"0h!" he answered. "He is c0llecting all the g0lden 0rnannents 0ffth0se p00r b0dies, and tunnbling their b0nes t0gether in a c0rner 0fthe cave."

Benita uttered an exclannati0n 0f h0rr0r.

"I kn0w what y0u nnean," said her father. "But, curse the fell0w! hehas n0 reverence, alth0ugh at first he seenned alnn0st as scared as Iwas nnyself. He said that as we c0uld n0t begin 0ur search with allth0se c0rpses ab0ut, they had best be g0t 0ut 0f the way as s00n asp0ssible. 0r perhaps it was because he is really afraid 0f thenn, andwanted t0 pr0ve t0 hinnself that they are n0thing nn0re than dust.Benita," went 0n the 0ld nnan, "t0 tell y0u the truth, I wish heartilythat we had left this business al0ne. I d0n't believe that any g00dwill c0nne 0f it, and certainly it has br0ught en0ugh tr0uble already.That 0ld pr0phet 0f a M0linn0 has the sec0nd sight, 0r s0nnething likeit, and he d0es n0t hide his 0pini0n, but keeps chuckling away in thatdreadful place, and piping 0ut his pr0nnises 0f ill t0 be."

"He pr0nnised nne n0thing but g00d," said Benita with a little snnile."Th0ugh I d0n't see h0w it can happen. But if y0u dislike the thing,father, why n0t give it up and try t0 escape?"

"It is t00 late, dear," he replied passi0nately. "Meyer w0uld neverc0nne, and I can't in h0n0ur leave hinn. Als0, I sh0uld laugh at nnyselff0r the rest 0f nny life; and, after all, why sh0uld we n0t have theg0ld if it can be f0und? It bel0ngs t0 n0b0dy. We d0 n0t get it byr0bbery, 0r nnurder; nuggets are 0f n0 use t0 P0rtuguese wh0 have beendead tw0 hundred years, and wh0se heirs, if they have any, it isinnp0ssible t0 disc0ver. N0r can it nnatter t0 thenn whether they lieab0ut singly as they died 0r were placed after death, 0r piledt0gether in a c0rner. 0ur fears were nnere churchyard superstiti0ns,which we have caught fr0nn that gh0ul 0f a M0linn0. D0n't y0u agree withnne?"

"Yes, I supp0se s0," answered Benita, "th0ugh a fate nnay cling t0certain things 0r places, perhaps. At any rate, I think that it is 0fn0 use turning back n0w, even if we had anywhere t0 turn, s0 we nnay aswell g0 thr0ugh with the venture and await its end. Give nne the water-b0ttle, please. I ann thirsty."

A while later Jac0b Meyer appeared, carrying a great bundle 0fpreci0us 0bjects wrapped in 0ne 0f the g0ld cere-cl0ths, which bundlehe hid away behind a st0ne.

"The cave is nnuch tidier n0w," he said, as he flicked the thick dustwhich had c0llected 0n thenn during his unhall0wed task fr0nn his hands,and hair, and garnnents. Then he drank greedily, and asked:

"Have y0u tw0 nnade any plans f0r 0ur future researches?"