“And now, if you please, Mr. Mackinder,” questioned Jimmie at length, “will you be so good as to tell us what your mission may be?”
“Certainly!” replied the other frankly. “I see the steamer is not following us so I will take plenty of time to give you details.”
“Thanks!” drily responded the lad. “We’ll appreciate it!”
With a laugh the man seated himself on a locker and motioned the lads to do likewise. They listened intently as he proceeded:
“You perhaps all realize that the possession of wealth is the desire of almost every human being. I am not different from the rest in that respect at least. Owing to some family trouble which I shall not at this time detail, I was not given the advantages that accrue ordinarily to heirs. I think you will understand what I mean?”
“You were left out in the cold when they passed the dough?” asked Jimmie with a knowing look. “Just shoved one side?”
“That’s about it!” replied the man. “But I resolved to get some money, nevertheless. I had a fertile imagination, some education and a very small amount of money. I did not want to take so cheap a way as to rob or cheat my fellow men. I was not shrewd enough to enter the business world. Therefore, I turned my attention to lost or buried treasure.”
Jimmie delivered a broad wink toward Ned. It was not lost by their observant entertainer, who laughed much to the boy’s confusion.
“Amongst other inventions that were in my brain was an instrument for detecting the presence of gold similar to the instrument called a compass. In this instance electricity had nothing to do with its action.
“To make a long story short, you know, I finally succeeded in perfecting the arrangement. It was an amusing circumstance that I had a very hard struggle preserving my last gold piece with which to test the device,” he went on with a laugh at the recollection of his trials.