A few yards down the passage,in the narrow way hewn out of the living rock,Gagool had paused,and was waiting.for us.
"See,my lords,"she said,holding the light before her,"those who stored the treasure here fled in haste,and bethought them to guard against any who should find the secret of the door,but had not the time,"and she pointed to large square blocks of stone,which had,to the height of two courses (about two feet three),been placed across the passage with a view to walling it up.Along the side of the passage were similar blocks ready for use,and,most curious of all,a heap of mortar and a couple of trowels,which,so far as we had time to examine them,appeared to be of a similar shape and make to those used by workmen of this day.
Here Foulata,who had throughout been in a state of great fear and agitation,said that she felt faint and could go no farther,but would wait there.Accordingly we set her down on the unfinished wall,placing the basket of provisions by her side,and left her to recover.
Following the passage for about fifteen paces farther,we suddenly came to an elaborately painted wooden door.It was standing wide open.
Whoever was last there had either not had the time,or had forgotten to shut it.
Across the threshold lay a skin bag,formed of a goat-skin,that appeared to be lull o!pebbles."Hee!hee!white men,"sniggered Gagool,as the light from the lamp fell upon it."What did I tell ye,that the white man who came here fled in haste,and dropped the woman's bag -behold it!"Good stooped down and lifted it.It was heavy and jingled.
"By Jove!I believe it's full of diamonds,"he said,in an awed whisper;and,indeed,the idea of a small goatskin full of diamonds is enough to awe anybody.
"Go on,"said Sir Henry,impatiently."Here,old lady,give me the lamp,"and,taking it from Gagool's hand,he stepped through the doorway and held it high above his head."We pressed in after him,forgetful,for the moment,of the bag of diamonds,and found ourselves in Solomon's treasure-chamber.
At first,all that the somewhat faint light given by the lamp revealed was a room hewn out of the living rock,and apparently not more than ten feet square.Next there came into sight,stored one on the other as high as the roof,a splendid collection of elephant tusk.How many of them there were we did not know,for of course we could not see how far they went back,but there could not have been less than the ends of four or five hundred tusks of the first quality visible to our eyes.There,alone,was enough ivory before us to make a man wealthy for life.Perhaps,I thought,it was from this very store that Solomon drew his material for his "great throne of ivory,"of which there was not the like made in any kingdom.
On the opposite side of the chamber were about a score of wooden boxes,something like Martini-Henry ammunition boxes,only rather larger,and painted red.
"There are the diamonds"cried I;"bring the light."Sir Henry did so,holding it.close to the top box,of which the lid,rendered rotten by time even in that dry place,appeared to have been smashed in,probably by Da Silvestra himself.Pushing my hand through the hole in the lid I drew it out full,not of diamonds,but of gold pieces,of a shape that none of us had seen before,and with what looked like Hebrew characters stamped upon them.
"Ah!"I said,replacing the coin,"we sha'n't go back empty-handed,anyhow.There must be a couple of thousand pieces in each box,and there are eighteen boxes.I suppose it was the money to pay the workmen and merchants.""Well,"put in Good,"I think that is the lot;I don't see any diamonds,unless the old Portuguese put them all into this bag.""Let my lords look yonder where it is darkest,if they would find the stones,"said Gagool,interpreting our looks."There my lords will find a nook,and three stone chests in the nook two sealed and one open."Before interpreting this to Sir Henry,who had the light,I could not resist asking how she knew these things,if no one had entered the plaice since the white man,generations ago.
"Ah,Macumazahn,who watchest by night,"was the mocking answer,"ye who live in the stars,do ye not know that some have eyes that can see through rock?""Look in that corner,Curtis,"I said,indicating the spot.Gagool had pointed out.
"Hallo,you fellows,"he said,"here's a recess.Great heavens!
look here."
We hurried up to where he was standing in a nook,something like a small bow-window.Against the wall of this recess were placed three stone chests,each about two feet square.Two were fitted with stone lids,the lid of the third rested against:the side of the chest,which was open.
"Look!"he repeated,hoarsely,holding the lamp over the open chest.We looked,and for a moment could make nothing out,on account of a silvery sheen that dazzled us.When our eyes got used to it we saw that the chest was three-parts full of uncut diamonds,most of them of considerable size.Stooping,I picked some up.Yes,there was no mistake about.it,there was the unmistakable soapy feel about them.
I fairly gasped as I dropped them.
"We are the richest men in the whole world,"I said."Monte Cristo is a fool to us.""We shall flood the market with diamonds,"said Good.
"Got to get them there first?"suggested Sir Henry.
And we stood with pale faces and stared at each other,with the lantern in the middle,and the glimmering gems below,as though we were conspirators about to commit a crime,instead of being,as we thought,the three most fortunate men on earth.