ss, as
though he had been accustomed to command all his lifetime, closed his
eyes, and in a few minutes was in a troubled sleep; and as he did not
require the services of both of us to attend him, I went to bed, and
left Fred watching by his side, with the understanding that I was to be
called at daylight, so that I could relieve him and let him obtain a
few hours' rest, which he very much needed.

Fred called me at the specified time, but our patient, instead of being
better, was much worse, and was laboring under the effects of a high
fever. A dozen times he attempted to leave his bed, and as often did I
restrain him, and soothe him with kind words, until at length, just
before daylight, I recollected a bottle of opium that I had in my trunk,
and I managed to get it and persuade the sick man to take a large dose,
which he did under the impression that I was a servant, and was handing
him a glass of wine.

The opiate acted in a beneficial manner, for his system was so weakened
that it set him into a deep sleep, which lasted for a number of hours;
and before he had awakened we had removed him to a little room that we
had partitioned off from the main store, where he could be free from
most of the noise and confusion that large sales occasioned.

About sunrise, the first person that entered the store was the old man's
nephew, Follet. He looked agitated and alarmed, and shuddered when he
saw the stains of blood upon the doorstep, and also on the floor of the
store where we had rested the old man before putting him on the
mattress. He did not raise his eyes to our faces, although many times I
endeavored to get a fair glance at his face, to see if I could read his
thoughts.

"I have bad news this morning," he said, at length, finding we were not
disposed to open the conversation.

"Have you, indeed?" asked Fred, with a slight sneer.

"I slept from my uncle's tent last night," he went on to say, "and upon
returning this morning I find that there has been violence and robbery
committed. My poor relative is missing, and I fear murdered, for his bed
is bloody, and tracks of blood are to be seen on the ground."

"And in regard to the robbery," Fred asked, "how do you know that he has
lost any thing?"

"O, I am positive on that score, because my uncle had about a thousand
ounces of gold, in nuggets and fine dust, buried under one corner of his
tent, and the treasure is gone," cried Follet, eagerly.

"You are certain of