“No,” said the man, “but part of it is true. What if anything should really happen to you? Where would we be?”
“And suppose I should tell you on my word of honor that the riches are buried here, right here in this hangar, where would I be?”
Somehow Lawrence sensed a straining forward of the four listeners.
“Sit still, sit still!” said Smith. “It is not here, so it won’t pay you to dig a nice hole in search of it, and incidentally bury me after you have finished. No, the treasure—ah, such treasure, glittering, golden, jewelled treasure such as you have never dreamed of, is not here. It is quite safe elsewhere. Quite, quite safe!”
Again he laughed.
“Where is it?” asked the oldest man again. “We want to know!”
“Perhaps it is only fair,” said Smith, shrugging his shoulders. He took out another cigarette and lighted it leisurely. “Perhaps it is only fair,” he repeated. “Besides, you might like to go and look at the beautiful strong old casket that holds the jewels and treasure. Well, then if you must know,” he blew a cloud of smoke tantalizingly toward them. “Your treasure, and mine, is in the United States Treasury.”
“You, you—” sputtered the oldest man.
“Don’t tell me I lie,” warned the smooth voice. “I do occasionally, but no man dares to tell me that I do. And this is the truth. Your treasure and mine is in the Treasury Building. Until it is taken out, we must wait. Even I cannot offer to break into that stronghold.”
“I don’t understand,” said the loser at cards.