e would believe them or me; but when I say
that neither Cumshaw nor I--for Moira pooled her share with mine after
all--will have to do a hand's turn again as long as we live, some idea
can be gained of what was in those four decaying saddle-bags. To place
gold, more especially minted coin, in circulation in this year of grace
one thousand nine hundred and twenty requires more ingenuity than most
men are possessed of, and frankly I could see no way out of it for many
a long day. But in the end I struck an unexpected solution. What that
solution was is neither here nor there: the expedients I resorted to
would, if written down, fill a longer and perhaps a more exciting volume
than this. Some day, when old age is creeping on me and the good opinion
of my neighbours has almost ceased to matter, I may tell the tale in its
entirety.

As we had no desire to attract more attention than we could help we did
not attempt to take the gold along with us. Instead we buried it in a
secluded spot not far from the railway, and a week or so later Cumshaw
and I returned in the car for it.

* * * * *

"I wonder," I said, "how those chaps managed to find out so much about
everything? Of course they were paralleling Bryce's investigations, but
that doesn't explain all; they knew more about some things than he did
himself."

We were sitting round the fire one evening a month or so later. Moira
and I had just returned from our honeymoon, and Cumshaw had dropped in
with the news that his father was in the hands of a noted alienist who
hoped in time to completely cure the old man. The announcement had set
us talking about our recent experiences, and _apropos_ of them I had
uttered the above remark.

"I've often wondered," Moira said, "how they first learnt about the
treasure."

There was silence for a space and then Cumshaw spoke. "I rather fancy,"
he said, "that they knew about its existence long before Mr. Bryce did."

Moira shot a startled glance at him and I said, "Whatever do you mean?"

"You remember that pocket-book I threw into the trench the day we found
the treasure?"

I nodded. "Yes," said Moira breathlessly.

"I found that in the grass early in the morning before I went up to the
cave. It was a diary belonging to a man named Alick Blane. I didn't read
it right through--I didn't have the time for one thing--but what I did
see told me all I wanted to know. I buried it in the trench because I