“Do you own the gold?”

“Yes.”

“Why can’t I have it?  I’ve found it.”

“You get away as quick as you can or I’ll seize you.”

Well, well, this was a great state of affairs; Desmond did not ask any more questions.  He seized his lamp and started to limp from the cave, and he was white and trembling.  He made his way to Creedon Hall and beheld Brooks and Creedon standing over the fire.  On the face of Brooks there was an amused look, and on Creedon’s an expression of real jollity.

“Great sakes!  Desmond,” demanded Brooks, “where have you been?  I awoke and found you missing, and Creedon and I have been scared almost to death.”

Desmond tried to assume an indifferent air, and said: 

“I wasn’t sleepy, so I thought I would go and explore a little.”

“You had better be careful how you explore around here.”

“Why?”

“Well, that’s all; I won’t say any more, but be careful, or you may be suddenly missing.”

“What did you find, boy?”

“I’ll tell you all about it in the morning.”

The men retired to their blankets and Desmond also lay down, after having promised that he would not attempt to explore any more that night.

He did not sleep, however; the phantom voice, the treasure, and his discovery kept him awake, and he lay thinking about ghosts and goblins, and he muttered;

“Hang it!  I never believed in ghosts;” then as he lay there, there came to his mind a recollection of the jolly look that had rested on the face of the guide, and there came to his mind a suspicion, and then a certainty, that he had been fooled.  He was a wonderfully sharp lad, and he began to think the whole matter over, and he recalled the fact that the ghost had spoken good English.

“Hang me!” he muttered, “if I don’t believe I’ve been made a victim of a huge joke, and Brooks and Creedon are both guilty in aiding to give me a scare.  All right, to-morrow we will see all about it; I’ll get square.”

Desmond did fall asleep at length, and when he awoke Brooks and Creedon were eating their breakfast, and Creedon said as Desmond joined them: 

“So you were exploring last night?”

“Yes.”

“What did you find?”

“Gold.”

“You did?”

“Yes.”

“Oh, come off.”

“I did.”

“You think you did.”

“I did, I’ll swear I did.”

“Where did you find it?”

“In a cave which one of those passages leads to.”

“You found gold?”

“Yes.”

“You will have to be careful.”

“Careful?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“You’ll strike the ghost.”

“The ghost?”

“Yes.”

“What ghost?”

“The ghost of the old Mexican.”

“I did think I heard a groan.  Tell me about the old Mexican.”