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Johnnie produced froed, he touched a gold piece respectfully, weighed it carefully, then pressed it to his lips He rubbed it against his cheeks and in his hair; he placed it between his teeth and bit it

"It's REAL!" he cried "Now letthem on her back Hunched backs are lucky, you know; hers is worth a fortune"

"Why, this beats the Arabian Nights!" Norine gasped

"It beats--" Branch paused, then wagged his head warningly at the girl "I don't believe a word of it and you -trip It couldn't happen In the first place there isn't anyit Why, if I wrote such a yarn--"

"It IS aled "I found Aladdin's cave, but"--his face paled and he stirred uneasily--"it was nearly the death of all of us I'll have to tell you the whole story now; I've only told you the half"

While his hearers listened, petrified with a their ears, he recited the incidents of that unforgettable night on La Cu; how Jacket stole upon the assassin while he knelt, and of the blow he struck

When Johnnie had finished there was a long moment of silence Then Norine quavered, tremulously: "That boy! That blessed boy!"

Branch murmured, feebly: "Dash water in my face, or you'll lose s and finally voiced his favorite expletive

"It's all too weirdly improbable," O'Reilly s to tell so about it to Captain Morin, and there won't be any holding him now I'm afraid he'll tip off the news about that treasure in spite of all s Those jewels are a temptation; I won't rest easy until they're safely locked up in so, but I' for news Tell me about yourselves, about Esteban I expected to find hian "He's very ill He isn't getting well" Solance at her sharply Branch nodded and winked significantly, and the girl confessed with a blush: "Yes! You told me I'd surrender to some poor, broken fellow I'm very happy and--I'm very sad"

"Hunh! He's far from poor and broken," Leslie corrected; "with a half-interest in a hu to Baron Munchausen, here This is the Cuban leap-year, Johnnie; Norine proposed to hione to refuse You cae"