d. On
his way to his bed-room he peeped into the dining-room, where he had
fallen asleep on the previous evening. When he had woke up, it may be
remembered, he lit a candle. This candle was now flaring itself to
death, for he had forgotten to extinguish it, and by its side lay the
paper from which he had made the great discovery. There was nothing in
it, of course, but somehow the sight impressed him very much. It
seemed months since he awoke to find the lamp gone out. How much may
happen between the lighting of a candle and its burning away! Smiling
at this trite reflection, he blew that light out, and, taking another,
went to his room. Here he found a stout hand-bag, with which he made
haste to return to the Mount.

"Are you all right, George?" he shouted down the hole.

"Well, Colonel, yes, but not sorry to see you back. It's lonesome like
down here with these deaders."

"Very well. Look out! There's a bag. Put as much gold in it as you can
lift comfortably, and then make it fast to the rope."

Some three minutes passed, and then George announced that the bagful
of gold was ready. Harold hauled away, and with a considerable effort
brought it to the surface. Then, lifting the bag on his shoulder he
staggered with it to the house. In his room stood a massive sea-going
chest, the companion of his many wanderings. It was about half full of
uniforms and old clothes, which he bundled unceremoniously on to the
floor. This done, he shot the bagful of shining gold, as bright and
uncorrupted now as when it was packed away two and a half centuries
ago, into the chest, and returned for another load.

About twenty times did he make this journey. At the tenth something
happened.

"Here's a writing, sir, with this lot," shouted George. "It was packed
away in the money."

He took the "writing," or rather parchment, out of the mouth of the
bag, and put it in his pocket unread.

At length the store, enormous as it was, was exhausted.

"That's the lot, sir," shouted George, as he sent up the last bagful.
"If you'll kindly let down that there rope, I'll come up too."

"All right," said the Colonel, "put the skeleton back first."

"Well, sir," answered George, "he looks wonderful comfortable where he
lay, he du, so if you're agreeable I think I'll let him be."

Harold chuckled, and presently George arrived, covered with filth and
perspiration.

"Well, sir," he said, "I never did think that I should get dead tired
of hand