The Monticellonian., 1918-08-30

them"
 "To night? You must let me go, too. I want to help"
 "Very well. But meanwhile you mustn't let your hopes rise too high, for there is every chance that you will be disappointed. And don't mention Ii to Evangelina. Now, then, I've few pennies left and I'm going to buy some candles"
 Rosa embraced her lover impulsive- ly. Something tells me 1t is truel Something tells me you are going to save us all"
 Evangelina in the far corner of the hut muttered to her husband: "Such love-birds They are like parrakeets, forever kissing and cooing!'
 Jacket returned at dusk, and with him he brought rusty three-foot iron bar, evidently part of q window grat- ing. The boy was tired, disgusted, and in vile temper "A pickaxl crow bar!n he cursed eloquently. "One might as we'll try to steal cannon out of San Severino. Pm ready to do any thing within reason, but"
 "Why. this will dc nicely; it is just what I want" O'Reilly told him.
 "Humph I'm glad to hear it. for that rod was nearly the death of me. I broke my back wrenching at 1t and the villain who owned the house may bad lightning split him i-he ran after me until I nearly expired. If my new knife had been sharp 1 would have turned and sent him home with it between his ribs. Tomorrow I shall put an edge on it. Believe me, I ran until my lungs burst"
 Little food remained in the hut, barely enough for Asensio and the women, and inasmuch as OReilly had spent his last eentavo for candles he and Jacket were forced to go hungry again. Late that evening. after the wretched prison quarters had grown quiet, the three treasure hunters stole out of their hovel and wound up the hill In spite of their excitement they went slowly, for none of them had the strength to hurry. Fortunately there were few providers within the lines, hunger having robbed the reconcentra dos of the spirit to venture forth, and in consequence Spanish vigilance had relaxed. it was now confined to the far-fiung girdle of intrenchments which enercled the city. The trio encoun- tered no one.
 Leaving Jacket on guard at the crest of the hill, O'Reilly stationed Rosa at the mouth of the well. then lowered himself once more into it. Lighting his candle, he made a careful exami- nation of the place, with the result that Esteban's theory of the missing riches seemed even less improbable than if had earlier in the day. The masonry work, he discovered, had been done with painstaking th0roughness which spoke of the abundance of slave labor, and time had barely begun to affect it. Here and there piece of the mortar had loosened and come away. but for the most part it stood as solid as the stones between which it was laid Shoulder-high to O'Reilly there appeared to be a section of the curbing less smoothly fitted than the
  he detected what seemed to be q damp wooden beam. At this point he brought his iron bar into play.
 It was not long before he discovered that his work was cut out for him. The cement was like flint and his blunt makeshift implement was almost use less against it. Ankle-deep in the .l.I,r b., nd pounded and clipped, endeavoring to enlarge the crevice so as to use his bar as a lever. The sweat streamed from him and he became dismayed at his own weakness. He was forced to rest frequently.
 Rosa hung over the orifiee above, en- couraging him. inqtiring eagerly as to his progress. During his frequent breathing spells he could discern her white face dimly illumined by the candle light from below.
 After he had worked for an hour or two. he made Il report: It begins to look as if there really was a bulkhead or door in there"
 The girl elapped her hands and laughed with delight Do hurry, dear I'm dying of suspense"
 OReilly groaned: That fellow, Se- bastian, knew his business. This ce- ment k like steel, and I'm afraid of breaking my erowbar."
 Rosa found leaf, folded kiss into it, and dropped it to him. That will give you strength" she declared.
 O'Reilly lost all count of time after while and he was ineredulouS when Jacket came to warn him that daylight was less than an hour away "Why, I haven't startedrf he protested He discovered much to his surprise, that he was ready to drop from fatigue and that his hands were torn and bis- tered when he had climbed the rope to the upper air he fell exhausted in the deep grass. "I-Fm not myself at all" he apologized; nothing to eat. you know. But the work will go faster now, for I've made beginning"
 Do you still think-"Rosa hesitated to voice the question which trembled on her lips.
 "rn know for sure tonight" He directed Jacket 10 replace the blanks stole away.
 OReilly spent most of that day in profound stupor of exhaustion, while Rosa watched anxiously over him. Jacket, it seemed, had peacefully slumbered on picket duty, so he occu- Diad nirnSalf hv orindinp awav at hiS