But David, in spite of posing as an unbeliever of all things he couldn’t see for himself, had a well-developed bump of curiosity. When he saw that Ben didn’t mean to continue the subject he raised himself on one arm and demanded, “Do you take any stock in there being a mystery on the island that goes back to the Revolution?”
“Sure,” was the prompt answer. “The house goes back that far, and some of the furniture in it, I suppose. Why not a mystery?”
“Well, it might, perhaps. But see here, Benjie——”
“Sh-sh-ish, you’ll frighten the fish.” Ben brought up another flounder and unhooked it.
As he dropped in the line again he continued, “Mr. Tuckerman told me a few things this morning. You see, this Sir Peter was a man of means. He had a lot of valuable things in this house, silver and such things he’d had brought over from England. When the people of Barmouth were trying to do all they could to help George Washington and his army they thought their rich neighbor out here ought to do his share. But he was a Tory and wanted King George to win, and so he wouldn’t do anything when they asked him. The colonists came to his house, but they found very little; his famous silver plate was gone; they took some things, but they always thought he had tricked them. And after that they wouldn’t have anything to do with Sir Peter.”
“Served him right, the old scamp.”
“Now Mr. Tuckerman thinks the secret may have something to do with the things the neighbors couldn’t find. At least that’s a possibility.”
“Huh,” chuckled David, “the Revolution was more than a hundred years ago. If that was the secret, some of the Cotterells since then would have found out about it. And when they did, there’s an end to the secret.”
Again Ben was busy. A third flounder appeared and was carefully landed. “You’re right, my boy,” said Ben, “if they did find out what became of Sir Peter’s valuables. But suppose they didn’t? Suppose Crusty Christopher and his father, and his father before that, knew the old story, but never could find the things? How about that, my lad?”
“Well, in that case,” answered David slowly, “I should say the betting was a thousand to one the secret would stay a secret.”