that the back of the great box--if such it may be termed--was against
the wall, he said again:

"No one has been here since"--

And again the sentence was left unfinished.

Forthwith he became all energy. The negro brought the crowbar, and, by
direction, set it under the edge of the sarcophagus, which he held
raised while the master blocked it at the bottom with a stone chip.
Another bite, and a larger chip was inserted. Good hold being thus had,
a vase was placed for fulcrum; after which, at every downward pressure
of the iron, the ponderous coffin swung round a little to the left.
Slowly and with labor the movement was continued until the space behind
was uncovered.

By this time the lamps had become the dependencies for light. With his
in hand, the master stooped and inspected the exposed wall. Involuntarily
the slaves bent forward and looked, but saw nothing different from the
general surface in that quarter. The master beckoned the negro, and
touching a stone not wider than his three fingers, but reddish in hue,
and looking like mere chinking lodged in an accidental crevice, signed
him to strike it with the end of the bar. Once--twice--the stone refused
to stir; with the third blow it was driven in out of sight, and, being
followed vigorously, was heard to drop on the other side. The wall
thereupon, to the height of the sarcophagus and the width of a broad
door, broke, and appeared about to tumble down.

When the dust cleared away, there was a crevice unseen before, and wide
enough to admit a hand. The reader must remember there were masons in