Evening star., 1911-08-20

ConaEaeo from page T

million dollars. nat must mean there
would be diamonds, many diamonds. |
would hold them in my hands; watch them.
at the sudden sunshine, blink their eyes and
burst into tiny burning fires. In imagination
| would replace them in the setting, from
which, years before, they had been stolen.
| would try to guess whence they came,-
from a jeweed chalice in some dim cathe-
dral, from the breast of a great lady, from
the hilt of an Admiral's sword.
After another hour | lifted my aching
shoulders and, wiping the sweat from my
eyes, looked over the edge of the hole.
Rupert, with his back to the sandhil, was
asleep. Edgar with one hand was waving
away the mosquitoes and in the other was
holding one of the magazines he had bought
on the way down. could even see the page
upon which his eyes were riveted. 1t was an
advertisement for breakfast food. In my
Indignation the spade slipped through my
cramped and persplrlng fingers, and as II
struck the bottom of the pit something-a
band of iron, a steel lock, an iron ring-gave
forth a muff1ed sound
MY heart stopped beating as suddenly as
~ though Corbett had hit it with his
closed fist Nv blood turned to melted ice.
| drove the spade down as tercely as though
it was dagger 1t sank into rotten wood.
| had made no sound for | could hardly
breathe But the slight noise Of the blow
had reached Edgar. heard the springs of
the hack creak as he vaulted from 1t, and the
next moment he was towering above me,
peering down into the pit His eyes were
wide with excitement, greed, and fear. In
his hands he clutched the two suitcases.
Like a lion defending his cubs he glared.
Get out!" he shouted.
Il will mott" said.
Get out!7 he roared. "I'll do the rest
That's mine, not yours! Get outl'
With a swift kick brushed away the sand
/ found | was standing on squat wooden
box, bound with bands of rusty iron. 1t was
SO rotten that | could have torn it apart with
my bare hands. Edgar was dancing on the
edge of the pit, incidentally kicking sand
into my mouth and nostrils.
"You promised to obey me!' he roared.
"You ASST / shouted. Haven't done
all the work? Don't GET
"You get QUIT. roared Edgar.
Slowly, disgustedly, with what dignity one
can display on crawling out Of sandpit,
scrambled to the top.
go over there, commanded Edgar, point
ing, @and sit down.
IN furious silence | seated myself beside
! Rupert He was still slumbering and
snoring happily. From where | sat | could
see nothing of what was going forward in the
pit, save once when the head of Edgar, his
eyes afame and his hair and eyeglasses sprin-
kled with sand, appeared above it. Appar
entity he was fearful lest had moved from
the spot where he had placed me. | had not;
but had he known my inmost feelings he
would have taken the AK into the pit with
him.
must have sat so for half an hour. The
breeze from the sea cooled the sweat on my
aching body; but it could not cool the rage
in my heart. If had had the courage of my
feelings, should have cracked Edgar over the
head with the spade, buried him in the pit.
bribed Rupert, and forever after lived hap
PLY on my i'll gotten gains. That was how
Kidd, or Morgan, or Blackboard would have
acted. | cursed the effete civilization that
had taught me to want many pleasures, but
had left me with a conscience that would not
let me take human life to obtain them, not
even Edgars life.
In half an hour a suitcase was lifted into
view, and dropped on the edge OF the pit 1t
was followed by the other, and then by
Edgar Without asking me to help him, be-
cause he probably knew | would not, he
placed the suitcases in the carriage.
"There is no use your asking any ques-
tions,' he announced, because | won't an
swer them"