“I took the trouble to make a number of diagrams last night, and they disclosed a peculiar thing. With the location of the first tree fixed, it matters little where the others were, in determining the direction of the treasure. It is practically the same. The objective point will change as you change the position of the trees, but the direction will vary scarcely at all. It is self-evident, of course, to those who understand such things, but it was a valuable find for me. Now, if we are correct in our assumption, thus far, the treasure is buried——”
He opened the compass, and having brought North under the needle, ran his eye North-by-North-east. A queer look passed over his face, then he glanced at Macloud and smiled.
“The treasure is buried,” he repeated—“the treasure is buried—out in the Bay.” 158
Macloud laughed!
“Looks as if wading would be a bit difficult,” he said dryly.
Croyden produced the tape-line again, and they measured to the low bluff at the water’s edge.
“Two hundred and eighty-two feet to here,” he said, “and Parmenter buried the treasure at three hundred and thirty feet—therefore, it’s forty-eight feet out in the Bay.”
“Then your supposition is that, since Parmenter’s time, the Bay has not only encroached on the Point, but also has eaten in on the sides.”
“It would seem so.”
“It’s hard to dig in water,” Macloud remarked. “It’s apt to fill in the hole, you know.”