“He’s a wonderful arguer, isn’t he, Jack? And, professor, what is the answer to the question which has arisen?”
“It isn’t answered definitely yet,” replied Bee, digging Hal with his elbow, “but if we bear in mind that the old rascal wanted shelter from the north, as he undoubtedly did, we can—er—reduce the probable territory to a small tract. He wouldn’t build very near the beach for fear of high tides, and he couldn’t have built up here on top because the trees are too close together. I’ve looked through this grove and there’s no evidence of any clearing. So, then—”
“Hold on a minute,” interrupted Jack. “You’re forgetting that these trees may have grown since Old Verny left. I dare say lots of them aren’t more than twenty or thirty years old.”
Bee frowned. “That’s so,” he acknowledged. “But wait a bit, Jack. If the trees weren’t here when Verny was he certainly wouldn’t have built on such a bleak spot as the top of the hill, would he?”
“No, I don’t think he would have. I guess it’s safe to say his cabin was somewhere on the slope of the hill, and probably on the south or southwesterly side.”
“Oh, who cares where it was?” demanded Hal, with a yawn. “It isn’t there now and nobody knows that he ever buried any treasure.”
“Now, suppose, then,” continued Bee, undisturbed, “that we divide the island longitudinally and latitudinally with lines in this fashion. The lines, you see, intersect pretty nearly in the middle of this bunch of trees. That has no importance. I merely mention it.”
“For the love of Mike, Bee, get to something that has got importance!” implored Hal. “My brain is reeling already!”
“Your what?” asked Bee unkindly. “Now then, Jack, if we draw a line from where the latitudinal line and the edge of the grove meet on this side to where the longitudinal line meets the beach, and if we repeat the—er—operation on the other side, we have an isosceles triangle—”
“Help!” murmured Hal.