Копи царя Соломона

           Soweleftit. Perhaps,insomeremoteunborncentury,amorefortunateexplorermayhituponthe"OpenSesame,"andfloodtheworldwithgems. But,myself,Idoubtit.Somehow,Iseemtofeelthatthetensofmillionsofpounds’worthofjewelswhichlieinthethreestonecofferswillnevershineroundtheneckofanearthlybeauty. TheyandFoulata’sboneswillkeepcoldcompanytilltheendofallthings. 

           Withasighofdisappointmentwemadeourwayback,andnextdaystartedforLoo. Andyetitwasreallyveryungratefulofustobedisappointed; for,asthereaderwillremember,byaluckythought,Ihadtakentheprecautiontofillthewidepocketsofmyoldshootingcoatandtrouserswithgemsbeforeweleftourprison-house,alsoFoulata’sbasket,whichheldtwiceasmanymore,notwithstandingthatthewaterbottlehadoccupiedsomeofitsspace. Agoodmanyofthesefelloutinthecourseofourrolldownthesideofthepit,includingseveralofthebigones,whichIhadcrammedinonthetopinmycoatpockets .But,comparativelyspeaking,anenormousquantitystillremained,includingninety-threelargestonesrangingfromovertwohundredtoseventycaratsinweight. Myoldshootingcoatandthebasketstillheldsufficienttreasuretomakeusall,ifnotmillionairesasthetermisunderstoodinAmerica,atleastexceedinglywealthymen,andyettokeepenoughstoneseachtomakethethreefinestsetsofgemsinEurope. Sowehadnotdonesobadly.