25 THI STRAND W AGAZINT,

I stretched forth my hand nervously and clasped the diamonds. As I'did so the form which wore them scemed to change, then suddenly 1t disappeared, and nothing but a small heap of dust was to be seen! The perspiration stood — in beads upon my forchead; | turned to Irank to sec if he had observed what had hap-

CTOUICK T GET THE DISMONDS”

pened, but he was still engaged i keeping the hag from attacking me. the silken sash which 1 wore the diamonds within it, as 1 said

“1 have obtained them—quick ! to the cates! T am nearly suffocated in this close atmosphere.”

He lifted the crone bodily into the air, and, holding her thus, passed with me to the entrance. Here she sullenly refused to show us the hidden spring, and, in spite of our threats, remained obdurate. It was some time belore we could devise a wayv of

and rolled

[ drew olf

escaping. At last I managed to scrape a hole m the side of the entry near the gates, and into this we thrust as many cartridges as we could spare. Breaking some of them open, Ilaid a small train, and, kecping as [ away as pos- =1ble, managed to make a spark and thus to fre it. Therewasatre- mendous explo- sion, which re- sounded through the empty palace, and to our joy a hole was blasted N culhiciently large for a man tocreep through. [ pass- cd through it first, then I'rank hurled

the crone from him and followed me. \We could

hear her howls of disappointment at our cscape, as Hassan rejoined us, who was clated at our success, and the know- ledge that the

Tl reward which we

had promised him would soon be his.

The diamonds were bought from us eventually by a syndicate of London mer- chants, the largest one of the stones alone being of more value than we had antici- pated the entire necklace of seventeen to be worth. The wearers of them, as they sce the hight sparkling from the gems, little supposce that they are adorned with the diamonds of Shomar's queen.

We did not part with Hassan after all, for we dectded to extend our travels castward, owing to the success of this strange adven- ture,