The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-09-19


to trembIe. you have found it.
O'ReiIIy. You havel" she whispered.
mo, no. I've found nothing yet. But
I've sent Jacket for pick or a bar
and tonight I'm going to pull down
those stones and see what is behind
them"
ITO night? You must let me go.
too. I want to help"
Every well. But meanwhile you
mustn't let your hopes rise too high,
for there is every chance that you viii
be disappointed. And don't mention
it TO EvangeIina. Now. then, I've a
few pennies left and I'm going to buy
some candles"
Rosa embraced her lover impulsive-
ly. Something tells me it is true
Something tells me you are going to
save US all"
Eyangelina in the far corner of the
hut muttered to her husband: "SUch
Iove-birdsl They are like parrakeets.
forever kissing and cooling"
Jacket returned at dusk, and with
him he brought rusty three-foOt iron
bar, evidently part of window graf
ing. The boy was tired, disguised, and
in a vile temper. ca pickaxI A crow
bar :" he cursed eloquentIy. zone might
as well try to steal a cannon out of
San SeverinO. I'm ready to do any
thing within reason, but"
''Why. this will do 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.
7 IoroI@o NV hook xrrooobip0 or n opd
the villain who owned the house
may bad lightning split him The
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 1t. Believe me,
ran until my lungs burst"
Little food remained in the hut.
barely enough for Asensio and the
women, and inasmuch as O'ReilIy had
spent his last centavo 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 howell 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-fung girdle of intrenchments which
encircled the city. The trio encoun-
tered no one
Leaving Jacket on guard at the crest
of the hill, O'ReiIly 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 it had earlier in the day. The
masonry work, he discovered. had been
done with q painstaking thoroughness
which spoke of the abundance of slave
labor, and time had barely begun to
affect it. Here and there a piece of
the mortar had loosened and come
away. but for the most part 1t 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
rest, and through an interstice in this
| he detected what seemed to be a damp
wooden beam. At this point he
brought his iron bar into play.
1t 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
muddy water, ne patiently pecked and
pounded and Clipped. endeavoring to
enlarge the creYice so as to use his
from him and he became dismayed al
his own weakness. He was forced to
rest frequently.
Rosa hung over the orifice above, en-.
couraging him, fnqUiring eagerly as to
1 his progress. During his frequent
breathing spells he could discern hel
white face dimly fllumined by the
candle light from below.
After he had worked for an hour Oh
two. he made a report: TT begins tC
look as If there really was a bulkhead
or a door in there
The girl cIapped her hands and
laughed with delight. do hurry, dear
I'm dying of suspense"
O'ReiIly groaned: '"That fellow, Sc
bastian, knew his business This ce
ment is like steel, and I'm afraid OF
breaking my crowbar."
Rosa found leaf, folded kiss int
it, and dropped it to him. ''That viii
give you strength" she declared.
O'Reilly lost all count of time aftel
a while and he was incredulous wher
Jacket came to warn him that daylight
was less than an hour away. "Rhy,
haven't started !" he protested. 81,
discovered, much to his surprise, tina
he was ready to drop from fatigu,
and that his hands were torn and Bills
tered when he had climbed the rop,
to the upper air he fell exhausted il
the deep grass. Tin not myself a
ALL" he apologized; nothing to eat
you know. But the work will go taste
now, for I've made beginning"
do you still think-"Rosa hesitateC
to voice the question which tremble'
on her lips.
'Tn know for sure tonight" H
directed Jacket to replace the plank