'to think o' them poor critters that had to be
killed and buried jest to keep this 'ere treasure. What awful things 'll
be brought to light in the judgment day! Them poor critters they loved
to live and hated to die as much as any on us; but no, they hed to die
jest to satisfy that critter's wicked will. I've heard them as thought
they could tell the Cap'n Kidd places by layin' their ear to the ground
at midnight, and they'd hear groans and wailin's."

"Why, Sam! were there really people who could tell where Kidd's money
was?" I here interposed.

"Oh, sartin! why, yis. There was Shebna Basconx, he was one. Shebna
could always tell what was under the earth. He'd cut a hazel-stick, and
hold it in his hand when folks was wantin' to know where to dig wells;
and that 'are stick would jest turn in his hand, and p'int down till it
would fairly grind the bark off; and ef you dug in that place you was
sure to find a spring. Oh, yis! Shebna he's told many where the Kidd
money was, and been with 'em when they dug for it; but the pester on't
was they allers lost it, 'cause they would some on 'em speak afore they
thought."

"But, Sam, what about this digging? Let's know what came of it," said
we, as Sam appeared to lose his way in his story.

"Wal, ye see, they dug down about five feet, when Primus he struck his
spade smack on something that chincked like iron.

[Illustration: They dug down about five feet, Page 119]

"Wal, then Hokum and Toddy Whitney was into the hole in a minute: they
made Primus get out, and they took the spade, 'cause they wanted to be
sure to come on it themselves.

"Wal, they begun, and they dug and he scraped, and sure enough they come
to a gret iron pot as big as your granny's dinner-pot, with an iron bale
to it.

"Wal, then they put down a rope, and he put the rope through the handle;
then Hokum and Toddy they clambered upon the bank, and all on 'em began
to draw, up jest as still and silent as could be. They drawed and they
drawed, till they jest got it even with the ground, when Toddy spoke out
all in a tremble, 'There,'. says he, '_we've got it!_' And the minit he
spoke they was both struck by _suthin_ that knocked 'em clean over; and
the rope give a crack like a pistol-shot, and broke short off; and the
pot went down, down, down, and they heard it goin', jink, jink, jink;
and it went way down into the earth, and the ground closed over it; and
then they heard the screechin'est laugh ye ever di