Her father read
the service over us, out of a Testament he always carried in his
pocket. As for me, since my poor wife's death I had thoroughly given
myself over to the devil, and did not care. Old Klootz was
first-rate company, too; though living in that forsaken place he
seemed to be a dictionary about every ship that had sailed the seas
for forty years past, and to know every scandal about her.
He listened, too, though he seemed to be talking in his full-hearted
way all the time. And the end was that I told him about Melhuish,
and showed him the map.
He had heard about Melhuish, as about everything else; but the map
did truly--I think--surprise him. We studied it together, and he
wound up by saying--
"There's a clever fellow somewhere at the bottom of this, and I
should like to make his acquaintance."
Said I: "Then you believe there is such a treasure hidden?"
"Lord love you," said he, "I know all about that! It happened in the
year '86 at Puerto Bello. A Spaniard, Bartholomew Diaz, that had
been flogged for some trouble in the mines, stirred up a revolt among
the niggers and half-breeds, and came marching down upon the coast
at the head of fourteen thousand or fifteen thousand men, sacking the
convents and looting the mines on his way.
Pages:
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212