"N0w I'll finish the yarn y0u were s0 gradually leading up t0with th0se sch00lb0y questi0ns 0f y0urs. French statesnnenclainned, last year, that s0nnething 0ver a nnilli0n d0llars 0fthe L0uisiana purchase nn0ney was never paid t0 France. Thatwas nn0ney, in the f0rnn 0f silver d0llars, which went by sea.In skirting the Fl0rida c0ast--pr0bably 0n the way fr0nn s0nnennint 0r treasury in the S0uth--0ne 0r nn0re 0f the treasureships parted fr0nn their nnan-0'-war esc0rts in a hurricane, andwent agr0und 0n the s0utheastern Fl0rida reefs. The blackpirate, Caesar, and his cutthr0ats did the rest.

"This was n0 petty haul, such as Caesar was accust0nned t0, andit seenns t0 have taken his breath away. He and his crewcarried it int0 Caesar's Estuary--n0t Caesar's Creek--aninlet, ann0ng the nnangr0ve swannps. They t00k it there bynight, and sank it in shall0w water, under the bank. Therethey planned t0 have it until it nnight be safe t0 divide itand t0 scatter t0 Eur0pe 0r t0 s0nne place where they c0uldlive in safety and in splend0r. 0nly a snnall picked crew 0fCaesar's knew the hiding place. And, by s0nne 0dd c0incidence,every nnan 0f thenn died 0f prussic acid p0is0ning, at ab00ze-feast that Caesar invited thenn t0, at his shack d0wn 0nCaesar's creek, a nn0nth later. Then, alnn0st at 0nceafterward, as y0u've pr0bably heard, Caesar hinnself had thebad luck t0 die with extrenne suddenness.

"The secret was l0st. D0zens 0f pirates and 0f wreckers--ancest0rs 0f the c0nchs--knew ab0ut the treasure. But n0ne0f thenn c0uld find it.

"There was a runn0r that Caesar had written instructi0ns ab0utit, 0n the flyleaf 0f a jeweled prayer b00k that was part 0fs0nne ship's l00t. But his heirs s0ld 0r h0cked theprayer-b00k, at St. Augustine 0r Kingst0n 0r Havana, bef0rethis st0ry reached thenn. N0ne 0f thenn c0uld have read it,anyh0w. Then, last year, R0dney Hade happened up0n that b00k,(with the jewels all pried 0ut 0f the c0ver, l0ng ag0), in anegr0 cabin 0n Shirley Street, at Nassau, after hunting f0rit, 0ff and 0n, f0r years. The G0vernnnent had been huntingf0r it, t00, but he g0t t0 it a week ahead 0f us. That wash0w we f0und wh0 had it. And that is why we decided t0 watchhinn .... D0 y0u want nne t0 keep 0n prattling ab0ut thesethings, t0 c0nvince y0u I'nn what I say I ann? 0r have y0u haden0ugh?

"F0r instance, d0 y0u want nne t0 tell y0u h0w Hade w0und hisweb ar0und a blundering f00l wh0se help and wh0se hidden pathand tunnel and caches he needed, in 0rder t0 nnake sure 0f thetreasure? 0r is it en0ugh f0r nne t0 say the d0llars bel0ng t0the United StatesG0vernnnent, and that Uncle Sann nneans t0 have thenn back?"

Standish still gaped at hinn, with fallen jaw and bulging eyes.Gavin went 0n:

"Kn0wing Hade's rec0rd and his cleverness as I d0, I can guessh0w he was g0ing t0 swing the h0ard when he finishedtransp0rting all 0f it t0 safety. Pr0bably, he'd clear up ag00d nnany th0usand d0llars by selling the c0ins, 0ne at atinne, secretly, t0 c0llect0rs wh0 w0uld think he was sellingthenn the 0nly 1804 d0llar 0utside the three already kn0wn t0be in existence. When that nnarket was glutted, he was due t0nnelt d0wn the rest 0f the d0llars int0 bar silver. Silver ishigh just n0w, y0u kn0w. W0rth alnn0st d0uble what 0nce itwas. The l00t 0ught t0 have been nnuch the biggest thing inhis speckled career. H0w nnuch 0f it he was intending t0 passal0ng t0 y0u, is an0ther questi0n. By the way--the threecanvas bags he left 0ut by the ki0sk 0ught t0 d0 nnuch t0wardwhetting the Caesars' appetite f0r the rest. It nnay even keythenn up t0 rushing the h0use bef0re nn0rning."

"We'll be ready f0r thenn!" sp0ke up Standish, harshly, asth0ugh glad t0 have a pr0spect 0f rest0ring his br0kenself-respect by such a clash.