Brigands! Of course!--what a fool I was not to have thought of them before; the dagger painted on the lid of the chest should have guided me to the solution of the mystery.

A red dagger was the recognized sign-manual of a bold and dangerous brigand named Carmelo Neri, who, with his reckless gang, haunted the vicinity of Palermo.
"So!" I thought, "this is one of your bright ideas, my cut-throat Carmelo! Cunning rogue! you calculated well--you thought that none would disturb the dead, much less break open a coffin in search of gold.

Admirably planned, my Carmelo! But this time you must play a losing game! A supposed dead man coming to life again deserves something for his trouble, and I should be a fool not to accept the goods the gods and the robbers provide.

An ill-gotten hoard of wealth, no doubt; but better in my hands than in yours friend Carmelo!" And I meditated for some minutes on this strange affair If, indeed--and I saw no reason to doubt it--I had chanced to find some of the spoils of the redoubtable Neri, this great chest must have been brought over by sea from Palermo.

Probably four stout rascals had carried the supposed coffin in a mock solemn procession, under the pretense of its containing the body of a comrade.