“Did any of the gold cases come ashore?” asked Elliott.
“Oh, no. They were too heavy. But in a day or so, when the weather had gone down, I rafted myself out to the wreck on some spars. But the forward half of the ship was sunk in about eight fathoms; it just showed above the surface, and I couldn’t get at the hold. The stern part was out of water and I rummaged around for something to eat, but everything was spoiled by the salt water.
“Well, I was on that blessed island for ten days, living mostly on salt pork and London gin, for that was about all I could find that wasn’t spoiled by the sun or the water. It was furiously hot, and the only fresh water I had was a big pool of rainwater, that was drying up every day. Twice I saw steamer smokes to the northwest, and I knew that I was away out of the track of navigation, so at last I went to work and built a raft out of driftwood, and loaded all my gin and pork and fresh water on board. I rigged up a sail, and even if I wasn’t picked up I felt pretty sure that I could fetch the Madagascar coast, anyway.
“But I drifted around for six days. There was a strong current and a breeze, sometimes both going the same way and sometimes not, and I don’t know exactly where they carried me, but eventually an English mail-steamer sighted me and picked me up. She was going to Sydney, so I must have floated away up to the northeast of Madagascar. I told them that the Clara McClay had foundered at sea, gone down in deep water, so as to put her completely beyond investigation, and I thought I felt my fingers on those gold bricks.
“When we got to Sydney, I shipped on a Pacific Mail boat for the United States, and, as I’ve told you, I struck out at once for Nashville to pick up the rest of my party, for I knew that they were there during the latter part of the winter, and should be there yet.
“You see we always acted together, and, besides, this was too big a game for me to play alone. It would take a regular naval expedition and a lot of capital to fish up all that yellow stuff, but if I could locate the three men I was after I knew we could rustle the expenses somehow. We’ve been through some big deals together, mostly in Mexico and Honduras, where there’s always devilment and disturbances. Well—that’s all. I can’t go to Nashville now, but this thing can’t wait. Some one will be back after that gold if there was any one else saved from the Clara McClay.”
“The question is, who does this gold belong to?” said Elliott.
“It doesn’t belong to anybody. It was stolen, in the first place, from the Transvaal Republic. Well, there isn’t any Transvaal Republic any more. Besides, it’s treasure-trove—sunk on the high seas. Don’t worry about that, but listen to me. I don’t know where that island is, but I think I know more than any one else alive, and you can surely locate it from what I’ve told you. You’ll go to Nashville, and tell the boys just the story I’ve told you. They’ll take you in on it, of course, and they’ll do the square thing by me, same as if I was with them.”
Bennett stopped, looking both exhausted and excited, and he fixed his unnaturally bright eyes upon Elliott with a penetrating gaze.
“I’ll go,” said Elliott, “certainly. Who are your men, and where’ll I find them?”