no outlet, and
terminated in a small underground cell, of which the walls and roof
even were of stone. As the dim light of our lamp revealed this
unwelcome truth, I felt that at last our fate was finally sealed, that
I could make no further effort, and that here I must lie down and die.
Listlessly I stood by George's side and looked round. The little
chamber in which we stood was the same height as the tunnel, and, I
should say, as regards length and breadth not more than five feet
square. It contained nothing but a three-legged wooden stool, and an
ancient box or coffer, apparently of iron, secured with a heavy
padlock. The walls, as I have said, were of roughly-hewn stone, and
the roof was formed of two slabs of granite. Dimly I wondered to what
purpose such a place could ever have been put--whether some hermit had
dwelt there in a bygone age, and why such a long tunnel had been
excavated for no further purpose than to end in a tiny vault which
seemingly, to all intents and purposes, might have been constructed
immediately above the cave. These thoughts drifted languidly through
my fevered brain; the reaction after a brief period of excitement was
beginning to tell, and I was fast coming to the end of my powers of
endurance.

"What's this, I wonder?" exclaimed George, giving the iron box a kick.
"Some old pirate's treasure, maybe. Well, if 'twas full of gold it's
no good to us at present, nor likely to be unless we can find a way out
of this vault. Set down the light a moment, Master Eden," he
continued. "I'll hoist you up on my back, sir, and you can see if you
can stir either of them stone slabs overhead."

Feeble as I was, I doubt whether I could have moved the stone if it had
offered no other resistance than its own weight; as it was, for all the
effect my pushing had there might have been ten thousand tons of earth
resting on its upper surface. As Woodley once more set me on my feet I
turned giddy, and sank down on the iron box to save myself from
falling. The dimly-lit vault spun round and round; I leaned my head
against the cold stone and closed my eyes. Whether I fainted or merely
dozed off from sheer exhaustion I can't say, but after what seemed an
age I was roused by Woodley shaking my shoulder and addressing me in
loud and excited tones. His words had to be repeated several times
before I grasped their meaning; then at last they forced themselves
into my brain.

"Master Eden, I've heard a d