"Well," he said, his teeth chattering, "if this ain't the masterest
one that iver I did see." But here he stopped, language was not equal
to the expression of his feelings.
Meanwhile Harold, with a heart full of anxiety, was turning the
lantern this way and that in the hope of discovering some traces of
Sir James's treasure, but naught could he see. There to the left the
masonry had fallen in. He went to it and pulled aside some of the
stones. There was a cavity behind, apparently a passage, leading no
doubt to the secret entrance to the vault, but he could see nothing in
it. Once more he searched. There was nothing. Unless the treasure was
buried somewhere, or hidden away in the passage, it was non-existent.
And yet what was the meaning of that jointed skeleton sitting in the
stone bath? It must have been put there for some purpose, probably to
frighten would-be plunderers away. Could he be sitting on the money?
He rushed to the chest and looked through the bony legs. No, his
pelvis rested on the stone bottom of the kist.
"Well, George, it seems we're done," said Harold, with a ghastly
attempt at a laugh. "There's no treasure here."
"Maybe it's underneath that there stone corn bin," suggested George,
whose teeth were still chattering.
Pages:
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464