Exclamations of surprise burst from the lips of the boys when the piles of silver were exposed to view, and Ned turned the pieces over much like a miser counting his hoard.
“Is this all yours?” Vance cried as soon as he had recovered from his surprise sufficiently to be able to speak.
“I reckon it is, seein’s how I’m the first one to find it.”
“Find it?” the boys cried in concert.
“That’s what I said. It was in a box, but I didn’t have anything to open the cover with, so had to burn it off, an’ after that there was nothin’ left in which to put the money.”
“How many dollars’ worth are there?”
“I haven’t had time to count them. I didn’t find the beauties until the night of the storm.”
“And was it on this island you discovered them?”
“Of course. You don’t fancy Captain Bragg would send that much ashore with me, do you?”
“Where did it come from?” Roy cried, pale with excitement.