And I believe in a devil upon earth, because I
lived months in his company; but he can't be as clever as the priests
make out, because I came here to hide from him, and hidden I have."
With that he fell into cursing and raving, but after a time he grew
quiet again, and said he: "Daniel Coffin, if that is your name,
there's hundreds of thousands of men walking this world would envy
you at this moment. And why? Because I can make you richer than any
Lord Mayor in his coach; and, what's more, I will."
He said no more that evening, but next day woke up in his wits, and
asked me to slip a hand under his pillow and take out what I found
there. Which I took out a piece of parchment. He said: "Coffin, I
am going to be as good as my word. That there which you hold in your
hand is a map of the Island of Mortallone, where the treasure lies.
I will tell you how I come by it.
"My home," he said, "was St. Mary's, in Newfoundland, which is but a
small harbour and a few wood houses gathered about a factory.
The factory belonged to a firm at Carbonear, and employed, one way
and another, all the people in the place, in number less than two
hundred. The women worked at the fish-curing, along with the
children and some old men, but the able-bodied men belonged mostly to
the Labrador fleet, or manned a two-three small vessels that made
regular voyages to the Island of St.
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