the days of my life

第56部分 (第4/7頁)

ight　down　to　him　from　his　forefather　who　had　helped　Guatemoc　to　bury　the　treasure；　was　that　it　should　never　be　given　up　to　Government　or　to　any　Spaniard。

Needless　to　say；　the　Mexican　and　Don　Anselmo　entered　into　a　partnership。　Anselmo　tried　to　raise　funds　to　buy　the　property。　Failing　in　this；　he　got　the　leave　of　the　proprietor　to　prospect　for　sulphur；　and；　with　some　others；　began　to　dig　at　the　spot　indicated　on　the　plan。　All　went　well。　The　Mexican　kept　away　native　loungers　by　announcing　that　devils　dwelt　in　the　hole。　The　pit　was　cleared　out；　and　at　the　depth　of　sixty　feet　was　found　the　great　stone；　on　which　was　cut　an　owl；　the　crest　or　totem　mark　of　Guatemoc。　Unfortunately；　just　at　this　time　the　excavators　were　advised　that　the　property　had　been　sold　to　a　new　owner；　who　was　ing　to　inspect　it。　All　night　long　they　worked　furiously　at　the　stone；　which　at　last　they　destroyed　with　dynamite。　A　tunnel　was　revealed　beyond；　running　at　right　angles　into　the　side　of　the　hill；　till　some　steps　were　reached　that　mounted　upwards。　On　one　of　these　steps　lay　the　copper　head　of　a　spear。　At　the　top　of　them；　however；　was　a　very　solid　wall　of　some　hard　material　which　had　been　fused　by　heat。

The　excavators　retreated；　baffled　by　the　lack　of　time　and　this　imperable　wall。　They　filled　in　the　shaft；　hurling　down　it　the　boles　of　the　two　trees　that　Guatemoc　had　planted；　and　ran　before　the　new　owner　arrived；　announcing　that　they　had　found　no　sulphur。

Ultimately　Anselmo　approached　Mr。　Jebb；　who　was　known　to　have　influence　with　the　member；　or　ex…member；　of　the　Government　who　had　acquired　the　property。　From　him　Jebb　obtained　permission　to　dig　for　antiquities　on　his　estate。　I　remember　the　arrival　of　the　formal　letter　of　leave；　but　not　what　stipulations　were　made　as　to　the　disposal　of