Bisbee daily review., 1915-02-11
The Siege of The Seven SuitOrs
 By MEREDITH NICHOLSON Copyright, 1910, by Meredith Nicholson

We were lighting candles prepara- tory Co stepping down into the dark stairway, and Pepperton was plainly hard put to keep from laughing
 Miss Octavia followed Peppertou slowly. pausing frequently Co hold her candle close to the stair walls. whose rough surfaces confirmed an that Pep perton had said of the preservation of the old timbers had brought handful of candles. and when we had reached the dark rooms beneath lighted these and set them up in the black corners of the old rooms. in which, Miss Octavia remarked. not even the wall paper had been disturb ed. The exit into the coal cellar and concealed openings left for ventilation which had escaped me before. were now pointed out by the architect who kept laughing at the huge joke of itah
 Miss Octavia searched thoroughly for any signs of a tapdoor beneath which the bones of the British soldier might repose
 II ] bad foreseen her persistence in clinging to the tradition Of the ill fated Buton should have taken the trouble Co hide a few bones under the flooring Miss Octaviu had brought a stick from the coal room and was humping tbe floor with it even while pepperton tried to discourage her further inyestigu- tions We were an ranged about her with our candles. and these. with the others l had thrust into the corners, lighted the room we'll
 "Im afraid you've seen the whole of it Miss nolIister." said Pepperton "The old house was built after the Revolution. judge. but your British soldier was probably left hanging to a tree and never buried at all"
 Miss Ocavia had been over the floors Of thc two rooms twice and was about to desiSt She made her lust stand in the corner of the smaller room, and as we all stood holding our lights we were conscious that tine dull. monotouous thump suddenly changed its tone
 Do you hear that. gentlemeu?'
 She subdued her qualification in the rebuking glance she gave us Calm and unhurried. she rested moment on her stick. with the cdndles soft glow i about her, smile inenably sweet on her face
 The timbers may have routed away underneath We didn't raise these floors, said Pepperton but We both dropped to our knees and brought an the candle light to bear upon the floor i Iug Dust and mortar, shaken loose in .hc destruction of the house, filled tho racks Peppeuon deeply absorbed. continued to sound the corner with his ! kuuckles
 "It really looks as though these boards had been cut for some purpose, " Ic Sid. whipping out bis knife. ran 10 the Eindliug room and founG 3 hatchet, and when ! returned he had lug the dirt ont Of Che edges of the door blanks Silence held us an as set to prying up the boards
 "I beg Of you to exercise the great ] est care. gentlemen IT bones are in. tcrrcd here we must do them no sucrl- pgc." warned Miss Octavia.
 By this time We an. ! think, began to believe that the flooring might really ] have been cut in this corner of the old room Co permit the hiding of some 1 thing The old blanks clung stub bouly to their joists, but after l bad lo0sened one the others came up quickly, and the smell of dry earth ! filled the room Peppertou had. at Miss ! Ocmvia's direction. brought a chise and crowbar from the toolroom in the cellar and he stood ready with these when ! tore up the last board. disclos ing am oblong space about five feet long and slightly over three feet wide.
 We were all excited now. The edgC of the bar struck repeatedly agains something that resisted sharply, II might have been a root. but when Pep perton shifted the point of attack the l same booming sound answered to th' proddlng Pepperton now thought i might be only am empty cask or a boa of no interest whatever, but Miss Octa via, lowering close with a candle, en 1 couraged ms Co go on
 We worked on silently, PeppertOi lOosening the soil with the bar while
 shoveled it out In half an hour we had revealed a long Cat wooden surface which to our anxious imaginatons wa the Id of some sort of box
 1t must have been nearly 6 o'cloci when we dragged out into that caudu lighted chamber a stout well flshiou ed box The earth clung to its side
 icalously, and it was bound with strip
 of brass that shone brightly where th
 scraping of our tools had burnished it
 We pried on thc henyy lork with
 good deal of dimculiy and when
 was free Miss Ouayia asserted he
 right 70 the treasure troye with mucI
 calmness
 "l should never forgive myself if
 allowed this opportunity Co pass Yo
 must permit me to laveihe frst look
 (To be continued)