Page:Stories told to a child.djvu/187

 there they staid during a long night of storm and tempest.

It was not till high noon that that terrible storm subsided; then as soon as it was safe to go abroad, Richard and his master set off on their mission. They vent toiling up the same path that they had pursued before; the way was very rugged, for stones and earth had been dislodged by the storm.

'Richard,' said his master, 'we are nearly at the top of the mountain; surely we must have passed the place.'

They came down again, and the agitated Richard looked from right to left; all was so changed, so torn and disfigured, that he could not tell where he was. The tiny streams were tumbling torrents; the road was blocked with stones and rocks.

'Richard,' his master said again, 'we are nearly at the foot of the mountain; surely we have passed the place.'

His master went down to the inn. Richard continued to search: for three weary days he wandered up, and down, and about. Whether the force of the storm had driven rocks down, and filled up that little roofless room, or whether a torrent had defaced the place and concealed it, he could not tell; but certain it is he never found it; and from that day to this, no man's eyes have ever been gladdened with the sight of the Moorish gold.

He came to his master 'Sir,' said he, 'the gold is not to be found, but I have had a great deal of time to consider, and I have come to think that my own greed Rh