Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1905-11-11
CHAPTER XIV.

4 ISll 9lucule HI tlkHts bclOlc lht
morning freshness was quite gone from
the air, and followed the road which
leads to Widdicombe After Heytree,
the road runs for the best part of a mile
over the open down where Mr.. Leighan
met his accident.
l soon had the whole Of the great fat
ridge to myself as | left Kings Tor and
walked briskiy southwark. Half way
along this upland plain there stands an
upright stone of gray granite, six feet
high. Beside it lies a small fiat stone;
1t is called the Gray Wether. Who put
1t up, and why it was put up, not the
Oldest inhabitant can tell.
What happened was this. Between
the upright stone and the fiat stone the
edges of the latter being irregular, there
is, at a certain place, an aperture or re-
cess.
l carried with me a stick, on which
was leaning Now, by this kind Of
chance which we call accident, in chang
ing my position | stuck the point of the
stick into the aperture-a thing of which
one would have been hardly conscious
but for an unmistakable clicking which
followed, as of coins, The opening,
found. was too small for mans hand.
The fat stone was immovable. Perhaps
with the stick l could at least feel the
coins? Yes, made them rattle.
Now, when | took out the stick again
a bit of yellow leather showed for mo-
ment just hooked up by the ferule as
far as the light penetrated. The sight
of the leather inspired me with a faint
hope | reversed the stick and fshed
with the handle, to such good purpose
that in very few moments l had the
leather thong in my fingers and hauled
1t out.
The thong tied up the mouth of Il
small brown canvas bag. The bag was
a modern bank bag, and it's treasure was
a collection of twenty coins.
Twenty sovereigns in a bag a modern
brown canvas bag. Who could have
climbed up Hamil Down in order to hide
twenty pounds in little hole like this
| put the gold into the bag, tied it up
again, and put it into my own pocket.
Then | walked on, meditating.
While / was thinking. a figure, which
| began dimly to perceive through the
nebulous veil of thought, was working
his way slowly down the hillside opposite
by nearly the same way as | had my
self picked among the powders. He
came plodding along with the heavy step
and rolling shoulders of one who walks
much over ploughed fields and heavy
land
He stopped finally Then he looked
around him quickly. as If to assure him
self that no one was present to observe
him; | wonder he did not see me. Then
he stopped down, reached within some
cavity and drew out something.
1t was in a big blue bag | could
plainly see that the blue bag, like my
canvas bag, was weather-stained. He
laid the bag upon stone, and proceeded
to draw out its contents, consisting of
a single box. 1t was a box about two
feet long and eighteen inches wide, and
two or three inches deep. 1t was tin
box. What had David got in his box,
for the man was David | might have
walked down the Hill and asked him that
question, but one was naturally some
what ashamed to confess to looking on al
what was intended for a profound Sc
cret
David was so anxious to keep the Sc
cret that he actually took off his jacket,
wrapped it round the bag, and tied it Sc
curely with string. Then, without look
@HS otNNh A'iAAi any Alolts ne luIutu ana
walked back slowly and deliberately as
he had come, carrying the treasure under
his arm. AS soon as his figure had sur.
mounted the brow of the hill and had dis
appeared, | got up and sought the hiding
place. 1t really was place into which
nobody would think of looking for any
thing. The top stone sloped downwart
over the mouth, so as almost to hide il
In ole %
one would have dreamed Of finding o.
of looking for anything. David's hdin,
place was we'll chosen
Then | followed, walking slowly. :,
that l might not catch him up on hi
way home with his tin box full of auee
things from the Southern Seas, l sup
posed.
In the evening told George all tina
had happened, and produced the brow
canvas bag George took the bag. locke
at it, opened it, poured out the gold
counted II, held il in his hand and weigh
ed It; looked at it again, put it into tn
bag, and laid the bag on the table.
1T is weather-stained, old man" h
said, "and smells of the mold. l Shout
think 1t had been there some time" II
took it up again and turned it rounC
A@oOhs uc Hdlus mere are initials. the
are nearly faded. but they are certainl
initials. l make out an A-no. b. ,
is ii a D?-and an L. Certainly an 7
b. l.. or d. L., which Is it?'
Looks TO me" l said, turning the ha
about in the light. "looks like B. A: br
t may be d. L."
WILL" he cried, 81 believe you hay
really found something important. 81
years ago, when Daniel Leighan fell O
his pony, he always declared that he lo
twenty pounds In gold. 1t was tied u
he always says, In a canvas bag TIL
must be his bag and these must be b
initials. I am quite sure of It,"
Very odd, IL 1t is so. Why should
man steal a bag of money only to pi
t-money and all-into a hole and the
90 away and leave itr'
well, take 1t that the thief put Il
bag there meaning to return for It, b
forgot where he put It,"
you can't forget the Gray Weth
Stone, George. There Is only one Ora
Wether Stone on Hamil Down, and wi
~ II d.