“You don’t mean this river?” asked Chap, getting very much excited.
“Yes, I do,” said the man, “this very river. Perhaps you know the story yourself?”
“No, I don’t,” said the boy. “At least, only part of it. All I know is that a British ship was chased up this river, and ran aground right down there on this bank; and that all the people on board got ashore, and scattered, nobody knows where; and that there’s a lot of treasure on board of her,—at least, there’s every reason to believe there is,—and that nobody has ever come to claim it or dig it up.”
“Yes, that is the very ship,” said the man. “I see you are pretty good in following out a clue.”
“I’ve practised it,” said Chap, with much satisfaction. “There’s nothing like practice in these things.”
“But perhaps you did not know,” said the other, “that there were three brothers on board.”
“No, I did not know that,” said Chap.
“Well, there were,” continued the man. “They came over from England to found a family. You know that each of our distinguished families were founded by three brothers, who came over from England.”
“Yes,” said Chap, “I’ve heard that; but they generally came over sooner,—in the last century, anyway.”
“Yes,” said his companion, “but these three brothers couldn’t come any sooner. They weren’t born early enough, for one thing, and there were other reasons for delay. But they came as soon as they could, and they brought with them all the wealth they possessed.”