tude in marking out the size of the hole, to allow for any possible
want of accuracy in Harvey Barth's observation.

It was pitch dark after the shower, for the sky and the stars were
obscured by dense clouds. Leopold had only the light of his lantern to
enable him to work, and his task was gloomy enough to satisfy the
veriest money-digger that ever delved into the earth for hidden
treasure. In half an hour, more or less, he had dug the hole a foot
deep, and then felt that he had reduced this part of the beach to its
former elevation, at the time of the wreck of the Waldo. A descent of
another foot would decide whether or not the treasure had an existence,
save in the brain of the sick man.

It was hard work, after a full day's labor at the hotel; but Leopold
redoubled his exertions after he had removed the first foot of sand. As
he proceeded, he examined every stone he threw out of the hole, to
assure himself that he did not miss the bag of gold. The task began to
be somewhat exciting, as the solution of the problem drew nearer.

The hole which he had laid out was six feet square; and when he had
thrown out all the sand and gravel to this depth, in order to save any
unnecessary labor he began to dig in the middle of the excavation, for
this was directly under the centre of the projecting rock. If Harvey
Barth's statement was exactly correct, the bag would be found where
Leopold was now at work. Faster and faster he plied the shovel, the
deeper he went, and, when he judged that the lower hole was nearly a
foot deep, his excitement of mind was intense. He had come to the last
layer of sand he had to remove in making the second foot in depth.
Placing his heel upon the shovel, he attempted to force it down the
length of the blade; but something impeded his progress. It was not a
rock, for it yielded slightly, and gave forth no sharp sound. Scraping
out the sand with the shovel, Leopold began to paw it away with his
hands. Presently he felt something which was neither sand nor gravel. He
drew it forth from the hole, and held it up where the light of the
lantern struck upon it.

It was the hidden treasure.

[Illustration: THE MONEY DIGGER. Page 176.]

The bag was just what Harvey Barth had described, and it weighed at
least the four pounds and a half Avoirdupois which he had made it by his
calculations. Leopold was tremendously excited, as he seated himself on
the brink of the hole, with the shot-bag in his hand.

"H