Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-09-03

some distance off, where a winding pas.
sage leads to great empty hall, the
brick walls of which were all crumblinp
70 pieces. The earth floor had sunk in
at one place, making natural grave,
so we left Achmet the merchant there,
having first covered h,m over with
loose bricks. This done, we all went
back to the treasure.
ut lay where he had dropped it when
he was first attacked. The box was
the same which now lies open upon
your table. A key was hung bv a
silkeo cord to that carved handle upon
the top We opened it, and the light
OF the lantern CLEANED upon collec-
ton of gems such as l have read of and
thought about when / was a little lad
at Pershore. 1t was binding to look
upon them. When we had Toasted orr
ayes we took them all out and made a
list OF them. There We're one hundred
and forty-three diamonds of the first
water, including one which has been
called, / believe, the Great Mogul,'
and is sad to be the second largest
stone in existence. Then there were
ninety-seven very fine emeralds, and
one hundred and seventy rubies, some
OF which, however, were small. There
were forty carbuncles, two hundred
andten sapphires, sixty-one agates and
Q greatquantity of beryls, onyxes. cats
eyes turquoises and other stones, the
very names of which | did not know at
the time. though | have become more
familiar with them since Besides
this, there were nearly three hundred
very fine pearls, twelve of which were
set in gold coronet. BY the wav,
these last had been taken out of the
chest and were not there when re-
covered it.
after we had counted our treasures
we put them back into the chess and
carried them to the gateway to show
them to Mahomet Singh Then we
solemnly renewed our oath TO stand bv
each other and be true TO our secret.
We agreed to conceal our loot in a
safe place until the country should be
at peace again, and then to divide it
equally among ourselves There was
no use dividing it at present, for if
gems of such value were found upon
us 1t would cause suspicion. and there
was no privacy in the fort nor any
place where we could keep them We
carried the box, therefore, into the
same hall where we had buried the
body, and there, under certain bricks
In the best-preserved wall, we made a
hollow and put our treasure. We made
careful note of the place, and next day
drew four plans, one for each of us,
and put the sign of the four of us at
the bottom, for we had sworn that we
should each always act for all, so that
none might take advantage. That is
an oath that can put my hand to my
heart and swear that have never
broken.
We'll, there's no use my telling you,
gentlemen, what came of the Indian
mutiny. After Wilson took Delhi and
Sir Colvin relieved Lucknow the back
OF the business was broken. Fresh
troops came pouring in, and Mana
Sahib made himself scarce over the
frontier. flying column under Col.
Greathead came round TO Agra and
cleared the Pandies away from il.
Peace seemed to be settling upon the
country, and we four were beginning
TO hope that the tune was at hand
when we might safely go off with our
shares of the plumber. In moment,
however, our hopes were shattered by
our being arrested as the murderers of
Achmet.
at came about in this way: When
the raiah put his Jewels into the hands
OF Achmet he did it because he knew
that he was trusty man. They are
suspicious folk in the east, however; SO
what does this rajah do but take a sec
ond even more trusty servant and set
him to play the spy upon the first?
This second man was ordered never to
let Achmet out of his sight, and he fol-
lowed him like his shadow He went
after him that night, and saw him pass
through the doorway OF course he
thought he had taken refuge in the
fort, and applied for admission there
himself next day, but could find
no trace of Achmet. This seemed
TO him so strange that he spoke
about it to a sergeant of guides.
who brought it to the ears of
the commandment. thorough search
was quickly made, and the BODY was
discovered. Thus at the very moment
that we thought that all was safe we
were all four seized and brought to
trial on charge of murder-.hree of
US because we had held the gate that
night, and the fourth because he was
known to have been in company of the
murdered man, Not word about the
jewels came out at the trial. for the
raJah had been deposed aud driven out
OF INDIA; so no one had any particular
interest IN them. The murder, how
ever, was clearly made out, and it was
certain that we must all have been
concerned in it, The thee Sikhs cot
penal servitude for life, and / was con
demned to death, though my sentence
was afterward committed into the
same as the others.
II was rather a queer position that
we found ourselves in then. There
we were, all four tied by the Jog and
@th precious little chance of >er get
ting out again, while we each held a
secret which might have put each of ms
In palace if we could only have made
use OF It, 1t WAS enough TO make a
man eat his heart out to have to stand
the Kick and the cnff 90 a,-,,.,. 49,.