Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-08-31

Ul'nlb'I vi tH' purity. lll' nan N'N'i
chucklc of willow grouse was heard.
The shrill cries of the owls answered
each other from thckct to thicket.
Here and there huge patches Of win
ter drift lay white between the bowl
ders and were religiously skirted by
the party. who desired TO leave no
trail. once or twice lean black shapes
swerved shadowlikc across their path,
only the CLEAN of pair of savage
eyes proclamng that a VOLTS lair had
been invaded. so ghostlike did they fit
from one dark recess of the under
growth to another. Out of the pine
trees the SEASONAL gurgle Of a night
jar came startlingly.
An hours toll among the branches
and powders and the tinSle of run
ming water broke upon their ears. At
q gesture from their guide they turned
to the right and debouched upon the
bank of a rivulct, little brook that
leaped and FLASHED from pool to pool,
having great rocks that stemmed its
course among shadows a bare foot
deep. Only the worn and smooth
course of the rocky channel showed
to what heights it rose in winter or
autumn spate.
The guide looked eagerly from right
to left. Then stealthily he crcpt for
ward and laid his hand upon a bowl
der face. He shook his head as he
passed his palm over the smooth sur
face and stepped on to another. Some
half dozen times did he finger the
mighty stones that ridged across the
stream without result. At the seventh
or eighth attempt an exclamation
broke from him. Turning. he beckon
ed to the colonel, who crcpt noiselcssly
to his side. Catching his masters
hand, Pladia placed it beside his own.
The colonel felt a rough cross craven
In the stone.
"Nfy own mark. one of noble BIRTH
exclaimed the Finn, with suppressed
excitement. Between these stones |
saw the cup and scepter rise. Beneath
our feet lies the treasure"
In low voiced tones Desmond and
Preobeslas consulted, and their pur-
pose took shape as follows:
Centrally down the channel Of the
water course they threw up ridge Of
sand and stone, running it parallel
with the banks and not striving as yet
to divert the streamlets course. Some
three or four yards above whore they
believed the treasure to lie they began
their embankmcnt. stcmming the cur
rent with huge bowldcr. Working
down from this, they dug sand ana
silt with vigorous spade strokes, and
soon ridge about three feet high be-
gan to stand up in mdStream.
While the sailors continued to pile
up and strengthen this embankment
Desmond and the colonel proceeded to
hurl stones and Jumps between the
head of the new made mound and the
shore Joining the two slantingly. and
gradually DETECTING the water into the
narrowed channel. down which it
coursed deeper and swlfter in its
straitened bounds.
AS the last of the pools drained
away and left the sandy intervals dry
they left this work and took their
stand before the rock first indicated
by the Finn.
With spade and mattock they flung
themselves upon the river bed and
hurled aside the sand with eager haste
For ten minutes they toilcd unreward
ed. Then the colonel resigned his spade
to Pladia. Desmond. in better train
ing and with the determination OF
youth. stuck to his task. The othel
six continued to buttress the hulwarl
of sand between these workers and thu
stream outside.
Suddenly there was chink Pladj
flung down his spade and seized I'll
object against which it had strucl
He held it up in the wavering moor
light. and in n tricc all nine had gatl
erred about him. pccring with Strainn
eyes at what he held. 1t was hug
disk Of metal--that much could be a
cprtaincd in the dimncss of the owe
hanging boughs-but it was not till
sudden parting of the clouds ser
! down shaft of silver light betweo
the pines that the nature of the thin
was accurately seen. \ broad salv,
of virgin gold was poised in the Finn
hands, richly embossed and cha So
" The figures were slightly dullrd an
q worn by the action of the damp cart
:, but they shonc with IA luster no oth'
u metal could match. 1t was unmista
NJ, able in it's soft sheen.
=. Here was. no doubt, the trophy
, some raid of long ago. when the fier'
, LappS and Films carried sword al
u fire into many IA soft southern lagoo