The Rajah's Fortress — page 288: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE RAJAH’S FORTRESS. 273 nificent stones as large as hickory nuts. Some glowed dully through their rough, unpolished husks, and others flashed back crimson light from a thousand radiations. The last drawer of all held a choice lot of sapphires, each a fortune in itself. Loyd roughly estimated the value of the stones at a million pounds. Topee’s explanation was no doubt true. The royal convoy, conveying the rubies from the mines to Mandalay, had been robbed by the dacoits, not once, but on several occasions, and the whole yield of the mines of Mogok for several years had come into possession of the robber chief. It all seemed like a chapter from the Arabian Nights to Guy, as he tried torealize the vast amount of wealth contained in that one narrow room. He closed the secretary lingeringly, as though loath to shut out the sight of those dazzling jewels. The lid dropped into place with a gentle click, and for a moment or two, overcome by their emotions, no one ventured to speak. Then the spell was rudely shattered, their dream of riches fled. The silence of the room was broken by acry of human agony, followed instantly by a groan and a heavy fall. The echoes rose and fell and died away, and all was silent as before. (eee 7 CHAPTER XXXII. TOPEE MYSTERIOUSLY DEPARTS. ‘*T7’s Chauner!’’ cried Loyd. In the excitement attending the discovery of the treasure he had been left alone. With arms ready for an emergency they hurried into the other room, not knowing what to expect. COLUM 1OOO SS co