“The newspaper shows that.”
“I don’t think so,” Nelse replied, firmly. “What we read was the story of how buccaneering first came about, and, of course, it was necessary to speak of the small key where it had its birth.”
“If that was its only use, why did the owner of the things we found keep it so carefully?”
“Probably to show his shipmates that at least a portion of his story was true.”
Until this moment Gil had had but little time to speculate upon the supposed treasure, owing to the fact of his having been taken sick so soon after the discovery in the attic was made, and now a very unpleasant doubt came into his mind.
It no longer seemed such an easy matter to find the place designated, and he began to fear the treasure hunting would be brought to an end before it had really commenced.
“I shall believe the Tortuga de Mar is the place until we have searched over it pretty well,” Gil said, after a long pause. “Then, if nothing is found, we’ll say the drawing must refer to some spot on the island of Hayti.”
“But what about the voudoos which are causing Andy so much alarm?”
“What’s that?” a voice asked from the companionway, and an instant later Captain Mansfield was in the cabin. “Where did you boys ever hear anything about voudoos?”
“Andy says they’ll kill us if we attempt so much as to anchor near where any pirate hoard is supposed to be hidden,” Gil replied, with a laugh.