CHAPTER VII
A MYSTERIOUS DOCUMENT
The two captains scanned the document closely.
"It certainly is a map," pronounced Captain Hamilton decisively.
"That's what it 'pears to be," admitted Tyke.
"And it's the map of an island," went on Hamilton. "See," he pointedout, "these wavy lines are meant to represent water and these firmerlines stand for the land."
The others followed the movement of his finger and agreed with him.
"Well, after all, what of it?" asked Tyke, leaning back in his chairwith affected indifference.
"There's this of it," said his visitor throwing his extinguished cigarinto the waste-basket and drawing his chair still closer. "I feel thatwe have a mystery on our hands, and we should examine it fore and aftto find what there is in it."
"I s'pose the next thing you'll be saying is that's it's a guide tohidden treasure or something like that," jeered Tyke feebly, to concealhis own growing excitement.
"Stranger things than that have happened," replied the captainsententiously.
"Have it your own way," assented Tyke, rising and going to the door.
"Winters," he called, "jest remember that I'm not in to anybody for therest of the afternoon."
"Yes, sir," replied Winters dutifully.
Having locked the door as an additional guard against intrusion, Tykerejoined the two at the desk.
"Fire away," he directed. "What's the first move?"
"The first thing is to make out what's written on this other paper,"said the captain, handling it gingerly.
The three bent over and studied the document closely.
"Why, it's some foreign lingo; Spanish probably!" exclaimed Grimshaw."Not a word of English anywhere, as far as I can make out."
"That's so," agreed the captain, a little dismayed at the discovery."We've struck a snag right at the start. If we have to call in any oneto translate it, we'll be taking the whole world into the secret, ifthere is any secret worth taking about."
"Don't let that worry you," Drew intervened. "I think I know enoughSpanish to be able to make out the paper."
There was an exclamation of delight from Captain Hamilton and a snortof surprise from Tyke.
"Why, I never knew that you knew anything about that lingo!" the latterejaculated.
"I don't know any too much about it," returned Drew, modestly. "Butthe South American trade is getting so big now that I thought it wouldbe a good thing to know something of Spanish; so I've been studying itat night and at odd times for the last two years."
"Well, don't that beat the Dutch!" cried Tyke delightedly. "Now if Iwas superstitious"--he stared truculently at the suspicious working ofDrew's mouth--"I'd be sure there was something in this that wasn'tnatural. We want to look into the box, an' it busts open in front ofus. We want to read that Spanish lingo, an' you know how to do it.I'll be keelhauled if it don't make me feel a little creepy. That is,"he corrected himself quickly, "it would if I believed in them things."
"Well, now that we know you don't believe in them," said CaptainHamilton, with the faintest possible touch of sarcasm, "and since ouryoung friend here is able to read this paper, suppose we go to it."
"You bet we'll go to it!" cried Tyke eagerly. "You jest take a pencilan' write it down in English as Allen reels it off."
"There won't be any 'reeling off'," warned Drew, as with knitted browhe pored over the document. "In the first place, the Spanish used hereis very old, and some of the words that were common then aren't in useany more. I can see that. Then, too, the ink has faded so much thatsome of the words can't be made out at all. And where the paper hasbeen folded the lines have entirely crumbled away."
"Sort o' Chinese puzzle, is it?" queried Tyke dismally.
"A Spanish puzzle, anyway," smiled Drew. "I need something to help outmy eyes. I wish we had some microscopes in our stock, as well astelescopes."
"We'll get the best there is in the market if necessary," declaredTyke. "But jest for the present, here is something that may fill thebill."
He reached into a drawer and brought out a reading glass that could beplaced over the paper as it lay on the desk.
"The very thing!" exclaimed Drew as he applied it. "That helps a lot."
There was a tense air of expectancy over all three as he began to read.Tyke kept nervously polishing his glasses, and Captain Hamilton's handwas the least bit unsteady as it guided the pencil. Drew's voicetrembled, though he tried studiously to keep it as calm as though hewere reading off the items on a bill of lading in the ordinary courseof business.
But if the work was exciting, it was none the less very slow. Once ina while there would be a word that was wholly outside Drew'svocabulary. In such cases the captain put it down in the originalSpanish for Drew to study out later by the aid of his dictionary. Thenat the points where the story seemed most important, there would be acrease in the paper that would eliminate an entire line. Other wordshad faded so completely that the magnifying glass failed to help.
But at last, despite all the tantalizing breaks, the final word wasreached, and the captain sat back and drew a long breath while theyounger man refolded the paper.
"Well now," said Tyke, "lets have it all from the first word to thelast. An' Cap'n, read mighty slow."
Amid a breathless silence, Captain Hamilton commenced reading what hehad taken down.
"Trinidad, March 18, 17--.
"In the name of God, amen.
"I Ramon ...... rez unworthy sin .......... ...... fit .... ......name ...... .... lips .... ...... ...... knowing ..... .... .... ........ mercy ........ ...... ...... shown none, expecting .... .... ........ .... .... deepest hell yet .... .... .... .... .... Mary .... ........ .... saints .... shriving .... .... Holy Church .... .... ....confess .... .... .... life.
".... .... .... wild .... .... .... .... .... .... .... Tortugas ....French .... _Reine Marguerite_ .... .... .... .... .... .... death.
From there we ran to Port au Spain .... .... .... plundering .... ........ .... city, .... many men and boys and .... .... .... women and..... Off one of Baha .... Cays .... .... .... galleon .... .... ........ fought stoutly .... .... .... .... walk .... plank. Other ships.... .... .... .... .... forgotten. We took great spoils .... ........ .... accursed ... ... spent .... .... living,
"I .... .... .... captain. Down in the Caribbean Sea we .... ....caravel .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... one hundred andtwenty. Lost ship in tornado .... .... .... .... got another.
"Many more .... .... .... .... .... .... .... weary .... .... tellingwe .... .... .... God .... man.
"At last .... .... ten .... .... .... butchery .... frigates .... ....ch ..... Fled to one of the .... islands .... careened. Tired knowing.... .... sooner or later I made up my mind .... .... .... .... onemore rich prize .... .... wickedness.
"We captured the .... Guadalquiver ..... Desperate .... .... blood..... thousand doubloons .... pearls .... .... price.
"I knew of an island off the beaten track where there was good hiding.... .... found, night. Cutter .... .... ashore, mutiny .... ....killed them both. And there the booty is still .... .... .... ........ forbid.
"Now standing .... .... .... .... .... hell, I have made .... drawing.... .... island where .... buried. I give it freely .... Mother ........ .... .... cand .... .... .... altar and .... .... masses .... ....unworthy soul.
his (X) _Al_ .... .... mark
"Attest _Pablo Ximenes_, notary."
The captain laid the paper on the desk and glanced at the intent facesof his companions.
"Now, what do you make of that?" he asked.