The horses were securely fastened, and there was not a sound, even of birds, in that desolate locality, so all was safe.
Without exchanging a word, they went back to the cave and brought each two more of the bags, which were placed in the strong-box.
It was but little past noon when they began, and for two hours they robbed that golden cell of its treasures and transferred it to the wagon.
The bags were in an excellent state of preservation, for the place was perfectly dry, and besides, they had evidently been prepared with some unusual treatment which made them almost indestructible.
Finally the chamber was emptied, and Barnwell could but think of the toil and risk in transporting so much gold to such a far-off place. It seemed to him almost as marvelous as that it had remained there all those years without being recovered. But Batavsky was no ordinary man, and undoubtedly knew exactly what he was doing.
Ulrich's face was a study.
Had they been transporting bags of stones it could not have been more stolid.
He worshiped the young American, and for him it was to obey without a question, and this he readily did.
He often looked upon his position as an exalted one, as compared with what it would have been had Barnwell not saved him from a debtor's prison, which is only another name in Russia for a poor debtor's grave.
Well, when all the bags had been removed, it was found that the box was too full to admit of the last four, and these Barnwell placed at his feet after the seat had been returned to its place, showing nothing unusual.