Jack North's Treasure Hunt

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h were covered with patches of woods or grass. Everything bore a peculiar hue of green, from the groves of myrtle, pimento

lar to such a height as to make it inaccessible, except at one place w

ey, where the American told him had stood the "castle" of the Crusoe inhabitant of t

to an opportunity to go to the mainland in a few days, when Mr. Pearce

ing, I am sure some one landed here las

fear from such a visit, providing s

risoners escaped, and since that no one has been sent here. But it has been the refuge of two or three outlaws since, as if the place had a strange f

nk one came

I am much older. I will get the Chilians to

suspense long as to

d like an old fort, but which was now embedded in banks of clay and overgrown wi

ampart. But here is the greatest wonder in the hillside. This old building--fortress, as it might be truthfully called--was the abode of the officers and their men wh

in the side of the hill, there being many completely hidd

eir convicts, and where, if all reports be true, they underwent tortures that made life a living death. The earthquake tore

for safety conceal themselves. We can find some sign at

xcavations, now occupied by bats, toads and vermin, but where once miser

o trace of a human being was found, until at last Mr. Pearce stopped

chilly as to make one shiver the moment he enters. Just think of the poor wretches confined here, where no ray of sunlight could ever reach them, and no living soul to pity t

had made a hasty examination; "and I am

oves us to move with great caution. One of us had better remain on the ou

fference to you, only I wish you wou

to earth in there, you may count on it that he will fight for his life. It will be different

ons tended him by his companion, he boldly pushed his

in a trice," were Mr. Pearce's parting words. "Meanwhile if you

damp ferns that overhung the mouth of the cell, he was about to en

is hand touched a sheet of paper

ve a shrill whistle, which caused Jack to re

when he saw a squad of armed

itive," whispered Mr. Pearce. "Don't do anything r

anish, the new-comers all the time cover

tell me. They think you are the one and demand your immediate surrender. The best thing you can do is to give up without resistance. I will stand by

rcy from the Chilians. If Mr. Pearce could not benefit him now, how could he later? Still his only alternativ

s roughly siezed and bound. Then some of his captors dragged him back against the side of the bluff. The leader gave a f

mary threat, "they mean to shoot you on the spot!" He had barely uttered these startling wor