The Ordway new era., 1918-12-27

/ Several 1rultleSS attempts TO steep Ut
rose and went out into the sunshine
where he fell to whetting his knife. He
finished putting a double edge upon the
blade, fitted a handle to 1t, and then q
cord with which to suspend 1t round
his neck. He showed it to O'Rellly
md after receiving a word of praise he
crept outdoors again and tried to for
get how sick he was. Black spots were
dancing before Jackets eyes; he ex-
sea during which he dared not attempt
to walk. He knew this must be the re-
suit of starvation, and yet, strangely
enough. the thought of food was dis
tasteful to him. He devoutly wished 1t
were not necessary to climb that hill
again, for he feared he would not have
the strength to descend it
Luckily for the sake of the secret.
Evangelina spent most of the day
searching for food, while Asensio lay
babbling upon his bed. too i'll to notice
the peculiar actions of his companions.
1t was with a strange, nightmare
feeling of unrenlity that the trio
dragged themselves upward to the
ruined quinto when darkness finally
came. They no longer talked. for con-
versation was drain upon their pow
ers. and the reaction from the days ex-
element had set In. O'Reilly lurched
as he walked. his limbs were heavy.
and his Iveliest sensation was one of
dread at the hard work In store for
him. The forcing Of that door assumed
the proportions of n Herculean task.
But once he was at the bottom of
the well and beheld the handiwork of
Sebastian. the slave. just as he had
left 1t. his sense Of reality returned and
with It a certain measure of determine
ton. Inasmuch as he had made no
visible impression upon the bulkhead
by his direct attack. he changed his
tactics now and undertook to loosen
one of the jambs where 1t was wedged
into the rock at top and bottom. After
desperate struggle he succeeded in
loosening the entire structure SO that
he could pry it out far enough to
squeeze his body through.
81 have 1t |" he cried to Rosa. Selling
the candle, he thrust 1t into the open
ing. He beheld what he had expected
to find, a small cavern or grotto which
had evidently been pierced during the
digging of the well. He could apprecl-
ate now how simple had been the task
Of sealing 1t up so as to battle discov-
cry. Rosa. poised above him. scarcely
breathed until he Strengthened himself
and turned his face upward once more.
He tried to speak, but voiced moth
ing more than a hoarse croak; the
candle In his hand described erratic fig
ures.
"what do you seer" the girl cried in
an agony of suspense.
II It's herei B-boxes, chests,
casks-everythlngI"
God be praisedi My fathers for
tune at last!"
Rose forgot her surroundings; she
bent her hands together, calling upon
O'Reilly to make haste and determine
beyond all question that the missing
hoard was indeed theirs. She drew
perilously close to the well and knelt
over 1t like some priestess at her de-
votions; her eyes were brimming with
tears and there was a roaring in her
ears. 1t was not strange that she failed
to see or to hear the approach of a
great blurred figure which material
lied out Of the night and took station
scarcely an arms length behind her.
He intended 1t for his children"
she sobbed, "and providence saved it
from our wicked enemies. It was the
hand of God that led US here, O'Reilly.
Tell me. what do you see nowf"
Johnnie had wormed his way into
the damp chamber and slim rectangle
of light was projected against the op-
posite side of the well. Rosa could
hear him talking and moving about.
Don Esteban Varona's subterranean
hiding-place was large enough to store
n treasure far greater than his 1t was
perhaps ten feet in length, with a roof
high enough to accommodate tall
man. At the farther end were ranged
several small wooden chests bound
with iron and fitted with hasps and
staples, along one side was row of
diminutive casks, the sort used to con-
tain choice wines or liquors; over all
was a thick covering of slime and
mold. The iron was deeply rusted and
the place itself smelled abominably
stale.
O'Reilly surveyed this Aladdin's cave
In daze. He set his candle down, for
his fingers We're numb and unsteady.
| Cautiously, as If fearful of breaking
some spell, he stopped and tried to
move one Of the casks. but found that
1t resisted him as IL cemented to the
rock. He noted that its head was
bulged upward, us II by the dampness,
so he took his iron bar and aimed a
sharp blow at the chine. A hoop gave
way; another blow enabled him to pry
out the head Of the cask. He stood
blinking ut the sight exposed, for the
little barrel was full Of coins-yellow
/ raInq larua nd uvnon n,r,otn.,