With a strong shove from his foot Larry sent the spade down quite a distance. The sharp edge struck something unyielding and stopped. Pushing with all his force, Larry could not get it beyond the obstruction. “Maybe that’s the stone they put on top of whatever they buried,” the boy thought. “I must be getting close now.” He enlarged the hole, so as to get his spade under the edge of the obstruction. When he had done this he placed a corner of his shovel under the edge of the stone, and pried upward with all his strength. Slowly the flat stone began to move. It pried the dirt up with it, and the boy was almost trembling in his eagerness. Then, with a suddenness that sent him sprawling on his back, the stone flew out of the hole, and a shower of dirt fell on Larry. He scrambled to his feet and looked into the hole. At the bottom he could see, in the dim light of the lantern, a small black box. He grabbed it up, and, only stopping to blow out the candle, he ran at top speed, leaving the lantern and spade behind him. He wanted to get home as quickly as possible, and cast aside everything that could hinder him. He never remembered how he passed through the various streets leading to the apartment. He seemed to be treading on air. Now and then a sickening dread would come to him that, perhaps after all, the box contained nothing of value. “Is that you, Larry?” his mother asked from her bedroom as he entered. “Yes, mother,” he replied, in so strange a voice that Mrs. Dexter came out in a hurry to see what had happened. When she saw Larry, covered with dirt, his face pale, and holding in his arms the black box, she exclaimed: “Are you hurt, Larry?” “No,” he answered, much excited. “But I want to find out what’s in this box.” It was tied with several stout cords, which Larry cut with his knife. Then he wrenched off the cover. As he did so he almost leaped back in astonishment. There, in the box, was a blazing pile of jewels. Diamonds there were, nearly a score, some loose, some set in rings, and, most beautiful, a large necklace of the sparkling stones. Then there were rubies, sapphires, and other precious jewels. “Larry! Where in the world did you get them?” gasped his mother. “I found them!” cried Larry, hardly able to speak, so great was his emotion. “Some men buried them in a lot and I dug them up!” “But whose are they?” “I’m not sure,” replied the boy, “but I think they are part of the jewels stolen from Mr. Reynolds’s house. If they are I’ll get a reward of one thousand dollars!” “Oh, Larry!” By this time Lucy, who had been awakened from her sleep, had slipped on a dressing gown and entered the room. “Those are the Reynolds diamonds!” she exclaimed. “That necklace is just like the one the paper had a picture of.” She caught up the string of jewels that sparkled like fire in the lamplight. “What are you going to do with them?” asked Mrs. Dexter. “I think I’ll let Mr. Newton know,” said Larry. “He’ll be able to advise me.”