Page:The Snake's Pass (Stoker).djvu/365

 Dick was the first to regain his composure and, as usual, to speak:—

"The Lost Crown of Gold!—the crown that gave the hill its name, and was the genesis of the story of St. Patrick and the King of the Snakes! Moreover, see, there is a scientific basis for the legend. Before this stream cut its way out through the limestone, and made this cavern, the waters were forced upwards to the lake at the top of the hill, and so kept it supplied; but when its channel was cut here—or a way opened for it by some convulsion of nature, or the rending asunder of these rocks—the lake fell away."

He stopped, and I went on:—

"And so, ladies and gentlemen, the legend is true, that the Lost Crown would be discovered when the water of the lake was found again."

"Begor! that's thrue, anyhow!" said the voice of Andy in the entrance. "Well, yer 'an'r, iv all the sthrange things what iver happened, this is the most sthrangest! Fairies isn't in it this time, at all, at all!"

I told Andy something of what had happened, including the terrible deaths of Murdock and Moynahan, and sent him off to tell the head constable of police, and any one else he might see. I told him also of the two skeletons found beside the chest.

Andy was off like a rocket. Such news as he had to tell would not come twice in a man's lifetime, and would make him famous through all the country-side.