"We have found a pirate's treasure," Harry said in a whisper. "There are nineteen bags full of all kinds of money."
"Pirates' treasure!" his father repeated in astonishment.
"What the lad says is a fact, sir;" and Bob stepped forward once more. "We had no way of findin' out how much it was worth; but there's altogether too big an amount for us to run the risk of lettin' strangers see the pile."
"Where is it?"
"At the camp, sir. I'll lead the way. Jim, you foller behind me an' let Joe bring up the rear."
Then Bob set out at such a rapid pace that there was but little opportunity for conversation until the entire distance had been traversed.
Joe and Jim built a huge camp-fire, and after Harry introduced his father to the three members of the party who were strangers, Bob pulled from beneath the mattresses one of the treasure bags.
"There are eighteen more jes' like that," he said, as he slashed the tarred canvas with his knife until the yellow coins fell in a golden stream at Mr. Vandyne's feet. "We haven't overhauled many of 'em; but one's a fair sample of the lot."
"Why, you've got a fortune here!" the gentleman cried in surprise as he assured himself that the pieces were gold and of large denomination. "Where and how did you find it?"
"It'll need a pretty long yarn to give you an understandin' of the whole cruise, an' we'll each do a share of the spinnin' so the thing will come out ship-shape," Bob said, as he began to fill a pipe, that his character of story-teller might be enacted properly. "You've got all night for the hearin', so there's no pertic'lar hurry. Harry shall begin, an' I'll chip in when he comes to the pickin' up of me after I'd thinned down pretty nearly to a ghost."