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

4 The flags were laid, not close to.
gethers but at intervals Of abont a
couple of inches apart, the inter.
stices between being filed up flush
with dust.
In sweeping aside the rubbish I
had taken notice Of long. rusty
iron spike. like ten-penny nail.
picked it up, and STOPPING down.
ran IL along the chinks betwixt the
tagging of the floor.
Out spurted a quantity of dirt,
scattering itself right and left, and
could believe my eyes s.-among
the grains of dnst thcre rolled forth
a number of pearls
About twenty, l think there were.
None Of them were very large or of
great value, but there could be no
shadow of doubt that they were
genuine gems, and il the floor of
the temple was going to disgorge
jewels in this fashion there might
be many magnificent prizes among
them.
put the pearls had gathered
up carefully in my coat pocket,
stepped back again into the bagh
and beckoned to Meer Alec.
Il have good news to tell you,"
said l. subduing my voice, though
excitement was now working deep
in me; Il have discovered where the
real treasure of the Ram Bagh lies
1T is beneath the floor of the
temple. Lock what I have Just
found among the fiagstones there
and, drawing out hand ful Of pearls,
exposed them to his view.
We found that the tiles, which
were about two feet square, needed
little effort to raise them; il they
had ever been cemented the stuff
had crumbled away long ago.
Almost the very first blow of the
shovels into the yielding ground
gave back sharp metallic cllnk.
They began gingerly scraping
away the soil, and presently un-
covered what proved to be most
beautiful model of a pased. in pure
gold, as | afterward found, of Chi
nese workmanship.
We were three days in lifting all
the tiles and searching the soil un-
derneath. One evening, while we
were still working in the garden,
my friend, the commissioner, drove
over after dinner to visit me at nv
bungalow. lie presently said {:
Have you got any treasure yet
from that dirty old spot p
answered yes, we have found
several curious things; / will show
you some of them.'
And then L produced one of the
little golden images and about
dozen coins. | set these upon the
table before him.
Il think, on reflection said he,
stroking his mustache, that / may
perhaps have exceeded the power
vested in me by giving you permis-
sion to search for treasure and keep
all you found in the Ram Bagh.
As crown agent. you will easily un-
derstand that it Is a point Of honor
with me tn look after the crown
property
Now, see here, exclaimed. Il
will tell you what / have done.
You gave me perm Ission to search
the Ram-Bagh Cor treasure and to
keep what found. On the strength
OF this, / set to work, hired labor,
and had the pestilential old place
cleared out. That in itself was a
distinct service.
Now, l will not turn another sod
myself, for | am quite satisfied with
what ! have already got. The place
3 imply teams with buried treasure.
The natives will 20 to work at sun
rise tomorrow morning, as usual, |
but i shall not be there. Meer |
Alec will attend, and tell them they
may dig for another master. Do
you understand me
He sprang toward me and grssped
my hand. 'Yon have given iae a
fortune, cried he.
And the government said !,
drily.
is always pleased to have " aste
lands cleared away and rendere 4 fit
for cultivation he answered, ,xitb
a slow smile.
i contrived to get somethin q re
sembling fair price for my salua-
bic property from the haQclinp Rrab-