"I have come to make your excellency's fortune, if you will stand by with a good, stout ship and a handful of men to see me through." The governor shrugged his shoulders.

"Babble," he said, "all babble and bubble.

But go on." "Babble, your honour! Every word of it is worth a pint of guineas; and this is the pith of it.

Far down West Indies way, some twenty-five, maybe, or thirty years ago, there was a plate ship wrecked upon a reef.
I got it from a Spaniard, who had been sworn upon oath to keep it secret by priests who knew.

The priests were killed and after a time the Spaniard died also, but not until he had given me the ways whereby I should get at what makes a man's heart rap in his weasand." "Let me see your chart," said the governor.
A half-hour later he rose, went to the door, and sent a soldier for the two king's officers.