ppear on
the other side.

He worked the implement through a portion of the wood, and then found
its course stopped by some still harder matter. He had recourse to his
penknife, with which he hacked a hole in the wood, large enough to find
that there was an inner back of iron, or some kind of metal. Each new
obstacle served only to inflame his impatience, and to provoke his
temper. He forgot the bed in the next room, and everything else in the
world except the attainment of his object, and running downstairs,
returned with a large sledge-hammer that he found in the coal-hole. With
his strength concentrated in one blow, he swung it against the back of
the bureau, and had the satisfaction of finding his wishes gratified.
The concussion moved some secret spring somewhere, for as the piece of
furniture tottered on its foundation, and fell forwards against the bed,
out rolled such a profusion of gold, as led Howel to believe, the 'El
dorado' was found at last. Mother and son lifted up their hands in
astonishment; gold pieces were in every corner of the room, scattered
here and there like large yellow hail.

The noise of the blow, however, and the subsequent fall of the bureau
had alarmed a neighbour, and before one piece of the tempting gold had
been picked up, there was a loud knock at the door.

'Say the house has fallen in; the inquisitive fools!' exclaimed Howel,
as his mother left the room.

Howel began to fill his pockets with gold pieces, and opening a box,
pushed as many as he could hastily gather up into it also. There were
thousands upon thousands of sovereigns upon the floor.

'It was old Pal, the shop,' said Mrs Jenkins, returning to her golden
harvest, 'she was up nursing next door, and heard the noise. I tell her
it was the table falling down.'

'Now, mother, as soon as all is over, I must go to London and clear off
my debts with some of this money; but I must see Netta first.'

'Why don't you be putting it in the bank, Howel, bach? It will make a
gentleman of you.'

'There's enough besides to make me a gentleman, if I am not one already;
and I promise you, that when I am clear again I will come back and make
all the rich men in the country hang their heads. But I want to see
Netta.'

'Write you a bit of a note, and I will manage to send it.'

'Pick up the money, mother, and I will write the note.' Mrs Jenkins
proceeded to obey her son, whilst he unlocked a desk, and wrote the
following hasty lines: