A STRANGE STORY OF A TREASURE.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2360, 3 May 1901, Page 6

A STRANGE STORY OF A TREASURE.

I was only three-and-twenty when I accepted ■ very tempting e-ffer of lucrative employment with a firm af high standing at Monterey. I found, upon arriviag at my destination, tha.t tbe town wis as squalid aid dirty a* towus in New Spain are apt to be, and the province, ts cuateooary, in a disturbed rendition. But stories of Mexicau ansehy and Mexicru biniitti were sufficieatly familiar to my ears. I had outgrown tbe fear of yellow fe»er, and was fully disposed to be pleasel with my new abode and emiKiyment.

It was early moraiag when I first entered the town, aad tte iceae to ma was a new aad novel

Travelling through tbe PUzi, I found it encumbered with stalls and full of market people. Htre I beheld copper-skiunrd Indian women, in checked cottons, frying frijulas or slicing monstrous water mrleas to attract the custom of a swarm of ragged children and uawast ed leperos. Grinning a egresses, with orange kerchiefs rolled jauntily about tbiir woolly heads, presided over stills where fruit and manioc roots, eggs, oisava, fowls, goal's flesh, aad crane sweetmeats, were all jumbled up together; whilst majesiic but shabby-looking kidalgoes, with their stuped mantles flung thiatrioilly over the left shoulder, were cheapening a dish of beaas or a pipkioful of tortillas. Tnkiag a walk to imuse myaeli, I then settled down to my woik, and for six months my life passed pleasantly enough and without any particular event worth recording, until,our cashier baviog most mysteriously disappeared, and thoughtfully taking with lira a very large amount in gold, notes «e<l valuables deeds aad papers, there w»s a rare to-do in tbe firm. By pure iccideat I learnt, a fortnight after he had absconded, that his fiancee resided at a place some twenty miles away, and that be himself had been seen there. Alwtys full of entorpiise and of a dsre-de»il turn if miad, without staling my purpose, 1 procured a few days leave, and then, like aay detective ia London or New York, I started off to sees it I could glean anything of tbe tbiet. It was a wild road to Simpson's Quiata -my proj cted destination—ind, procuring a horse and not forgetting a revolver, I began my journey late nae evening, htpiag to get to the and of it before the mooa wont down I rode off at a brisk pace, but the stony road was long. The first breath of the Not tters was beginning te be felt along the shores cf Ibe Gulf, and alter journeying oo for an hour or more, tbe eky became dark with hurrying clouds.tbe bright moon only peopiag out at rare intervals, whilst ihe sighiag of the aight wind preteatly became a shriek, as it swept by in long gusts. Such being tbe casa it was not surprising that 1 lost my way, and I had nddon some mile* before I recognised my miitake, and finally found myself, I knew aot where, amoag the mountain*. A flash of lightning—the first waraing if tbe gathering storm—showed me the white walla of a veiy Urge building at the distance ot about balf---mi!B, and I at ooce beaded my borsts in that direetioo. The (torus, however, increased, and so did tbe terror of my steed, a youog and bigh-bred BBunel, until a more brilliant flash than its pre' decossor caused tbe he oi ting creature to rear ind Hire and fiuully to plunge lu a maimer wbicb tkrew ace from the saddle upon a tuft of thorny cactus plants hard by. Off west the frightened nag, tearing madly away with fluwiag icin ind shrill neigb, and I hid to scramble up, scratched, torn, and bruised, and make my way on fool to Ihe I acienda which 1 had seen. I reached it without much difficulty, guided by thebrilli.al lutid lightning, and gropid my way bedde a high while wall, until I rnchid a gato, thickly studded with iiou nails. 1 now knocked li udly. at the same time calling at the top of my voice for admissi u. It was long before a soit of small wicket some six inches square was esutioudy opened. A cracked and harsh female voice demanded ia bad Spanish who was there ? " Aa English gentleman from Monterey,'" was my reply, " who has lost bis way and Lis horse too." " Heretic ! vaza usted a los infernos !" returned the woman snappishly, ani was in tbe act af slamming the wicket, when a man's voice in accents tremulous with age, said roughly : " tine ugh : Marietta, idiot, that you ire. Let me speak to tbe cavalier. Wbat can we do tar you, gracious sir ?" These 1.-st words were uttered in a courteous tone, and by a fresh gleam ot lightning I caught eight of the wrinkled fice of an old man. I told my tale ; the gate was unbarred, and I was admitted and guided across a vast and ruinous courtyard, skirted en three sides by dilapidated sleds, pissing on I was presently ushered into a great kitchtn, where a but,e brazier of glowiog charcoal diffused a great heat. A Urge limp, now lighted, I gazed CUliously upoa my host and hostess. Tho man was talln than moat Mexictns ever get, bowed as be was with age, and must have beea very powerful in bis youth. His biown sinewy hinds were still muscular, and bis tunken eyes were keen and shrewd, glittering beneath the sbeggy white brows, wLile the wrinkled countenance wa» that of a per»ou of energy md strong character. He was poorly clad ia the rough chocolate-hutd garment* of a Mtxican farmer, with palm leaf bat aud a red bandana knotted about his neck. As lor tl e< Id female, she was merely «n ugly, forbidding loi.king Indian croue, with her grey loiks half hidden by a taudy kercl icf. Her striped shirt and bhek bodice, silver earrings aad a leaden rosary gave to the woman an outre ■ippeirauce, whiUt there was a mulignant expression in her oblique eyes. " Pardon me, noble stranger, for receiving vou in »a humble a place. Our MaiietU is old -my poor wife, jour grnco I too sm old; but tiil Lopez ii your humble eervanr, ah da mi, yes, i es."

Hustlingabou] the tg»d pair, without further ceremony very soon sprtad be'oio me a good repast, conaisting of suudry baches, hot and sputtering off the lire a great pot of puchers, a pipkin of teans and oil, and a loaf of cudgtls! ape, made of the yellow-muizo Hour, some »weet potatoes, and much to my turpi ise three iiiffirtal bottles of wine.

" This is C'aso, and this ii French wine, md this Loble bildaigo i> royul ell Madeiu, loug in bottle. It is wine for the Cid himself," exclaimed the old msu unctiously, as be smacked I is lips.

Very (Twice wine the Msderia proved itself, and I was hungry enough to regard the supper prepared by the brawny bauds and old Marietta as a banquet worthy of a prince. While I ate aod drink the eld man talked, aid 1 found be was an inteudant of one Don Glazco Uuiman. at that time away in Rome.

" And you are Lere alone ?'' 1 exclaimed, as he came ta the end of ene of bis narrations.

"Alone, cavalier, yts ! and only last night tt is house was euteied, Msdre de dies, by roblers, wto casiied away my lord's platecheets ami other valuablss."' Tears now coursed down the old man's face as he related what had taken place.

" A pretty state of thiugs, truly !" I excUirued. ■' And so the icoundrels got clear iff with their booty ?" " Yes, brave cavalier, but after they left the bouse their good luck forsook them." " How ! What do you mean ?"

" I will tell vou, sir, how the infernos wire cheated for a time at least. They only had one sorry mule to convey their plunder, and,

knowing what would take place. I followed them. Por dies! is . I expected, tbe aiimal broke down sith its load, fell and died. The thieves blasphemed, and, morning olose at hand, fesrful of being found with 'the treasure, they pitched it down a dry well, at tbe side of which the poor beast of burthen bad succumbed." " And you saw this ?"

" Yai! The brigands, of course, will sooner or later return, but at present the plunder is bidden away safe." " Ana where did this incident take plsce ?"

" About a mile from here, off the high road. The old well was dug ia the time of the heathens, and ran dry in my father's time. There is the old winllass still, by whiob, no doubt, those infernos purpose recoverii g the treasure. Little the unblessed rogues knew that I was closely watching them."

" But why not procure assistance, and yourself recover your master's stolen property ?" I exclaimed.

" I dare not. cavalier. The laTxmrers round about are hone*t, simple, Indian drudges. They would tell all. and in a neighbouring hamlet are rascals—blown md white—who are suspected of being secretly in league with the brigands. Slay, though, by the blessed Madonna, I hive an idea !"

" What is it 'i" I enquired, my curiosity aroused at the old- man's osger manner snd vehemence.

" 1 have just remembered there is an abandoned quarry not far from tho well. If I could draw up the treasure during tbe darkneis of tho night, and secrete it amoug Ihe tboru bushes until the morning, I could get muhs aad a cart from a friendly ranchero, and would convey my lord's riches to Monterey, asd place it iu a convent or a bank."

" A good plan ; why not carry it out ?" 1 ezclaimsd.

•' Ah ! I am old, aid so is Marietta, and we are weak. Santa Maria ! But if, young oabullero, you would render us a little help, tbe thing might be done, and my Lord Guzman would then bo your debtor for evtr." I was easily persuaded to join iu this aight expedition to save a treasure, indeed, refusal would have seemed churlish, and lantorm lighted and coils of rope provided, *ff we all three started from tbe hacienda. Tbe storm was now spsnt, aad the pure moon, though gradually siokisg, was quite visible as we turned out.

Wilding our way through tbickits, and fitting some msiie fields, we very soon gained tbe old well.

A deep, dark pit it was, neaily, but not quite, circular, and berdered round its upntr lim with aaiique masonry of the finest kind, tbe U< cks ef red porphyry being so Dicely fitted that, without visible cement, tbey had held together ia spite of centuries of storm and rough usage. Altec ohaiaoters wtre ta be seen yet traced en tbe stones, quaint emblems of the old Inditn picture-language, much defaced by the chisel of some Spanish stnao-

cutter. There was a clumsy windUss with rope and bucket, the rope being apparently quite new, the buoket old and crucked. but made of a burd native wood tbst defied eJeoay

" Now bravo young caballero ; good young Kugliehmau, if you, as the rarst active, would permit us to lower you gradually iu the bucket to the bottom."

"Of the well, do you mean ? Do you want me to go down there ?" I askfd rather dismayed aad taken aback at tbe sugg-. stion. "There is nothing harmful, biave Englishman. If you "ill teke with you a lantern, and upon reaching tbe bottom hoek the chest first and then the bundles te tbe rope, when we have drawa them up, you yourself cm then. ascend, and help us to drag the treasure to tbe quarry where it can rsmoin fciddeu till tbe morn !" Nat wishing to appear at all the craven in tbe old mien's eye, I bow consented. Tbe bucket swung over the guli below, and I stepped into it, with as light a bearing as I could assume, the lantern strapped to my left arm, aud both my bands clasping the cord. Down 1 went, and as I looked up fiom the lira of tbe well to cstch one last look at the upper world, I thought I saw the wrinkled face of the Indian bag, assume aa expression of malignant triumph, that gave her tbe appearnice of in actual demon. But. tbis I thougl t must be fancy, as all the time the pluusible voice nf ber husband was ringing iu my ears. Down, down, down in the dark, deeper and deeper yet. Tbe well was of enormous depth, and it was long before I felt the'botket j«r agxiast tbe earth and getting out stood on solid ground. The bottom of the well was quite dry, was a sort of irregular vault, sn.l by the light of my lantern I could make out heaps of thorny brushwood, stonee, and rubbish, that had been tossed in upon various occasions.

By this time my heart was beating thick and fast, and I wished the adventure well over, but I unstrapped and set dowa tbe lantern deticUoti the bucket from tbe rope, and fixed Ihe hook to a large cbest, then calling Lopez to haul away. Very slowly by tbe aid of the ore* king wit disss the big cheat was hoisted. 1 heard it h>£b up sinking with a dull thump against tbe sides of tbe wall, but with a heavy long pull the work was done. Tbe chest secured, down came tbe swingingxepe aud huelr, aud severa packages I had tied together were new hoisted up, and upon these reaching the surface hollowly and muffled to my ears came a shout from the old man.

" Brave cavslier, you have not sent up a valise ! Santa Maria ! 'tis full of valuables."

" I've slung it on my arm ! I've got it all right, haul away !" I shouted in reply. A strange silence now took place, and I was just getting rather nervous, when down came tb bucket, and tlowly but surely I once more rose to upper air.

Witbiu a yard of tbe top, the old bag, leaning half over the rimjrf tho wall, stretched out her lean, claw-like band asehe asked me for tke valise.

" It's all right, caa't jou wait until I am fairly out ?"

" Mucran los ifcfict»l»-s ! Di", hog of Hugland, caught like a rat in a trap !" These words were shrieked out in a wild fury. <ul them leaning down mekieg a siotcu at the coveted valine, the bag, lesiug Ler balapec, shot like a stone bead first iuto the daik abyss. With a wild cry of horror, clinging to the rope, with a hideous fearful iuslj, down I went after her, ooce more into the deptts, oalr as 1 reached the bottom realising what had happened.

Releasing his hold of the wiadlass as bis hideous wife disappeared, the tre; chertu« Uil Lopez had doomed me, as be boptd, to a lingering death beside h*r corpse, fer scarce bad 1 swung from the rope within two or three tett of the bottom, before down came the coil on my head. Cut from the ain>Uas>, I was now ielp'.esa ; alone with death aad a treasure.

Lettiagge the valise as 1 fell, it crashed open, a portion of its contents—gold, diamonds, and other precious stones-being scattered ibout my feet. I bad been dnped by a designing villainhad been left to die ! Buried alive. Bui it d alive with the dead !

The lantern I had left upon the ground as 1 wis drawn up, revealed to my eyes now a I ideous tight. Her skull broken in as it had dashed upoa a large stone; horrible, hidecus looked the wretched woman whoso last words had bi en fierce, relentless, and bitter gibe*. The treasure she had coveted lay scattered beside her, but ol little use 13 ber now those sparkling :• ms, lo srcure which, in her vile greed she had i iiil ed.

For kour§, ber ambed aad stupefied, I remained in " my liviag grave," groping wildly abaut with out-stretobed bands with an awful shudder ; it limes shriekeJ sloi d, as I touched the slimy back ef seme reptile—teid, snake, ar lizard, I knew mot which. Wearily I :ast mj eyes upwards as the dawn ef the day shoae like a rauad globe of light at the summit of my bideous tomb ; my terrible living grave, to which I had beea so cruelly consigned. Aad was I. so youug, to die thus ? I asked myself ; to die ia darkaeti, in faraiae, and all the torments ef thitst ; and aow with a specieb of madness I »h< uted to the dead hie, atkiag why she didn't seize upoa the tnasure that lay beside her. Then «eized with torpid fit, I saok upoa a heap of rubbish wiitiug for death.

Hours passed on, and thea 1 faacied I heard a faint souad, and liftiag my dim eyes i saw a smeky glare of torcLligbt, for it was aigLt ■gaia.

In a momeat I remembered the story of the brigaads. If the viilaia Lopez had spoken the trutt), than had these men returaed far the treasure ?

Presently the well-kaown creak af the windUss sounded, a aew rape w»s coming down with a living load. The glare af the torch shoae aa my eye*, and then as I heard » pitying cry from humm lips 1 saak back like a very girl ia a dead faint 1

Half-in-b«ur afterwards, seated in a vehicle beside my reacuers, I learat that a little lad passing war the well as Lopez jut away the rope, suspecting somethiag was wrong, had acquaiatad a troop ot soldiers late the aext day with what he had seen—tbis coupled with the disappearaace of the old maa »n« his wife from the haciend»,BDd my horse graziag abo>\t miaus his saddle, led te a search treiag iustituted-a search which rrleased me fram my dreadful temb.

As there was no owner for the treasure Id the valite. I was allowed by thiit authority to ret»in one hull' of it, a princely sum as it tuned

ihu old scoundrel, Gil Lopez, was leoured a weak after my rsscue, ar,d was sentenced to a term of imprisonment that, for him at his age, met at no r» lease.

1 iluly mairied, and have lived lose and happily at Monterey, but I shall ue»er forget my terrible advetturo when I wao alone with death and a treasure.