The Ordway new era., 1922-01-27
(CHAPTER V-continued.)


L
Mr.. Tubbs then produced a legal
looking document which l took to be
the original agreement of the members
of the expedition. Beneath their sig
natures he had inscribed sort OF
codtcll, by which | relinqulshed all
claim on any treasure recovered by
the party. l signed the clause in a
bold and defiant hand, under the at
tentive eyes of the company. A sort
of sigh went round as though some
thing of vast moment had been con
cluded. And indeed it had, for now
the way was clear for Niolets map.
Covertly l watched the faces around
me. Mr.. Tubbs' eyes had grown
bright; he licked his dry lips. His
nose, tip-tilted and slightly bulbous,
took on a more than usually roseate
hue. Captain Magnus, who was of n
restless and jerky habit at the best
of times, was like leashed animal
scenting blood Beneath his open
shirt you saw the quick rise and fall
of his hairy chest. His lips, drawn
back wolfishly, displayed yellow, fang
like teeth. Under the raw crude greed
of the man you seemed to glimpse
something indescribably vulpine and
ferocious.
The face of Dugald Shaw was CON
trolled, but there was slight rigidity
in its quiet. A pulse beat rapidly in
his cheek. All worldly good, all hope
of place power, independence, hung
for him on the contents of the small
fiat package, wrapped in oil-silk, which
Miss Browne was at this moment with
drawing from her pocket.
Only Cuthbert Vane, seated next to
me, maintained without effort his Sc
renity. For him the whole affair be-
longed in the category known as sport
ing. where a gentleman played his
stake and accepted with equanimlty
the issue.
The dead sailors legacy consisted
of a single sheet of time stained pa
per. Two-thirds of the sheet was COW
cred by roughly-drawn sketch in
faded ink, giving the outline of the
island shores as we had seen them
from the Rufus Smith. Here was the
cove, with the name it bears in the Ad-
miralty charts-Lantern bay-written
in, and q dotted line indicating the
channel.
To all appearance the map was
merely to give Hopperdown his direc-
tions for entering the cove. There
was absolutely no mark upon it to
show where the treasure had been
buried.
Now for the writing on the sheet
below the map. 1t was in another
hand than that which had written
Lantern bay across the face of the
cove, and which, though labored, was
precise and clear. This other was an
uneven, wavering scrawl
He sed it is In Cave with 9
mouths near by the grave of Bill Hal
liwell wich was cut down for he new
to much. He sed you can bring a boat
to the cave at the half Tide but be-
ware the turn for the pull Is strong.
He sed to find the Grave again look
for the stone at the head marked B.
Fl. and a Cross Bones. In the Chist
is gold Dubloons, IA vast lot, also
silver Cross wich he sed leve for the
Grave for he sed Bill walks and that's
unlucky."
That was all. A fairly clear dIrec-
ton for any friend who had attended
the obsequies of Bill and knew where
to look for the stone marked b. III.
and cfoss-bones, but to perfect
strangers 1t was vague.
A blank look crept into the intent
faces about the table.
TIT don't happen to say in more
deetail jest precisely where that cave
might be looked for?" inquired Mr.,
Tubbs hopefully.
"In more detail?" repeated Miss
Browne. challengingly. pray, Mr..
Tubbs, what further detail could be
requlred?"
"A good deal more, 1 am afraid"
remarked the Scotchman grimly.
Miss Browne whirled upon him. In
her cold eye spark had kindled
And suddenly l had a new vision of
her. saw her no longer as the de-
luder of Aunt Jane, but as herself the
1eluded. Her belief in the treasure
was an obsession. This map was her
talisman, her way of escape from an