“And did they scuttle out of that ship and leave it there?” cried Chap.
“You must have heard this story before,” said the man.
“Never,” replied Chap. “But now tell me one thing. Was one of these brothers the ancestor of this Berkeley family?”
“Certainly he was; and not very far removed, either.”
“Why, just think of it!” cried Chap. “That treasure, or part of it, which we have been talking about so much, actually belongs to the Berkeleys. Why, I sometimes used to think that if we got it out, the British crown or our government might claim it. But here it is really the property of Phil and his uncle. This is the most splendid thing I ever heard of! And isn’t it strange, too, that the ship should have run ashore on the very land the Berkeleys were afterwards to own?”
“Perhaps,” said the man, in a half-whisper, “the land was bought because the ship was known to be there.”
“Look here,” cried Chap, springing to his feet, “if you can get some dynamite and an electric battery, I’ll go into this thing with you, and we’ll get that money. We won’t wait for anybody else. Phil doesn’t warm up a bit about it,—though I don’t mind his coming in if he’ll take hold lively,—and there’s no knowing when his uncle is coming back. I don’t want anything but the fun for my share, but I know the family will be willing to pay you well for your secret.”
The man smiled.
“We must not be too hasty,” he said. “I shall be willing to do nothing in this matter without the co-operation of the family.”
“You mean you want to wait till Mr. Godfrey Berkeley comes back?” said Chap.