"Now for your idea, Jack!" said Tom Donahue, unwinding a long thin cord
from round his waist. "You fasten it, and guide me while I take the
other end." So saying, he walked off to the base of the cliff, holding
one end of the cord, while I drew the other taut, and wound it round the
middle of the horizontal stick, passing it through the sight at the end.
By this means I could direct Tom to the right or left, until we had our
string stretching from the point of attachment, through the sight, and
on to the rock, which it struck about eight feet from the ground. Tom
drew a chalk circle of about three feet diameter round the spot, and
then called to me to come and join him. "We've managed this business
together, Jack," he said, "and we'll find what we are to find,
together." The circle he had drawn embraced a part of the rock smoother
than the rest, save that about the centre there were a few rough
protuberances or knobs. One of these Tom pointed to with a cry of
delight. It was a roughish, brownish mass about the size of a man's
closed fist, and looking like a bit of dirty glass let into the wall of
the cliff. "That's it!" he cried--"that's it!"

"That's what?"

"Why, man, _a diamond_, and such a one as there isn't a monarch in
Europe but would envy Tom Donahue the possession of. Up with your
crowbar, and we'll soon exorcise the demon of Sasassa Valley!"

I was so astounded that for a moment I stood speechless with surprise,
gazing at the treasure which had so unexpectedly fallen into our hands.

"Here, hand me the crowbar," said Tom. "Now, by using this little round
knob which projects from the cliff here as a fulcrum, we may be able to