I fell on my knees beside the stone at
the head and pulled away the torn vine-tendrils. I saw the letters
B. H. and an attempt at cross-bones rudely cut into the surface of
the stone.
I closed my eyes and tried to steady myself. I thought, I am
seeing things. _This is the mere projection of the vision which
has been in my mind so long_.
I opened my eyes, and lo, the fantasy, if fantasy it were,
remained. I smote with my fist upon the stone. The stone was
solid--it bruised the flesh. And as I saw the blood run, I
screamed aloud like a madman, "_It's real, real, real_!"
Under the stone lay the guardian of the treasure of the _Bonny
Lass_--And his secret was within my grasp.
I don't know how long I crouched beside the stone, as drunk with
joy as any hasheesh toper with his drug. I roused at last to find
Benjy at my shoulder, thrusting his cool nose against my feverish
cheek. I suppose he didn't understand my ignoring him so, or
thought I scorned him for losing out in his race with the pig. Yet
when I think of what I owe that pig I could swear never to taste
pork again.
Brought back to earth and sanity, I rose and began to consider my
surroundings. Somewhere close at hand was the mouth of the
cave--but where? The cliffs, as I have already said, were too
steep for descent. Nothing but a fly could have crawled down them.
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