The Monticellonian., 1915-07-15

 ments, a chest literally filled VII brilliants set and unset, rubies, e1 eralds, precious stones of every or eeivable variety, cave that woli have staggered even Aladdin.
 For moment they could meel. stand in avarieious exultation.
 
 Painfully and slowly we manaed tt trail Long Sins footprints, untl wt came to a road where they wer los' in the hard macadam.
 Kennedy chose the most likelydlrei tion. for the trail had been at an angf to the road and Long Sin was nt iikl lv to double back. We had not goii many rods before Kennedy paused minute and looked about ln the moof light Il
 It's right, Walter" he cried. you recognize lt?''
 I looked about. Then it flashed oVf me. This was the back road that ! past the entrance to the treasure vau at Aunt IaDby s.
 We went on now more quickly, I tening carefully to catch any souns but heard nothing At last kenn4 stopped, then plunged among f rocks and bushes beside the roa We were at the cave.
 You go this way, Walter, nef q rected. "I'H go around and dqn where it caved in had gone only yard or two wsn 1t seemed as though something "a grasped my foot
 With a great wrench I manageFo pull It loose But the weight onny other foot had imbedded It deepeEin something. 1 struggled to free DIS foot and got the other caught. NJ fe- volver which I had drawn. was lrfed from my hand and in the effort blre- cover 1t, I lost my balance. uable to move a foot In time to catch nyself I fell forward My hands were low covered by the slimy5 sticky stuf bnd the more [ struggled, the wose ! seemed to get entangled
 
 Wu and Long Sin paused only minute Tn astonishment. Then they literally fell upon the wealth that lay before them.
 Suddenly they paused ThereI was the slight tinkle of a Chinese bal.
 Kennedy had reached Aunt Tabbys garden, outside the root of the subter- ranean chamber where 1t had given way. had gone down carefully over the earth and rock, and in doing so had broken a string stretched across the passageway. The tinkle Of bell at tached to 1t aroused his attention and he stopped short. second, to look about. Wu Fang had arranged a primitive alarm.
 Quickly, Wu and Long Sin blew out their lanterns while Wu gave the rock a push. Slowly, as it had opened, 1t now closed and they stood there listen ing.
 was still struggling in the bird lime, getting myself more and more covered with it. when the reyerbera. tion of revolver shots reached me
 Wu and Long Sin had opened fire on Kennedy, and Kennedy was replying in kind. In the cavern it sounded like veritable bombardment As they re- treated, they came nearer and nearer to me and I could see the revolvers splitting fire in the darkness
 I watched them fearfully as they hopped deftly from one stone to an. other to avoid the lime-and were gone.
 Craig, Craig" ! managed to cry feebly. Be careful. Keep to the stones"
 Stepping from stone to stone, he fol- lowed the retreating Chinamen But they had already reached the mouth of the cave and were making their way rapidly down the road to bend. in the opposite direction from which we had come. There Wus auto mobile was waiting. A moment later Kennedy appeared but they had made their getaway. Baffled, he turned and retraeed his steps to the cave They got away, Walter" he said lighting a lantern they had dropped. By George" he added, think a lift. tie vexed that I had not been able to intercept them, you are a sight"
 He was about to laugh, when faint ed. I can remember nothing until woke up over by the wall of'the cham Der where he dragged me Kennedy had been working hard to revive me, and, as opened my eyes. he strengthened up. His eye suddenly caught something on the rock beside him. There was a little slot carved in it, and above the slot was a peculiar inscription.
 For several minutes Kennedy pug zled over 1t. as Wu had done Then he discovered the little cup near the ground.
 "The ringi" he suddenly cried out.
 was too muddled to appreciate at once what he meant, but 1 saw him reach into his fob pocket and draw forth the trinket which had caused so much disaster, as if had been cursed by the Clutching Hand himself. He dropped it into the slot.
 Struggling to my feet, I saw across 
 from me the very rock itself moving.
 Look. Craig,' cried, involuntar. fly pointing
 He turned. No, it was not a vision. It actually moved Together we watched. Slowly the rock turned on a pivot. There were disclosed to our astonished eyes the hidden millions of the Clutching Hand
 looked from the gold and jewels to Kennedy. in speechless amazement.
 We have beaten them anyhow"