Part 15 (2/2)
”But you're not leaving the s.h.i.+p, father,” continued Rosey, impetuously. ”You haven't sold it to that man Sleight?”
Mr. Nott rose and carefully closed the cabin door. Then drawing a large wallet from his pocket, he said, ”It's sing'lar ye should hev got the name right the first pop, ain't it, Rosey? but it's Sleight, sure enough, all the time. This yer check,” he added, producing a paper from the depths of the wallet, ”this yer check for 25,000 dollars is wot he paid for it only two hours ago.”
”But,” said Renshaw, springing to his feet furiously, ”you're duped, swindled--betrayed!”
”Young man,” said Nott, throwing a certain dignity into his habitual gesture of placing his hands on Renshaw's shoulders, ”I bought this yer s.h.i.+p five years ago jist ez she stood for 8,000 dollars. Kalkilatin'
wot she cost me in repairs and taxes, and wot she brought me in since then, accordin' to my figgerin', I don't call a clear profit of 15,000 dollars much of a swindle.”
”Tell him all,” said Rosey, quickly, more alarmed at Renshaw's despairing face than at the news itself. ”Tell him everything, d.i.c.k--Mr. Renshaw; it may not be too late.”
In a voice half choked with pa.s.sionate indignation Renshaw hurriedly repeated the story of the hidden treasure, and the plot to rescue it, prompted frequently by Rosey's tenacious memory and a.s.sisted by Rosey's deft and tactful explanations. But to their surprise the imperturbable countenance of Abner Nott never altered; a slight moisture of kindly paternal tolerance of their extravagance glistened in his little eyes, but nothing more.
”Ef there was a part o' this s.h.i.+p, a plank or a bolt ez I don't know, ez I hevn't touched with my own hand, and looked into with my own eyes, thar might be suthin' in that story. I don't let on to be a sailor like YOU, but ez I know the s.h.i.+p ez a boy knows his first hoss, as a woman knows her first babby, I reckon thar ain't no treasure yer, onless it was brought into the Pontiac last night by them chaps.”
”But are you mad! Sleight would not pay three times the value of the s.h.i.+p to-day if he were not positive! And that positive knowledge was gained last night by the villain who broke into the Pontiac--no doubt the Lascar.”
”Surely,” said Nott, meditatively. ”The Lascar! There's suthin' in that. That Lascar I fastened down in the hold last night unbeknownst to you, Mr. Renshaw, and let him out again this morning ekally unbeknownst.”
”And you let him carry his information to Sleight--without a word!”
said Renshaw, with a sickening sense of Nott's utter fatuity.
”I sent him back with a message to the man he kem from,” said Nott, winking both his eyes at Renshaw, significantly, and making signs behind his daughter's back.
Rosey, conscious of her lover's irritation, and more eager to soothe his impatience than from any faith in her suggestion, interfered. ”Why not examine the place where he was concealed? he may have left some traces of his search.”
The two men looked at each other. ”Seem' ez I've turned the Pontiac over to Sleight jist ez it stands, I don't know ez it's 'xactly on the square,” said Nott doubtfully.
”You've a right to know at least WHAT you deliver to him,” interrupted Renshaw brusquely: ”Bring a lantern.”
Followed by Rosey, Renshaw and Nott hurriedly sought the lower deck and the open hatch of the forehold. The two men leaped down first with the lantern, and then a.s.sisted Rosey to descend. Renshaw took a step forward and uttered a cry.
The rays of the lantern fell on the s.h.i.+p's side. The Lascar had, during his forced seclusion, put back the boxes of treasure and replaced the planking, yet not so carefully but that the quick eye of Renshaw had discovered it. The next moment he had stripped away the planking again, and the hurriedly-restored box which the Lascar had found fell to the deck, scattering part of its ringing contents. Rosey turned pale; Renshaw's eyes flashed fire; only Abner Nott remained quiet and impa.s.sive.
”Are you satisfied you have been duped?” said Renshaw pa.s.sionately.
To their surprise Mr. Nott stooped down, and picking up one of the coins handed it gravely to Renshaw. ”Would ye mind heftin' that 'ere coin in your hand--feelin' it, bitin' it, sc.r.a.pin' it with a knife, and kinder seein' how it compares with other coins?”
”What do you mean?” said Renshaw.
”I mean that that yer coin--that ALL the coins in this yer box, that all the coins in them other boxes--and ther's forty on 'em--is all and every one of 'em counterfeits!”
The piece dropped unconsciously from Renshaw's hand, and striking another that lay on the deck gave out a dull, suspicious ring.
”They waz counterfeits got up by them Dutch supercargo sharps for dealin' with the Injins and cannibals and South Sea heathens ez bows down to wood and stone. If satisfied them ez well ez them b.u.t.tons ye puts in missionary boxes, I reckon, and 'cepting ez freight, don't cost nothin'. I found 'em tucked in the ribs o' the old Pontiac when I bought her, and I nailed 'em up in thar lest they should fall into dishonest hands. It's a lucky thing, Mr. Renshaw, that they comes into the honest fingers of a square man like Sleight--ain't it?”
He turned his small, guileless eyes upon Renshaw with such child-like simplicity that it checked the hysterical laugh that was rising to the young man's lips.
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