In a few moments the mound loomed up out of the darkness like a spectral dome, and, looking no more upon the ground, the captain ran toward it.

By means of the stony projections he quickly mounted to the top, and there the sight he saw almost made him drop his lantern.

The great lid of the mound had been moved and was now awry, leaving about one half of the opening exposed.
In one great gasp the captain's breath seemed to leave him, but he was a man of strong nerves, and quickly recovered himself; but even then he did not lift his lantern so that he could look into the interior of the mound.

For a few moments he shut his eyes.

He did not dare even to look.
But then his courage came back, and holding his lantern over the opening, he gazed down into the mound, and it seemed to his rapid glance that there was as much gold in it as when he last saw it.
The discovery that the treasure was still there had almost as much effect upon the captain as if he had found the mound empty.