it was.

He gave the object a pull, but instead of coming away in his hand, it
only had the effect of pulling the ghastly form down upon him, so that
the orbless skull came with some force, right into his face. He uttered
a cry of dismay, and was about to fly up the ladder, when I arrested his
movements by bursting out laughing. The whole thing, although hideous
and startling, was rendered ludicrous by the accelerated movements of
Alec when the grinning jaws snapped right in his face. To save himself
from falling into the hole beneath, he clutched the frail form round the
body, causing its rags and bones to fall in tatters and pieces on to
something below, which gave a metallic ring.

[Illustration: THE TENANT OF THE TREASURE HOUSE.]

The first shock of his fright being over, for he thought the man had
come to life again, we again propped it up in the corner, and examined
it closely.

The glittering projection on the breast was the jewelled haft of a
dagger, the blade of which was thrust quite through the sternum or
breastbone, showing that a most powerful blow had given the poor man,
whoever he was, his _quietus_. Death must have been instantaneous, for
the position of the blade shewed that it had probably passed quite
through the heart.

Another thing also attracted our attention; this was a pair of keys
suspended round the neck by a rusty chain. We took possession of both
dagger and keys; then placing the bony one in a piece of sail cloth,
hoisted him above ground and covered him up.

Down into the hole we went again, almost breathless with excitement, and
recommenced our now light task of making further search for whatever
might be of value, being fully persuaded that something really worth
having now awaited us.

Nor were we wrong in our conjecture, for the first things we came upon
were four large dishes of metal, resembling gold; but as they had been
rolled up like a scroll by some great force, we did not stop to unroll
them to enquire of what metal they really were. Beside them were five or
six golden cups of curious work, being beautifully chased, two of them
containing jewels in the band of raised work which encircled the stems.
Then there were two utensils about a foot high, something in shape
between a pitcher and a flagon, which were perfect in form, not a dent
being visible in them, their only blemish being the tarnish with which
more than a century had marred them, but this could easily be removed