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The stone, however, was so firmly cemented in that it defied any ordinary methods to get it out.
So they determined to dine first, and go to work on it afterwards.
But no one could think or speak of anything else except their hopes of finding the treasure.
The boys had made cocoa-nut-oil lamps, and by the little flicker of light these gave, they now set about attacking the flint-hard cement in earnest. They chipped it out bit by bit, and hard, tedious work they found it.
But they succeeded at last, and stood silent and with a kind of awesome delight. For there before them was the glad sparkle of diamonds--a sparkle that seemed to dim the light of their poor oil lamp.
"Boys," cried Duncan, "our fortune is made!"
The diamonds, however, were but few--eight in all--but of great size, and apparently of high value, although the boys were no judges.
The hole where they had lain was carefully cemented all round, and besides the diamonds they found here two or three nuggets of gold, and a tiny brick of cement about six inches by four by three.
Just one word was engraved thereon.