Homely 7}-agedy. 257 



over his body. He steadied himself as he sank 

 on a boulder, and then in imagination took up 

 two great handfuls of glistening gold, and let the 

 bright coins run through his bony fingers. The 

 parchment in the powder canister, ay, and 

 more, more were his ! 



A shepherd and his dog passed close by, but 

 Mould never saw them. He thought a while 

 longer, then went dow r n to his hut. He would 

 blast the crag from the breast that held it, and it 

 only the heart of the mountain confirmed what 

 he suspected, then he was rich, rich indeed ! 



As the short afternoon fell he started off to 

 cry " Open Sesame" A barrel of gunpowder 

 lay on his bare shoulder ; and wrapped in his 

 rough frieze coat was a delicate straw-stem fuse. 

 These would solve the mystery ! 

 They solved two mysteries, a greater and aless. 

 The powder and fuse were placed in position. 

 A flint and steel supplied a spark, and Mould's 

 shambling legs carried him off over the rugged 

 boulders. Then he watched, watched for a red 

 glare to tear the sky, and a thundering sound to 

 shake the mountain. But neither came. Save 

 for the hoarse croak of a raven and the bark of 

 a fox, nothing broke the stillness. 

 One hour, two, three. 



The fuse must have failed, or the powder have 

 become damp ; and as the moon and stars lit up 

 the crags, Mould made as though to examine the 

 spot. He gained it. 



