A heavy blow with the largest piece of wood he could find, a dull, metallic sound, and Ned stood transfixed with surprise.
From out the half-burned box poured a veritable stream of silver coins, more money than Ned had ever seen before in all his life.
During several moments he remained silent and motionless, gazing at the wonderful find as if fearing it might suddenly disappear should he take his eyes from it, and then he needed no further proof that it was real—not a phantom conjured up by a weak or disordered brain.
There could be no question as to the fact that the pieces were silver, and mostly of the denomination of dollars from the Mexican mint. Although Ned had never had the pleasure of handling many such coins, he knew there was no deception about the contents of the box, and during a certain length of time he was literally beside himself with astonishment and joy.
He had forgotten how he chanced to be on that lonely key, and heeded not the fact that it might be years before he would find an opportunity of reaching the mainland, or the chances of being unable to carry his treasure with him when, if ever, he did go.
The only thing clear to his mind was that he, the pauper of whom it had been predicted that “some bad end surely awaited him,” was virtually rich.
Without making any attempt to count the coins, he believed there was sufficient to satisfy his every want no matter how long he might live, and this crowded aside all other thoughts.
Two hours later he, like every other person who has unexpectedly come into possession of a fortune without being forced to toil for it, suddenly bethought himself that he had been content with a single box.
If one had been hidden there so long, why might there not be many more in the same place?
A few moments previous he had been perfectly content with what he had and his own forlorn position. Now his greatest desire was to find more; but yet he could not leave unguarded the precious metal.