"It is a diamond!"

"And," he asked, with a sweep of his arm, "are all those diamonds?"

"They are."

"Great heavens!" gasped the astounded Ashman; "we have entered a cavern
of diamonds."

"There can be no doubt of that," she calmly replied; "there are plenty
of them among the rocks along other portions of the lake, for that is
where the king has obtained them for years. There is gold there too.
You know now the reason why he guards the approaches of the lake so
jealously. I have seen our men digging for diamonds and they looked
just like what these seem around us."

Ashman had paused again and his eyes roved around the magnificent
scene, whose splendors were enough to turn the head of Solomon himself.
Thousands of the points were gleaming from all portions of the roof,
walls, and even on the ledge along which they were walking. There was
enough wealth within his gaze to pay the national debt of his country
and to effect a revolution in any nation.

"I would be a fool," he reflected, "not to gather some of these while
the chance is mine, even though I may never live to carry them away."

CHAPTER XXXVI.

PURSUERS AND PURSUED.

It may be doubted whether the most cool-headed of men could find
himself in such a situation as that of Fred Ashman, without being
overwhelmed by the bewildering wealth surrounding him. He forgot for
the time that the lives of himself and lovely companion were at stake,
and that, despite her assurance that they were the first persons who
had ever entered the wonderful cavern of diamonds, its existence might
be known or discovered by their vengeful pursuers.

With the aid of his hunting knife, he set himself to work picking out
the precious gems that were within his reach at all times.

Now and then, when some one of unusual size fell into his palm he
uttered an exclamation of delight, and turned and held it up for Ariel
to admire. She smiled at his pleasure, and showed her sympathy by
assisting in the excavation of the marvellous pebbles.

As they toiled, they advanced, sometimes a step at a time, and then for
several paces. Conscious that he could carry away only an infinitely
small portion of the riches, Ashman found himself in the unparalleled
situation of casting aside the smaller gems and taking only those that
were large and of the first water.

Who before was compelled to fling away diamonds worth hundreds of
dollars apiece, simply because they were of too insi