Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-01-13

~
! Of 100000 francsT'
( You have stated the case correc.,,.
/ stood thinking for few uisr...
what could do. had no funds z
y Italy. The interest on my mone~ Z
vested in America was sent me 49,
terry. / bad spent nearly all m 81
funds of the present quarter ana /.
I would be two months before race,,.s
another remittance. I explained -
TO the bandit. but IT did not anna, !.
make much impression upon aim
II have never seen an Italian ~.
/ dit" / said. but you don't fulhu -
idea Of one. You look like rent,.
| man."
/ thought 1 could see him wtnce
''You are gentleman" continnss
who has met with misfortune.-
lyon are right, signor"
May l ask the cause of your bes,.
what you are?''
Games OF hazard. was iptenS;,.
to follow line something Ike th.,
you are engaged in. but not only -.
my patrimony; lost money for otbsr,
/ became an outcast"
There was a tinge of sadness IN A.
tone as he spoke this which induceS
me to proceed:
How would you like to return for
brief season to your original or your
intended occupation? / beiie7e thar
am on the track of buried villa that
formerly contained valuable works az
art I would be happy to have ron
join me-"
His eye lighted up. The Italian.
whatever he is. is artistic In his tastes
and in this man was added the feryor
Of an archaeologist. / saw that be-
would love to take a breathing speu
from robbery In a work he loved.
Whose villa are you hunting forY
he asked.
"MaDlius Quintus Piso's."
What data have you"
gave him the two authors who had
written descriptions of the villa.
There is another reference" h
said. II came upon it when was BE-
ginning the study of archaeology"
He remembered the description gires
by an author with whom was not d.
miliar and repea ted it to me verbatim
in the Latin vernacular. I saw at ouce
that with the two had 1t would bring
me much nearer the exact spot for
which I was looking.
Come" j said, turning my back to
him, take these weapons from my belt
and do what you like with them. Then
join me. We are very near the loca.
ton of the Piso villa, but not quite.
We must go southwark about 800
yards"
He astounded me by telling me 10
keep my weapons and. unlocking bis
rife. Sung it on his back. Then we
started out TO pace the 300 yards. nor.
ing at an angle with each other Of
about twenty five degrees. After pac
ing the distance each began to dig
We found nothing but dirt where We
began, but we made together soma
fifty holes in an area of about thou
sand feet in circumference. About sun
set | heard my companion call to me
I went to him and found that he had
come upon q pavement He had been
digging in a depression and had gone
down about four feet from the surface
Fortunately the moon rose before the
sun set, and. anxious to go as far as
possible with our work before attract
ing attention. we began to throw up
dirt in earnest 1t was soon evident
from the marble pavement we uncov- \
cred that we had struck something tine
and had not gone far before we came
to what proved to be the impluvium
(basin), which was in the center OF al
antique Roman houses. But at The
time we exhumed only a small portion
of it, BY midnight we had come upon +
several statues. but they were broken
in small bits. We worked on, and pI
dawn | struck pair of marble feet
Carefully removing the earth from
about a statue lying fat on the ground
| came upon culver and bow. The
drapery was feminine. 1 hurried on
hoping that had struck the Diana 9.
which / had read. My hopes were con
frmed on reaching the head. where
above the forehead we FOUND the star
which always accompanied representa-
tons of this divinity.
That was as far as we deemed
prudent to go. believed that the ds
covery we had made would greatly In
terest the government. TO which pro
posed to turn 1t over After receivins
about my companion thaI
would enable me to find him | hurried
to Rome and to the Office Of the of1cls.
charged with excavations. he listeneo
TO my story with wonder and deilssl
ind when had finished asked de
what I would expect for my ind
told him of the bandit by WHOM
had been aided. and If the government
would pardon him and give him soe's
position that would enable MIN "
make an honest living would fee' 70
,aid for my discovery.
There is nothing more to tell exeep,
hat the statue we unearthed proves
splendid work of art and was veg
title damaged 1t was removed y
he new gallery on the Esquiliae als
opened by the government The osp
lit received his pardon and enp'oy
nent In the archaeological deparsmf"
+ the government