase; the riven |
flew asunder and out fell |
] mass of gold coins.
But during the rest of the morn
ng we discovered nothing more,
ave q large jadestone statue. of SOME
'ncient native god, which was 81,
lamaged that / left it.
A thought came into INV head /,
vhile the little gang were taking |
heir midday rest and eating their |
hsalies under the shadow of the