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. As he did so, Bucklaw eyed the room doors, windows,
fireplaces, with a grim, stealthy smile trailing across his face. Then
suddenly the good creature was his old good self again--the comfortable
shrewdness, the buoyant devil-may-care, the hook stroking the chin
pensively. And the king's officers came in, and soon all four were busy
with the map.
CHAPTER IV
THE UPLIFTING OF THE SWORDS
Iberville and Gering sat on with the tobacco and the wine. The older men
had joined the ladies, the governor having politely asked them to do so
when they chose. The other occupant of the room was Morris, who still
stood stolidly behind his master's chair.
For a time he heard the talk of the two young men as in a kind of dream.
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