them into his purse, after which Hormiga took the road back to Aldeire,
resolving in his own mind to continue his excavations under the Moor's
tower while the document went to the Holy Land and came back translated;
proceedings which, according to the lawyer, would occupy something like a
year and a half.


IV.

Uncle Juan had no sooner turned his back upon his gossip and counsellor
than the latter took his pen and wrote the following letter:

"Don Bonifacio Tudela y Gonzalez, Chapel-master of the Cathedral of Ceuta.

"MY DEAR NEPHEW-IN-LAW,--To no one but a man of your piety would I confide
the important secret contained in the accompanying document. I say
important, because without a doubt in it are directions for finding the
hiding-place of a TREASURE, of which I will give you a part if I should
succeed in discovering it with your help. To this end you must get a Moor
to translate the document for you and send me the translation in a
certified letter, mentioning the matter to no one, unless it be your wife,
whom I know to be a person of discretion.

"Forgive my not having written to you in all these years, but you know how
busy a life I lead. Your aunt continues to remember you in her prayers
every night. I hope you are better of the affection of the stomach from
which you were suffering in 1806, and remain your affectionate
uncle-in-law,

"MATIAS DE QUESADA.