Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-03-01

impulse. full of mistakes, but of a
warm heart below all, and l offer you
tie dagger back in token of my trust
in yo@," with which he sat himself
down IN his seat and ostentatiously
played with Montgomery's revolver for
the rest Of the Interview.
Come. come That is we'll said and
we'll ended" said the captain genially,
L he was evidently very much re-
ieved at the conclusion Of this scene.
And now. Mr.. Greatorex. and to show
that it is not both sides that are so
unnecessarily suspicious. if YOU will be
so good as to take this paper from mt
will trust You to read out the whole
document"
This proposal. coming on the top OF
what had happened between us. as,
founded us all, as you may suppose.
But Sercomhe was rarely at 4 loss for
some amazing movement. and he knew
we'll enough that he was perfectly
safe with ne. whereas he was also
aware thar ! knew l was absolutely
unsafe with him. Therefore he SSunl
ed q golden air of courtesy and lofty
faith, as between gentlemen. RuJ these
rehectonS are not 10 the point. for
there was l. with the two parts of the
precious document III my hands and
-four pairs of bright eyes burning upon
my face with their eager Interrogation.
You may conjecture my emotions and
the way my pulse ran. / spread the
paper l mad received from Sercombe
upon he other. smooIhed it with the
back Of q knife and, forthwith deci-
phering the following composition. read
1t slowly aloud TO the company:
Il. Sir Ralph VIVIAN. being now in
my 1hirtieth ear and upon the eve of
exile through the malicious treachery
Of friends. this 10th day Of April. in the
year of our Lord 1916. do hereby, as
follows hereunder. give and proclaim
TO all or any of my descendants. law
fully begotten. or their heirs, the en-
suing information. 1t being in the
twentieth year of the reign of our be-
loved sovereign bis gracious majesty
and in the fifth of the lamentable and
abominahle strife with the disloyal
houses. l was besieged in Ivor castle
by II Colonel Morgan. attached to
the army OF the houses and more par
ncularly to the notorious traitor Sir
Thomas Fairfax. I held this castle for
the king for three days and three
nights. but upon the fourth day. this
said 18th day of April. through the &c
cursed act OF traitors. the enemy hath
gained entrance by the towers and
even now is pressing upon the ga.ri-
son. And thus I set down these seE-
eral facts here upon the instant of tie
hnal e~ssay-to Wit. that !. beng tic
custodian OF divers case Of tr2. 80.
gold pieces. jewels and the like. des-
tined for his maiestv's uses. having
taken counsel with MY steward and
ID! friend Sir John Chimes, have con-
cealeG this great treasure III a pGivy
place within the castle precincts ami
do hereby deposit this said writing also
in a secret hiding place. And to whom
soever of lny descendants or their law
ful heirs this shall fall. in the event Of
my death or exile. l charge them to de-
liver the same unto his gracious maj
esty King Charles Or unto his heirs. the
sovereign kings of this realm. as a duti-
full subject. being held in trust 70: that
purpose.
"And here is how We shall find the
treasure: If We will descend by the
stairway in the guard room, within the
northern tower We will find & gallery
among the donions of the basement.
Keep upon this. feeling upon the walls.
until ye shall touch the corner where
the castle turnetL to the south
Now l paused for q moment. for here
the document which Sercombe had Civ
en- me was ended. I cast a glance at
the others as l laid it aside and took
up the other portion. Sercomhe's face
was appalling in its marks of greed.
The vulture shone from Hoods eyes.
/ resumed:
Turning this corner. it is necessary
to proceed .lpon the western side Of the
castle for the space Of thirty footsteps.
and at the close thereof to pause and
survey the walls. If We will then de
termine q height of five feet from the
footway. there will be h%ereupon dis
closed a small knobbe, the which re-
Volvlng Will give access to a large cup
board within the wall. Observe dill
gently upon the back Of the cupboard
and where the oaken lining adjoins the
stone. Here will be a spring, the
which pushing, a doorway shall open
behind the cupboard, and We shall find
entrance to an interior vault. A flight
Of stairway leadeth'-
At this point, as you will remember,
the document grew illegible and moth
ing but the blur Of faint characters
was disccrnible. But we had all that
was necessary in that explicit nara
tive Of the dead Cavalier, and in proof
of this up jumped the captain, his
green eyes shining with emotion, and
you will give me a copy Of that,
SIR" he asked sharply.
l nodded.
you are welcome" 1 said. IF YOU
will write 1 will dictate" And forth
with, pen and paper being fetched, we
proceeded upon the odd task. When
we had finished he gave a look at