ural
grave, so we left Achmet the merchant there, having first covered him
over with loose bricks. This done, we all went back to the treasure.

"It lay where he had dropped it when he was first attacked. The box
was the same which now lies open upon your table. A key was hung by a
silken cord to that carved handle upon the top. We opened it, and the
light of the lantern gleamed upon a collection of gems such as I have
read of and thought about when I was a little lad at Pershore. It was
blinding to look upon them. When we had feasted our eyes we took them
all out and made a list of them. There were one hundred and
forty-three diamonds of the first water, including one which has been
called, I believe, 'the Great Mogul' and is said to be the second
largest stone in existence. Then there were ninety-seven very fine
emeralds, and one hundred and seventy rubies, some of which, however,
were small. There were forty carbuncles, two hundred and ten
sapphires, sixty-one agates, and a great quantity of beryls, onyxes,
cats'-eyes, turquoises, and other stones, the very names of which I did
not know at the time, though I have become more familiar with them
since. Besides this, there were nearly three hundred very fine pearls,
twelve of which were set in a gold coronet. By the way, these last had
been taken out of the chest and were not there when I recovered it.

"After we had counted our treasures we put them back into the chest and
carried them to the gate-way to show them to Mahomet Singh. Then we
solemnly renewed our oath to stand by each other and be true to our
secret. We agreed to conceal our loot in a safe place until the
country should be at peace again, and then to divide it equally among
ourselves. There was no use dividing it at present, for if gems of
such value were found upon us it would cause suspicion, and there was
no privacy in the fort nor any place where we could keep them. We
carried the box, therefore, into the same hall where we had buried the
body, and there, under certain bricks in the best-preserved wall, we
made a hollow and put our treasure. We made careful note of the place,
and next day I drew four plans, one for each of us, and put the sign of
the four of us at the bottom, for we had sworn that we should each
always act for all, so that none might take advantage. That is an oath
that I can put my hand to my heart and swear that I have never broken.

"Well, there's no use my telli