This remark was made by Harvey, as he lifted his arms from the top rail of the fence, half-sighing, involuntarily, as he did so, and stepped back into the road. The neighbors walked along, and talked about the farm they had just been looking over, until their ways separated, and each returned to his own home. "That's a splendid farm of Peterson's," remarked Harvey to his wife, as he sat balancing his spoon, with a thoughtful air, on the edge of a cup, after finishing his supper that evening. only wish that I was its owner." "Won't Peterson sell ?" "Not at a price to suit me." "What is it worth?" I "And mine is n't really worth eight dollars. I was taken in most shamefully in the purchase. One half of my meadow land is too wet for any kind of a profitable crop." Mrs. Harvey seeing that her husband's mind was fretted, did not encourage a continuance of deed, a fitting place for some freebooter to hide away his ill-gotten wealth." "Such things have been done." "O yes. I remember very well," returned Harvey, "hearing my father relate a money digging adventure in which he was once engaged, and which proved successful. An earthen pot, containing gold coins a century old, was discovered, after a search of several days." "How much was in it?" asked Peterson, with ill-concealed interest. "Oh, about ten thousand dollars, I believe; there were three of them to share the booty." "How do you suppose it came there?" " He was certainly very fortunate. But did the subject, but sought to change it. In this he not endeavor to discover more buried treashe was not successful. A musing silence on the part of both was soon the consequence. sures?" "Yes. He spent a good deal of time in Half an hour after tea farmer Peterson drop-digging about in various places, but with no Then the ped in to chat a little. Crops, stock, &c. formed the themes of conversation. subject took a more general range. "I had a very curious dream last night," remarked Harvey, during an interval of silence. "Ah! What was it?" asked Peterson, who was a man of lively imagination and sanguine temperament. "I dreamed that there was a large amount of money buried under an old, half-decayed tree, overhanging a bank. I saw the spot, and the tree in my dream. I know them well enough, but for my life, cannot find the place. I have been all over my farm to day; not that I believe at all in dreams, but because I had n't much to do and felt a little curious; but I can't make out the spot. I think I must have seen it on your farm, or that of friend Elwell's, perhaps." "Do you remember exactly how the place looked?" asked Peterson, with affected indifference. "O yes! I see it before me, now, as distinctly as I see that old chair by the fire place. A kind of bank, like a road, ran along the edge of a piece of meadow land; above this there was a considerable hill. Bending over this bank stood a very old chestnut tree, partly decayed above and at the root. It was not a great distance from the river, and seemed in { more good luck. I, his son, think it more profitable to plough than dig. There are hid treasures in the earth more valuable than gold, and I find them every year at harvest time." As Peterson went home that evening, he could think of nothing else but his neighbor's dream. That night he dreamed that a dark, fierce looking man came to him, with sword by his side, and pistols in his belt and beckoned him to follow. He did so, and was taken to the very spot which Harvey had described. There his guide, who assumed an air of angry authority, ordered him to dig. He obeyed, and soon his spade was among glittering coin, which he was told he might carry home and use as his own pleasure might dictate. The surprise and joy that this occasioned, awoke him. He could not again sleep. out. Early in the morning he got up and walked He did not remember any spot on his own farm that answered the description given him by Harvey; but he had a faint recollection of having seen something like it on his neighbor's place. He, therefore, crossed his own fences, and began to explore the land of his neighbor, situated at some distance from his dwelling. The very spot!" he ejaculated, pausing, suddenly, as he sprung from a piece of elevated ground upon the bank or artificial road described by Harvey. His heart beat violently, and for a few upon the ground, and placing his foot upon it, moments he felt almost like suffocating. Then was about driving it, with a strong muscular he became so weak that he had to sit down effort, into the earth, when a loud, unearthly close to the root of the old chestnut tree. cry, or scream, suddenly filled the air. His spade fell from his hand, and his dog pressed close up to him, giving utterance to a low growl. "Fool! fool that I am "" he said, regaining his spade, to be frightened by a screeching owl." A large stone, thrown into the old tree that bent over the spot, dislodged the night bird, and then the search for gold commenced. Three hours were spent in earnest, but unsuccessful toil. His spade chinked among no rusty coin, nor crushed into fragments no sacred money jar. Wearied and disappointed, he at length abandoned his labor and returned home. It was near day light when nature yielded, and sleep stole over his senses. But his excited imagination re-pre "There is money here, just as sure as my name is Peterson!" he said to himself, gazing upon the exact spot he had seen in his dream. It was with difficulty that he could restrain himself from digging down with a stick, or any thing that came first to hand, and securing the golden treasure. Prudence, however, held him back for the present. Some one might come along and discover what he was at. Resolving to wait until night, and then visit the place alone, properly prepared for doing the work of discovery successfully, he hurried home, taking a very circuitous route, lest his neighbor should see him, and suspect the motive that had led him to walk over his premises so early in the morning. That night, after all were in bed and asleep,sented the money digging scene. He still toiled Peterson stole quietly from the side of his slumbering wife, and, dressing himself in silence, left his chamber. With a spade in one hand, and a lanthern, covered so as to conceal the light within, he took his way, accompanied only by a favorite dog, in whose discretion he had confidence, towards the place where the money he expected to find lay buried. There was a full moon in the sky, though it was now and then concealed by heavy masses of dark clouds, from which came an occasional low peal of thunder, that, spite of his firmness, caused Peterson's { apparent. He kicked over, carelessly, a few heart to shrink with something of fear in his bosom. Heretofore, he had thought but little of the superstitious legends related in connection with money digging. But now, visions of the restless spirits who were said to be the guardians of buried treasures, arose in his mind. One story and another, heard when but a boy, came back vividly upon his mind, and half-unnerved his manly reason that had rejected such silly tales. At length he arrived at the spot. All was silent as death. Now the whole scene was lit up by the broad white rays of the moon, and now, suddenly, all was dark and obscure, as a swiftly gliding cloud covered the brilliant disk of night's chaste queen. These rapid changes, passing over the face of nature, and as rapidly reflected upon the mind of Peterson, unnerved him to such a degree, that he trembled from head to foot. But his desire for the gold buried beneath his feet was strong, stronger than his supernatural fears. Searching out, with the aid of his lanthern, the exact spot he had marked during the preceding day, he let the edge of his spade fall with spade and pick-axe, but was more successful. Gold in rich abundance glittered at his feet-he was gathering it up joyfully, when the hand of his wife roused him from his prolonged slumber, into real consciousness. It was towards the middle of the day that Harvey strolled over to that part of his farm which had been the scene of his neighbor's midnight operations. He did not seem very much surprised at what he saw, nor altogether displeased at the evidences of hard labor that were clods, muttered something in an under tone, ejaculated" humph! humph!" with something like a self-satisfied chuckle, and then walked away. For about half the distance to his house, his steps were slow, and his face thoughtful. Suddenly something seemed to occur to his mind of a pleasing character, for he struck his hands together, and said, half-aloud— "I'll do it!" He reached home in a very few minutes, and went up into his room, where he remained for some time, and then came down, and walked away with a quick, earnest pace. That night Peterson again visited the spot where he had seen so much gold in his dream, and again commenced digging. He had been thus engaged for about half an hour, when his spade struck something that gave a metallic sound. He was instantly all in a tremor, and dug down more earnestly, examining carefully each spade-full that was thrown up. Eagerly, now, he toiled, but nothing more was found that night. Enough, however, had come to light to satisfy him, that he had not been laboring in vain-that buried treasures were there, and would soon be his. Night after night Peterson returned to dig for gold. Every now and then a single old coin would be found, but no money jar had yet come to light-no iron bound chest, concealing millions of treasure. Still, the few coins that he had turned up, satisfied him that immense quantities of money were buried in the vicinity. "I believe," he remarked to her one day, "that the place where I have been digging is not the only one upon Harvey's farm where gold lies buried. Money has been found upon it before. I am half tempted to make an offer to exchange with him. My farm is worth a great deal more as a producing farm; but his is infinitely more valuable for its buried treasures." The wife neither assented nor objected to this. Her silence was felt to be an approval by the half crazed husband, who, from that moment, seriously determined to make an effort to get It was about the fifth or sixth day after he possession of Harvey's farm, even if he had to had commenced his search for gold, that Peter-give his own for it, which was really worth son called in to see the owner of the ground on three or four times as much. which he had been digging. After some conversation of a general character, Harvey remarked: "That's a very fine farm of your's." Yes," was replied. That night he dug for five hours without success. He had intended, on the next day, to make a straight forward proposition to Harvey, But it has to be but this night of lost labor made him hesitate. well worked to get any thing out of it." Harvey threw himself in his way during the "No doubt of that; and you are the one to morning, in the hope that he would do so, for work it well." he had seen enough to satisfy him that matters were verging towards this issue. But Peterson was not as much inclined for the bargain as he had hoped. He talked about it, but would not come to the point. The work of eight or ten nights showed rather conspicuously, but Peterson was sure that Harvey had not yet discovered what he was about, for no allusion was made by him to an excavation that must have struck him as very singular, had it fallen under his eye-so singular that he could not have helped speaking about it. For three days he had not visited the scene of his labors, in the day time. A few hours after parting with Harvey, his inclinations lead him to go to the spot that had for him more interest than any other spot on the earth. The approach was from above. As he came to the brow of the rising ground that overlooked it, he was surprised to see Harvey digging there with a "It is not so good; and cannot be made to spade. Instantly his heart sunk in his bosom. produce as large crops." So All was discovered, and now the owner of the land would claim the treasure as his own. powerful was the reaction of his feelings, oc "I don't know-I believe it might," said Harvey. "At least I should not be willing to exchange farms, if the thing were seriously pro-casioned by this sudden discovery, that he posed, on any other terms than acre for acre." Nothing more definite passed between the parties at this interview. After Peterson had gone away, a peculiar self-complacent smile settled on the face of Harvey, that had in it an expression of sinister triumph. Peterson, whose nightly absence could not be concealed from his wife, had fully informed her of its cause, and had even succeeded in inspiring her with the same wild hopes that animated his own bosom, by displaying a number of old fashioned gold coins already found. staggered up against a tree, and leaned, panting and weak as a child, against it. Recovering himself a little, he began to watch the movements of Harvey with an interest all alive. He had done so only a little while, when a change came over him. First his face became flushed-then pale, and then flushed again. Quietly, then, retiring, he left the ground, and returned home, in a thoughtful, sober mood. Early after tea, Harvey called in to see him. "Good evening! good evening, neighbor |