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"I never saw them until this moment, Adam" And I confessed how in my folly I had cast his letter of instruction into the sea, and of how my lady had found the secret at her dire peril
"And she never showed you, Martin?"
"I was always too busy!"
"Busy!" says he, sitting back on his heels to stare up at me "Busy? O Lord love me! Sure there's not your like i' the whole world, Martin!"
"Which is hty well for the world!" says I bitterly
"'Tis vasty treasure, Martin and worth some little risk And in the cave lie yet fifty and four bars of gold and others of silver, with store of rix-dollars, doubloons, old coins of all countries There let 'em rot--here's more wealth than we shall ever spend Shall we divide it here or aboard ship?"
"Wait rather until we reach England"
"So be it, comrade Then I'm minded to apportion a share to Godby here--what d'ye say?"
"With all ot it safe on board"
"But how to do it--what of Tressady's rogues, Ada buried such of the leap-frog on the sands down yonder happy as any innocent school-lads, and never a firearst 'em"
"Hist, Cap'n!" says Godby, suddenly alert, "The !"
"Where away, Godby man?"
"Hove to in the lee o' theue Abner!" says Ada the valise, "'Tis in land Summon 'em hither, all three"
This Godby did forthwith, and presently the three fellows appeared who, knuckling their foreheads, made us their several reverences
"What now, lads?" says Ada them with his keen eyes, "I seem to mind your looks, you sailed with Black Bartleht' I think? Nay, 'tis no ones, and we be all marvellous honest these days, the which is well Meantie down to the boat," and he pointed to the valise Hereupon one of the fellows took it up, and knuckled an eyebrow to us in turn "We sail at sundown," says Adao aboard and see that all be ready"