is was quickly followed by another.

"Pick, Jasper!" he cried.

He placed the pick between two stones and began to heave at the handle.

"Ca'ant move um!" he snarled. "'Ere, you do et."

I caught the handle of the pick and lifted. I felt it begin to break in
my hands.

"It's no use," I said; "I must use the bar."

I inserted the point of the bar into the crevice and lifted. I felt a
rock move. I put forth my strength, and a great slat several
hundredweight fell into the sea with sullen splash.

Eli got on his knees beside the hole we had made.

"We'm right," he gasped, and I felt he had spoken the truth. After this
we took away several stones from the fissure which nature had formed at
the Devil's Point.

I put my bar into the hole we had made and let it slip through my hands.
Its point struck a piece of iron.

"Iron box. Jammed tight!" grunted Eli savagely. "We've got um!"

We were terribly excited. For my own part, I had forgotten everything,
save that a treasure lay at my feet. The treacherous waters in Hell's
Mouth troubled me not one whit; all my superstitious fears had fled.

As well as I was able I crept into the fissure and felt one foot on a
piece of iron. Then I put my hand down and felt carefully. Yes, an iron
box had been put there. It lay edgeways, at least I judged so. The part
I could feel seemed about a foot wide and three feet long.

"Got et?" gasped Eli.

"Yes," I cried; "my God, here's a handle!"

"Heave um up, then, you who be sa strong."

I tried to lift the thing out, but could not.

"I can't move it, Eli."

"Jammed tight," he grunted.

He was right. Many hard stones were driven in at its sides.

How long it took me to move these stones I know not, but at length I
succeeded in unloosing many until I was able to rock the box from side
to side.

"It'll come now!" cried Eli. "Heave agin!"

Never was my strength put to such a test as at that time. I saw sparks
of fire flash before my eyes, while the muscles of my arms seemed as
though they would snap. It was all in vain, however.

"Let me rest a bit, Eli," I said, "then I'll try again."

"No time to rest," snarled Eli.

He seized the crowbar, and after much manoeuvring he passed it through
the iron handle of the box, and rested the point against the side of the
fissure.

"Haive now, Jasper," he grunted.

I did as he bade me. The box freed itself from the sides of its
resting-place.

I had nothing but the weight of t