The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-07-11

There's no doubt about it," said AL
lardyce, picking up the screwdriver and
setting his jaw like man who needs to
brace his courage III drive the lock
back if you'll both stand by. If he rises
let him have it on the head with your
hammer carpenter. Shoot at once, sir,
if he raises his hand Nowp'
He had knelt down in front of the
striped chest and passed the blade of
the tool under the lid. With sharp
snick the lock flew back. Stand by"
yelled the mate, and with heave he
threw open the massive top of the box
AS it swung up we all three sprang back,
| with my pistol leveled, and the carpen-
ter with the hammer above his head.
Then, as nothing happened, we each took
a step forward and peeped in. The box
was empty.
Not quite empty, either, for in one cor
ner was lying an old yellow candlestick,
deliberately engraved, which appeared
to be as old as the box itself. It's rich
yellow tone and artistic shape suggested
, that it was an object of value For the
rest there was nothing more weighty
or valua BILE than dust in the old striped
treasure chest.
| '.Wen. I'm blessed cried Allardyce,
staring blankly into it. where does the
weight come in, then?'
| Look at the thickness of the sides
and look at the lid. Why it's five inches
through And see that great metal
spring across it."
That's for holding the lid up" said
the mate You see it will only stand
straight. 1t won't lean back. What's
that German printing on the inside?"
1T means that it was made by Johann
! Rothstein, of Augsburg, in 1867
| "And solid bit of work, too. But it
doesn't throw much light on what has
passed, does it Capt Barclay? That CAIN
dlestick looks like gold. We shall have
something for our trouble after ALL
| He leaned forward to grasp it, and
from that moment l have never doubted
as to the reality of inspiration, for ON
! the instant l caught him by the collar
and pulled him straight again. 1t may
have been some story of the middle
ages which had come back to my mind,
or it may have been that my eye caught
some red which vas not that of rust
upon the upper part of the lock, but to
him and to me it will always seem an
| inspiration, so prompt and sudden was
my action.
There's deviltry here" said l. ''Give
me the crooked stick from the corner"
1T was an ordinary walking cane with
hooked top l passed it over the cam
dlestick and gave it pull. With
flash a row of polished steel fangs shot
out from below the upper lip, and the
great striped chest snapped at us like
wild animal. Clang came the huge
lid into its place, and the glasses on the
swinging rack sang and tinkled with
the shock. The mate sat down on the
edge of the table, and shivered like a
frightened horse. you've saved my life,
Capt. Barclay" said he.
SO this was the secret of the striped
treasure chest of old Don Ramirez di
Leyra, and this was how he preserved
his ill-gotten gains from the Terra Fir
ma and the province of Verapuas. Be
the thief ever so cunning, he could not tell
that golden candlestick from the other
articles of value end the instant that he
| laid hand upon it, the terrible spring was
Embossed and the murderous steel spikes
We're driven into his brain while the shock
of the blow sent the victim backward and
enabled the chest to automatically close
itself How many, 1 wondered, had fall
chanic of Augsburg. And as | thought
of the possible history of that grim striped
chest. my resolution was very quickly
taken.
! Carpenter bring three men and carry
this on deck"
Going to throw it overheard, sir?"
Yes, Mr.. Allardyce. I'm not super
stitious as a rule, but there are some
things which are more than a sailor can
be called upon to stand
mo wonder that brig made heavy wea-
Their, Capt Barclay, with such a thing
on board. The glass is dropping fast,
sir, and we are only just in time"
SO we did not even wait for the three
sailors, but we carried it out, the mate,
the carpenter and /, and we pushed it
with our own hands over the bulwarks
There was a white spout of water, and
it was gone. There it lies, the striped
chest, q thousand fathoms deep, and it,
as some say, the sea will some day be
dry land, | grieve for the man who finds
that old box and tries to penetrate into
its secret.