muzzle him, he made furious resistance, and, leaping into the hole, tore up the mould frantically with his claws. In a few seconds he had uncovered a mass of human bones, forming two complete skeletons, intermingled with several buttons of metal, and what 5 appeared to be the dust of decayed woollen. One or two strokes of a spade upturned the blade of a large Spanish knife, and, as we dug farther, three or four loose pieces of gold and silver coin came to light.

At the sight of these the joy of Jupiter could 10 scarcely be restrained, but the countenance of his master wore an air of extreme disappointment. He urged us, however, to continue our exertions, and the words were hardly uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my boot in a large 15 ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth.

We now worked in earnest, and never did I pass ten minutes of more intense excitement. During this interval we had fairly unearthed an oblong chest of wood, which from its perfect preservation and won- 20 derful hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralising process-perhaps that of the bichloride. of mercury. This box was three feet and a half long, three feet broad, and two and a half feet deep. It was firmly secured by bands of wrought iron, rivetted, 25 and forming a kind of open trellis-work over the whole. On each side of the chest, near the top, were three rings of iron-six in all-by means of which a firm hold could be obtained by six persons. Our utmost united endeavours served only to disturb 30 the coffer very slightly in its bed. We at once saw the impossibility of removing so great a weight.

Luckily, the sole fastenings of the lid consisted of two sliding bolts. These we drew back-trembling and panting with anxiety. In an instant, a treasure of incalculable value lay gleaming before us. As the 5 rays of the lanterns fell within the pit, there flashed upwards a glow and a glare, from a confused heap of gold and jewels, that absolutely dazzled our eyes.

I shall not pretend to describe the feelings with which I gazed. Amazement was, of course, predomiIo nant. Legrand appeared exhausted with excitement, and spoke very few words. Jupiter's countenance wore, for some minutes, as deadly a pallor as it is possible, in the nature of things, for any negro's visage to assume. He seemed stupefied-thunder15 stricken. Presently he fell upon his knees in the pit, and, burying his naked arms up to the elbows in gold, let them there remain, as if enjoying the luxury of a bath. At length, with a deep sigh, he exclaimed, as if in a soliloquy,

20

"And dis all cum ob de goole-bug! de putty goolebug! de poor little goole-bug, what I boosed in dat sabage kind ob style! Ain't you shamed ob yourself, nigger?-answer me dat!"

It became necessary, at last, that I should arouse 25 both master and valet to the expediency of removing the treasure. It was growing late, and it behooved us to make exertion, that we might get everything housed before daylight. It was difficult to say what should be done, and much time was spent in deliberation-so 30 confused were the ideas of all. We, finally, lightened the box by removing two-thirds of its contents, when we were enabled, with some trouble, to raise it from

the hole. The articles taken out were deposited among the brambles, and the dog left to guard them, with strict orders from Jupiter neither, upon any pretence, to stir from the spot, nor to open his mouth until our return. We then hurriedly made for home 5 with the chest, reaching the hut in safety, but after excessive toil, at one o'clock in the morning. Worn out as we were, it was not in human nature to do more immediately. We rested until two, and had supper, starting for the hills immediately afterwards, armed 10 with three stout sacks, which, by good luck, were upon the premises. A little before four we arrived at the pit, divided the remainder of the booty, as equally as might be, among us, and, leaving the holes unfilled, again set out for the hut, at which, for the second time, 15 we deposited our golden burthens, just as the first faint. streaks of the dawn gleamed from over the tree-tops in the East.

We were now thoroughly broken down; but the intense excitement of the time denied us repose. 20 After an unquiet slumber of some three or four hours' duration, we arose, as if by preconcert, to make examination of our treasure.

[The remainder of the story deals with the counting of the treasure, and Legrand's narrative of his manner of tracing from the fragment of parchment the successive steps which led to the discovery of the hoard. The close is an exceedingly good study in the logical construction of a narrative plot, and as such should be read by the student.]

6. Sir Walter Scott.

Born 1771. Died 1832.

FROM Ivanhoe, CHAPTER VIII.

[The romantic form of the narrative of action and incident is nowhere better illustrated than in the following chapter from Ivanhoe (1820), the situation of which is too familiar to need introduction. Direct and vigorous in the purely narrative passages, it has besides, in its wording, its dialogue, and its admirable description, all the rich coloring which sheds over action and incident the glamour of romance. Few finer specimens of narrative are to be found in English than this chapter; but the plot, as a whole, backs and fills a good deal. With this chapter should be compared the storming of Torquilstone, as narrated by Rebecca at the casement, in Chapter XXIX.

The text follows that of Scott's own edition of the Waverley Novels.]

At this the challenger with fierce defy

His trumpet sounds; the challenged makes reply:

With clangour rings the field, resounds the vaulted sky.
Their visors closed, their lances in the rest,

Or at the helmet pointed or the crest,
They vanish from the barrier, speed the race,
And spurring see decrease the middle space.

-Palamon and Arcite.

In the midst of Prince John's cavalcade, he suddenly stopped, and appealing to the Prior of Jorvaulx, declared the principal business of the day had been forgotten.

"By my halidom," said he, "we have neglected, Sir Prior, to name the fair Sovereign of Love and of Beauty, by whose white hand the palm is to be distributed. For my part, I am liberal in my ideas, and I care not if I give my vote for the black-eyed 5 Rebecca."

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"Holy Virgin," answered the Prior, turning up his eyes in horror, a Jewess! We should deserve to be stoned out of the lists; and I am not yet old enough to be a martyr. Besides, I swear by my patron saint 10 that she is far inferior to the lovely Saxon, Rowena."

"Saxon or Jew," answered the Prince, "Saxon or Jew, dog or hog, what matters it? I say, name Rebecca, were it only to mortify the Saxon churls.”

A murmur arose even among his own immediate 15 attendants.

"This passes a jest, my lord," said De Bracy; "no knight here will lay lance in rest if such an insult is attempted."

"It is the mere wantonness of insult," said one of 20 the oldest and most important of Prince John's followers, Waldemar Fitzurse, "and if your Grace attempt it, cannot but prove ruinous to your projects."

"I entertained you, sir," said John, reining up his palfrey haughtily, "for my follower, but not for my 25 counsellor."

"Those who follow your Grace in the paths which you tread," said Waldemar, but speaking in a low voice, "acquire the right of counsellors; for your interest and safety are not more deeply gaged than their 30 own."

From the tone in which it was spoken, John saw