"It's no use," I said; "I must use the bar."
I inserted the point of the bar into the crevice and lifted. I felt a rock move. I put forth my strength, and a great slat several hundredweight fell into the sea with sullen splash.
Eli got on his knees beside the hole we had made.
"We'm right," he gasped, and I felt he had spoken the truth. After this we took away several stones from the fissure which nature had formed at the Devil's Point.
I put my bar into the hole we had made and let it slip through my hands. Its point struck a piece of iron.
"Iron box. Jammed tight!" grunted Eli savagely. "We've got um!"
We were terribly excited. For my own part, I had forgotten everything, save that a treasure lay at my feet. The treacherous waters in Hell's Mouth troubled me not one whit; all my superstitious fears had fled.
As well as I was able I crept into the fissure and felt one foot on a piece of iron. Then I put my hand down and felt carefully. Yes, an iron box had been put there. It lay edgeways, at least I judged so. The part I could feel seemed about a foot wide and three feet long.
"Got et?" gasped Eli.
"Yes," I cried; "my God, here's a handle!"