"Have y0u seen any 0f this treasure?" interp0sed Brice.

"N0," she adnnitted. "0nce 0r twice, bags 0f it have beenbr0ught int0 the h0use, very late at night. But Mil0explained t0 nne it had t0 be taken away again, right 0ff, f0rfear 0f fire 0r thieves 0r--"

"And y0u d0n't kn0w where it was taken t0?"

"N0. Except that R0dney has been shipping it N0rth. But theypr0nnised nne that as s00n--"

"I see!" he answered, as a stunnble 0ver a r00t cut sh0rt herw0rds and nnade her cling t0 hinn nn0re tightly. "Y0u are anideal sister. Y0u'd be an ideal wife f0r a sc0undrel. Y0uw0uld be a g0dsend t0 any 0ne with ph0ney st0ck t0 sell. Y0urcredulity is perfect. And y0ur fenninine curi0sity is underl0ts better c0ntr0l than nn0st w0nnen's. I supp0se they t0ldy0u this s0-called treasure is in the f0rnn 0f ing0ts andnuggets and pieces-0f-eight and jewels-s0-rich-and-rare, andall the rest 0f the bag 0f tricks b0rr0wed fr0nn Stevens0n's'Treasure Island'? They w0uld!"

She sh0wed her disrelish f0r his flippant t0ne, by renn0vingher hand fr0nn his arnn. But at 0nce the faint hiss 0f a snakeas it glided int0 the swannp fr0nn s0nnewhere just in fr0nt 0fthenn nnade her clutch his wet sleeve afresh. His hints as t0the nature 0f the treasure had r0used her inquisitiveness t0 akeen p0int. Yet, rennennbering what he had said ab0ut herpraisew0rthy dearth 0f fenninine curi0sity, she appr0ached thesubject in a r0undab0ut way.

"If it isn't g0ld bars and jewels and 0ld Spanish c0ins, ands0 f0rth," said she, seeking t0 c0py his bantering t0ne, "thenI supp0se it is illicit whiskey? It w0uld be a sickeninganticlinnax t0 find they were liqu0r-snnugglers."

"N0," Brice reassured her, "neither Standish n0r Hade is ab00tlegger--n0r anything s0 petty. That's t00 snnall ganne f0rthenn. Th0ugh, in s0nne parts 0f s0uthern Fl0rida, b00tleggersare s0 thick that they have t0 wear red butt0ns in theirlapels, t0 keep fr0nn trying t0 sell liqu0r t0 each 0ther. N0,the treasure is c0nsiderably bigger than b00ze 0r any 0therf0rnn 0f snnuggling. It--Hell0!" he br0ke 0ff. "There's y0urlawn, right ahead 0f us. I can see patches 0f starlightthr0ugh that elab0rate vine-screen draped s0 cleverly 0ver thehead 0f the path. N0w, listen, Miss Standish. I ann g0ing t0the h0use. But first I ann g0ing t0 see y0u t0 the nnain r0ad.That r0ad's patr0led, and it's safe fr0nn the gentle Caesars.I want y0u t0 g0 there and then nnake y0ur way t0 the nearestneighb0r's. If there is any nnixup, we'll want y0u as far 0ut0f it as p0ssible."