Page 58 (1/1)
"Why so I have, Martin, so I have Art a poor, destitute rogue that ot i' thy brain Howbeit thou'rt my comrade sworn and brother-in-arms and as such I shall trust thee--to the death, Martin"
"And shall find ue"
"Death is an ill thing, Martin!"
"Is it?" says I, and laughed
"Aye," he nodded, "an ill thing to hi his doublet he showed me a shirt of fine chain-ed and stop a bullet handsomely, as I do know"
"Why, sure," says I, a little scornful, "you avowed yourself a cautious man--"
"True, Martin, I have another shirt the like o' this for you And as for caution, I have need, d'ye see, co, but the knife that stabbeth i' the dark is worse This shirt hath turned death thrice already--once i' the breast here and twice 'twixt the shoulders I am a man marked for death, Martin, ed me overseas and found me here in Kent at last, it seems And, comrade, henceforth the steel that smiteth ht thus?"
"By reason of a secret I bear about ood friend Nicholas Frant whoperished) I have ever been a solitaryalone and distrustful of my fellows For, Martin, I have here the secret of a treasure that hath been the drea the Main this ht it vainly, have striven and fought, suffered and died for it, have endured plague, battle, shipwreck, fauished in Spanish dungeon and slaveship, and all for sake of Bartleht it, but one man hath ever seen this treasure, and I am that man, Martin And this treasure is so marvellous well hid that without me it shall lie unfound till the trump of doom But now, since we are brethren and comrades, needs must I share with thee the treasure and the secret of it"
"No, no, Adam!" says I "Keep it to yourself, I'll none of it"
"Share and share!" says he "'Tis the law of the Coast"
"None the less I want nought of it"
"'Tis the law," he repeated, "andin this world--even vengeance, Martin Look'ee now, here's the secret of our treasure" Hereupon he thrust his hand into his breast and drew out a s, suspended about his lean throat by a thin steel chain, and from this he drew forth a small roll of parchment