Richard Harding Davis

“ This is a true story of a search for buried treasure. The only part that is not true is the name of the man with whom I searched for the treasure. Unless I keep his name out of it he will not let me write the story, and, as it was his expedition and as my share of the treasure is only what I can make by writing the story, I must write as he dictates. I think the story should be told, because our experience was unique, and might be of benefit to others. ”

“ With alacrity he scrambled out of the hole, and, taking a cigar from my case, seated himself comfortably in the hack. I took my comfort in anticipating the thrill that would be mine when the spade would ring on the ironbound chest; when, with a blow of the axe, I would expose to view the hidden jewels, the pieces of eight, coated with verdigris, the string of pearls, the chains of yellow gold. Edgar had said a million dollars. That must mean there would be diamonds, many diamonds. ”

“ I exclaimed.
“That’s exactly what I don’t want,” said Edgar sternly. “I don’t intend to get into any tight corners. I don’t want to go to hell!”
I saw that in my enthusiasm I had perhaps alarmed him. I continued more temperately.
“Any expedition after treasure,” I pointed out, “is never without risk. You must have discipline, and you must have picked men. Suppose there’s a mutiny? Suppose they try to rob us of the treasure on our way home? We must have men we can rely on, and men who know how to pump a Winchester. ”

“ I read all the books that bear on searches for buried treasure, and I found that in each case the same mistakes were made, and that then, in order to remedy the mistakes, it was invariably necessary to kill somebody. Now, by not making those mistakes, it will not be necessary for me to kill any one, and nobody is going to have a chance to kill me.
“You propose that we fit out a schooner and sign on a crew. What will happen? A man with a sabre cut across his forehead, or with a black patch over one eye, will inevitably be one of that crew. ”

“ I was forced to admit, “that to me pirates and buried treasure always suggest adventure. And your criticism of my writings is well observed. Others have discovered the same fatal weakness. We cannot all,” I pointed out, “manufacture unshrinkable flannels.”
At this compliment to his more fortunate condition, Edgar seemed to soften. ”

“ I exclaimed. “Search for buried treasure?”
My tone visibly annoyed him. Even the eye-glasses radiated disapproval.
“I see nothing amusing in the idea,” Edgar protested coldly. “It is a plain business proposition. I find the outlay will be small, and if I am successful the returns should be large; at a rough estimate about one million dollars.”
Even to-day, no true American, at the thought of one million dollars, can remain covered. His letter to me had said, “for our mutual benefit.” ”

“ Not even a cabin boy had fallen! Edgar returned with a spade, an axe, and a pick. He placed them in the seat beside the boy driver.
“What is your name, boy?” he asked.
“Rupert,” said the boy.
“Rupert,” continued Edgar, “drive us to the beach. When you get to the bathing pavilions keep on along the shore toward Manasquan Inlet.” He touched the spade with his hand. “I have bought a building lot on the beach,” he explained, “and am going to dig a hole, and plant a flagpole.” ”

“ The cabin boy is always the first one to go. After that the mutineers kill the first mate, and lock us in our cabin, and take over the ship. They will then broach a cask of rum, and all through the night we will listen to their drunken howlings, and from the cabin airport watch the body of the first mate rolling in the lee scuppers.”
“But you forget,” I protested eagerly, “there is always one faithful member of the crew, who——”
Edgar interrupted me impatiently. ”

“ And then, remembering my share of the million dollars, I added in haste, “I accept the conditions.”
“Of course, as you say, one has got to take some risk,” Edgar continued; “but I feel sure,” he said, regarding me doubtfully, “you would not stoop to open robbery.” I thanked him.
“Well, until one is tempted,” said Edgar, “one never knows what he might do. And I’ve simply got to have one other man, and I picked on you because I thought you could write about it.”
“I see,” I said, “I am to act as the historian of the expedition.”
“That will be arranged later,” said Edgar. ”

“ There Edgar rewarded Rupert with a dime, and while we waited for the train to New York placed the two suit-cases against the wall of the ticket office and sat upon them. When the train arrived he warned me in a hoarse whisper that I had promised to help him guard the treasure, and gave me one of the suit-cases. It weighed a ton. Just to spite Edgar, I had a plan to kick it open, so that every one on the platform might scramble for the contents. ”

“ Then we all camp out on a desert island inhabited only by goats, and we build a stockade, and the mutineers come to treat with us under a white flag, and we, trusting entirely to their honor, are fools enough to go out and talk with them. At which they shoot us up, and withdraw laughing scornfully.” Edgar fixed his eye-glasses upon me accusingly. ”

“ I thought,” he remonstrated, “you’d jump at the chance. It isn’t every day a man can dig for buried treasure.”
“That’s all right,” I said. “Perhaps I appreciate that quite as well as you do. But my time has a certain small value, and I can’t leave my work just for excitement. We may be weeks, months—— How long do you think we——”
Behind his eye-glasses Edgar winked reprovingly.
“That is a leading question,” he said. “I will pay all your legitimate expenses—transportation, food, lodging. It won’t cost you a cent. And you write the story—with my name left out,” he added hastily ”

“ On each side of us great vessels with the Blue Peter at the fore lay at the wharfs ready to cast off, or were already nosing their way down the channel toward strange and beautiful ports. Lamport and Holt were rolling down to Rio; the Royal Mail’s Magdalena, no longer “white and gold,” was off to Kingston, where once seven pirates swung in chains; the Clyde was on her way to Hayti where the buccaneers came from; the Morro Castle was bound for Havana, which Morgan, king of all the pirates, had once made his own ”

“ A year from now you can write the story.” As I moved in a dazed state toward the steel door, his voice halted me.
“And you can say in your story,” called Edgar, “that there is only one way to get a buried treasure. ”