182 THE RED MOUNTAIN OF ALASKA. 
blow with his boot heel broke the half-decayed boards, 
and disclosed the contents. They consisted wholly of 
masses of rock, which sparkled in the light of the candle. 
A second glance showed their color to be a deep, glowing 
crimson. Richard took one in his hand, and held it 
nearer the lantern. Without a shadow of doubt, it was a 
magnificent specimen of cinnabar in the ore. The box 
was full of similar samples. 
Richard tugged the box out into the centre of the 
room, resolving either to take it out himself or send Pees- 
chee for it on his return to daylight. 
All this takes a long time to tell, a shorter time for 
you to read. The actual occurrences were still more 
brief. Richard had not been in the dungeon two minutes 
when he stooped down for a final look at the ragged 
excavation in the floor, and the fractured ledge. 
As he did so, his cough, which had troubled him more 
or less ever since he had entered the narrow passageway, 
returned wdth redoubled violence. His brows throbbed 
with a sudden pain. He turned sick and faint. The cell 
seemed to grow dark. Was he losing his senses in this 
fearful place ? — or was it — look — the lantern ! the lan- 
tern ! 
Even while the man rose dizzily to his feet, and tried 
to collect his dazed senses, the flame of the candle — not 
yet half burned out — dwindled, dwindled, before his 
very eyes. 
And now what is Richard doing ? Is he going crazy ? 
