"
I followed him, but I lacked his enthusiasm. He divided the vacant
land into several sections which he examined in turn. At last, in
a corner, at the angle formed by the walls of two neighboring
proprietors, a small pile of earth and gravel, covered with briers
and grass, attracted his attention. He attacked it. I was obliged
to help him. For an hour, under a hot sun, we labored without
success. I was discouraged, but Daspry urged me on. His ardor was
as strong as ever.
At last, Daspry's pickaxe unearthed some bones--the remains of a
skeleton to which some scraps of clothing still hung. Suddenly, I
turned pale. I had discovered, sticking in the earth, a small
piece of iron cut in the form of a rectangle, on which I thought I
could see red spots. I stooped and picked it up. That little iron
plate was the exact size of a playing-card, and the red spots, made
with red lead, were arranged upon it in a manner similar to the
seven-of-hearts, and each spot was pierced with a round hole
similar to the perforations in the two playing cards.
"Listen, Daspry, I have had enough of this. You can stay if it
interests you. But I am going.
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