nough if
I were to tell her all I know. But I'll spare you if you will take me
into your cellar and help me to do a bit of excavation there. But
promise, mind you, that we will go shares in what we find.'

"'Oh, I'll promise right enough,' Moss replied. 'I'll promise
anything--if only to keep you from talking such moonshine.'

"Well, in the end I prevailed upon him to accompany me, and we went
into the cellar--just as I had depicted it--armed with a pick-axe and
crowbar. Moss growling and jeering every step he took, and I, deadly
in earnest.

"'It's under here,' I said, halting over a flagstone in the corner of
the vault. 'But before we do anything you had better hide that hat-pin
and these shoes, or your missis will find them. She'll hear us
scraping and come to see what's up.'

"Moss, who was in a vile temper all the time, made a grab at the
things, pricking his finger and swearing horribly. In the meanwhile I
had set to work, and, with his aid, raised the stone. We dug for
pretty nearly an hour, Moss calling upon me all the time to 'chuck
it,' when I suddenly struck something hard--it was the skeleton and
close beside it, was the bag. You should have seen Moss then. He was
simply overcome--called me a wizard, a magician, and heaven alone
knows what, and fairly stood on his head with delight when we opened
the bag, and hundreds of gold coins and precious stones rolled out on
the floor. He wanted to go back on his word then, and only give me a
handful; but I was too smart for him, and swore I would tell his wife
about the girl unless he gave me half. When we were leaving the
cellar, of course, he wanted me to go first, so that he could follow
with the pickaxe, but here again I was too sharp for him--and I got
safely out of the place with my pockets bulging. I went right away to
Prescott's in Clay Street, and let the lot go for three thousand
dollars. I wonder how Curtis has got on!"

They walked together to the hotel, and found Curtis busily engaged
eating. "I've worked hard," he said, "and now I'm in for enjoying
myself. I've made them get out a special menu for me, and I'm going to
eat till I can't hold another morsel. I've starved all my life and now
I intend making up for it."

"Been successful?" Hamar asked, winking at Kelson.

"Pretty well! Nothing to grumble at," Curtis rejoined, pouring himself
out a glass of champagne. "First of all I went to Simpson's Dive in
Sacramento Street, and started doing the