my buried treasure-第4节

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his　back　to　the　sand…hill；　was　asleep。　Edgar　with　one　hand　was
waving　away　the　mosquitoes　and　in　the　other　was　holding　one　of　the
magazines　he　had　bought　on　the　way　down。　I　could　even　see　the　page
upon　which　his　eyes　were　riveted。　It　was　an　advertisement　for
breakfast　food。　In　my　indignation　the　spade　slipped　through　my
cramped　and　perspiring　fingers；　and　as　it　struck　the　bottom　of　the
pit；　something　a　band　of　iron；　a　steel　lock；　an　iron　ring　gave
forth　a　muffled　sound。　My　heart　stopped　beating　as　suddenly　as
though　Mr。　Corbett　had　hit　it　with　his　closed　fist。　My　blood　turned
to　melted　ice。　I　drove　the　spade　down　as　fiercely　as　though　it　was
a　dagger。　It　sank　into　rotten　wood。　I　had　made　no　sound；　for　I
could　hardly　breathe。　But　the　slight　noise　of　the　blow　had　reached
Edgar。　I　heard　the　springs　of　the　hack　creak　as　he　vaulted　from　it；
and　the　next　moment　he　was　towering　above　me；　peering　down　into　the
pit。　His　eyes　were　wide　with　excitement；　greed；　and　fear。　In　his
hands　he　clutched　the　two　suit…cases。　Like　a　lion　defending　his
cubs　he　glared　at　me。

〃Get　out！〃　he　shouted。

〃Like　hell！〃　I　said。

〃Get　out！〃　he　roared。　〃I'll　do　the　rest。

That's　mine；　not　yours！　GET　OUT！〃

With　a　swift　kick　I　brushed　away　the　sand。　I　found　I　was　standing
on　a　squat　wooden　box；　bound　with　bands　of　rusty　iron。　I　had　only
to　stoop　to　touch　it。　It　was　so　rotten　that　I　could　have　torn　it
apart　with　my　bare　hands。　Edgar　was　dancing　on　the　edge　of　the　pit；
incidentally　kicking　sand　into　my　mouth　and　nostrils。

〃You　PROMISED　me！〃　he　roared。　〃You　PROMISED　to　obey　me！〃

〃You　ass！〃　I　shouted。　〃Haven't　I　done　all　the　work？　Don't　I
get〃

〃You　get　out！〃　roared　Edgar。

Slowly；　disgustedly；　with　what　dignity　one　can　display　in　crawling
out　of　a　sand…pit；　I　scrambled　to　the　top。

〃Go　over　there；〃　commanded　Edgar　pointing；　〃and　sit　down。〃

In　furious　silence　I　seated　myself　beside　Rupert。　He　was　still
slumbering　and　snoring　happily。　From　where　I　sat　I　could　see
nothing　of　what　was　going　forward　in　the　pit；　save　once；　when　the
head　of　Edgar；　his　eyes　aflame　and　his　hair　and　eye…glasses
sprinkled　with　sand；　appeared　above　it。　Apparently　he　was　fearful
lest　I　had　moved　from　the　spot　where　he　had　placed　me。　I　had　not；
but　had　he　known　my　inmost　feelings　he　would　have　taken　the　axe
into　the　pit　with　him。

I　must　have　sat　so　for　half　an　hour。　In　the　sky　above　me　a
fish…hawk　drifted　lazily。　From　the　beach　sounded　the　steady　beat　of
the　waves；　and　from　the　town　across　the　marshes　came　the　puffing　of
a　locomotive　and　the　clanging　bells　of　the　freight　trains。　The
breeze　from　the　sea　cooled　the　sweat　on　my　aching　body；　but　it
could　not　cool　the　rage　in　my　heart。　If　I　had　the　courage　of　my
feelings；　I　would　have　cracked　Edgar　over　head　with　the　spade；
buried　him　in　the　pit；　bribed　Rupert；　and　forever　after　lived
happily　on　my　ill…gotten　gains。　That　was　how　Kidd；　or　Morgan；　or
Blackbeard　would　have　acted。　I　cursed　the　effete　civilization　which
had　taught　me　to　want　many　pleasures　but　had　left　me　with　a
conscience　that　would　not　let　me　take　human　life　to　obtain　them；
not　even　Edgar's　life。

In　half　an　hour　a　suit…case　was　lifted　into　view　and　dropped　on　the
edge　of　the　pit。　It　was　followed　by　the　other；　and　then　by　Edgar。
Without　asking　me　to　help　him；　because　he　probably　knew　I　would
not；　he　shovelled　the　sand　into　the　hole；　and　then　placed　the
suitcases　in　the　carriage。　With　increasing　anger　I　observed　that
the　contents　of　each　were　so　heavy　that　to　lift　it　he　used　both
hands。

〃There　is　no　use　your　asking　any　questions；〃　he　announced；　〃because
I　won't　answer　them。〃

I　gave　him　minute　directions　as　to　where　he　could　go；　but　instead
we　drove　in　black　silence　to　the　station。　There　Edgar　rewarded
Rupert　with　a　dime；　and　while　we　waited　for　the　train　to　New　York
placed　the　two　suit…cases　against　the　wall　of　the　ticket　office　and
sat　upon　them。　When　the　train　arrived　he　warned　me　in　a　hoarse
whisper　that　I　had　promised　to　help　him　guard　the　treasure；　and
gave　me　one　of　the　suit…　cases。　It　weighed　a　ton。　Just　to　spite
Edgar；　I　had　a　plan　to　kick　it　open；　so　that　every　one　on　the
platform　might　scramble　for　the　contents。　But　again　my　infernal　New
England　conscience　restrained　me。

Edgar　had　secured　the　drawing…room　in　the　parlor…car；　and　when　we
were　safely　inside　and　the　door　bolted　my　curiosity　became　stronger
than　my　pride。

〃Edgar；〃　I　said；　〃your　ingratitude　is　contemptible。　Your　suspicions
are　ridiculous；　but；　under　these　most　unusual　conditions；　I　don't
blame　you。　But　we　are　quite　safe　now。　The　door　is　fastened；〃　I
pointed　out　ingratiatingly；　it　and　this　train　doesn't　stop　for
another　forty　minutes。　I　think　this　would　be　an　excellent　time　to
look　at　the　treasure。〃　〃I　don't！〃　said　Edgar。

I　sank　back　into　my　chair。　With　intense　enjoyment　I　imagined　the
train　in　which　we　were　seated　hurling　itself　into　another　train；
and　everybody；　including　Edgar；　or；　rather；　especially　Edgar；　being
instantly　but　painlessly　killed。　By　such　an　act　of　an　all…wise
Providence　I　would　at　once　become　heir　to　one　million　dollars。　It
was　a　beautiful；　satisfying　dream。　Even　MY　conscience　accepted　it
with　a　smug　smile。　It　was　so　vivid　a　dream　that　I　sat　guiltily
expectant；　waiting　for　the　crash　to　come；　for　the　shrieks　and
screams；　for　the　rush　of　escaping　steam　and　breaking　window…panes。

But　it　was　far　too　good　to　be　true。　Without　a　jar　the　train　carried
us　and　its　precious　burden　in　safety　to　the　Jersey　City　terminal。
And　each；　with　half　a　million　dollars　in　his　hand；　hurried　to　the
ferry；　assailed　by　porters；　news…boys；　hackmen。　To　them　we　were　a
couple　of　commuters　saving　a　dime　by　carrying　our　own　hand…bags。

It　was　now　six　o'clock；　and　I　pointed　out　to　Edgar　that　at　that
hour　the　only　vaults　open　were　those　of　the　Night　and　Day　Bank。　And
to　that　institution　in　a　taxicab　we　at　once　made　our　way。　I　paid
the　chauffeur；　and　two　minutes　later；　with　a　gasp　of　relief　and
rejoicing；　I　dropped　the　suit…case　I　had　carried　on　a　table　in　the
steel…walled　fastnesses　of　the　vaults。　Gathered　excitedly　around　us
were　the　officials　of　the　bank；　summoned　hastily　from　above；　and
watchmen　in　plain　clothes；　and　watchmen　in　uniforms　of　gray。　Great
bars　as　thick　as　my　leg　protected　us。　Walls　of　chilled　steel　rising
from　solid　rock　stood　between　our　treasure　and　the　outer　world。
Until　then　I　had　not　known　how　tremendous　the　nervous　strain　had
been；　but　now　it　came　home　to　me。　I　mopped　the　perspiration　from　my
forehead；　I　drew　a　deep　breath。

〃Edgar；〃　I　exclaimed　happily；　〃I　congratulate　you！〃　I　found　Edgar
extending　toward　me　a　two…dollar　bill。　〃You　gave　the　chauffeur　two
dollars；〃'　he　said。　〃The　fare　was　really　one　dollar　eighty；　so　you
owe　me　twenty　cents。〃

Mechanically　I　laid　two　dimes　upon　the　table。

〃All　the　other　expenses；〃　continued　Edgar；　〃which　I　agreed　to　pay；
I　have　paid。〃　He　made　a　peremptory　gesture。　〃I　won't　detain　you　any
longer；〃　he　said。　〃Good…night！〃

〃Good…night！〃　I　cried。　〃Don't　I　see　the　treasure？〃　Against　the
walls　of　chilled　steel　my　voice　rose　like　that　of　a　tortured　soul。
〃Don't　I　touch　it！〃　I　yelled。　〃Don't　I　even　get　a　squint？　〃

Even　the　watchmen　looked　sorry　for　me。

〃You　do　not！〃　said　Edgar　calmly。　〃You　have　fulfilled　your　part　of
the　agreement。　I　have　fulfilled　mine。　A　year　from　now　you　can　write
the　story。〃　As　I　moved　in　a　dazed　state　toward　the　steel　door；　his
voice　halted　me。

〃And　you　can　say　in　your　story；〃　called　Edgar；〃　that　there　is　only
one　way　to　get　a　buried　treasure。　That　is　to　go；　and　get　it！〃

　THE　CONSUL

　For　over　forty　years；　in　one　part　of　the　world　or　another；　old　man
Marshall　had；　served　his　country　as　a　United　States　consul。　He　had
been　appointed　by　Lincoln。　For　a　quarter　of　a　century　that　fact　was
his　distinction。　It　was　now　his　epitaph。　But　in　former　years；　as
each　new　administration　succeeded　the　old；　it　had　again　and　again
saved　his　official　head。　When　victorious　and　voracious
place…hunters；　searching　the　map　of　the　world　for　spoils；　dug　out
his　hiding…place　and　demanded　his　consular　sign　as　a　reward　for　a
younger　and　more　aggressive　party　worker；　the　ghost　of　the　dead
President　protected　him。　In　the　State　Department；　Marshall　had
become　a　tradition。　〃You　can't　touch　Him！〃　the　State　Department
would　say；　〃why；　HE　was　appointed　by　Lincoln！〃　Secretly；　for　this
weapon　against　the　hungry　headhunters；　the　department　was
infinitely　grateful。　Old　man　Marshall　was　a　consul　after　its　own
heart。　Like　a　soldier；　he　was　obedient；　disciplined；　wherever　he
was　sent；　there；　without　question；　he　would　go。　Never　against
exile；　against　ill…health；　against　climate　did　he　make　complaint。
Nor　when　he　was　moved　on　and　down　to　make　way　for　some
ne'er…do…well　with　influence；　with　a　brother…in…　law　in　the　Senate；
with　a　cousin　owning　a　newspaper；　with　rich　relatives　who　desired
him　to　drink　himself　to　death　at　the　expense　of　the　government
rather　than　at　their　own；　did　old　man　Marshall　point　to　his　record
as　a　claim　for　more　just　treatment。

And　it　had　been　an　excellent　record。　His　official　reports；　in　a
quaint；　stately　hand；　were　models　of　English；　full　of　information；
intelligent；　valuable；　well　observed。　And　those　f