re you will, from the end of the earth _some_ bird of prey will
spy it out, or at least some scent of it will lie and draw such
prowlers as this fellow." Dr. Beauregard touched the sleeping man
contemptuously with the toe of his boot. "I myself have been--shall
we say?--fortunate. I have emptied, or assisted to empty, two caches
of treasure in this island. A third remains, of which you have the
secret, and I believe it to be the richest of all. But before you
attempt it, I have a mind to tell you something of the other two,
that at least you may not attempt it unwarned."

"You may spare yourself the pains, sir," said Miss Belcher,
decisively; "since our minds are made up. You might, I doubt not,
succeed in frightening us; but since you will not deter us, I suggest
that the less we hear the better."

The Doctor bowed. "Ah, madam," sighed he, "if only Fate had timed
your adventure two years ago; or if, departing with the treasure, you
could even now leave me to regrets--in peace!"

"My good sir," said Miss Belcher, sharply, "I haven't a doubt you
mean something or other; but what precisely it is, I cannot
conceive."

"You will go, madam, leaving my island twice empty. That is Fate,
and I consent with Fate. But the devil of it is, ma'am--if I may use
the expression--your removing the treasure will not prevent others
coming to look for it, and annoying an old age which has ceased to
set store on wealth, or on anything that wealth can purchase."

She looked at him oddly. "Well, now," she confessed, "you are a
mystery to me in half a dozen ways; but if on top of all you mean to
turn pious--"

He laughed, and when the laugh was done it seemed to prolong itself
inside him for fully half a minute.

"You are right, ma'am. Let us be practical again; and, as the first
practical question, let me ask you, or Captain Branscome, what you
propose to do with this man? Obviously, we cannot take him along
with us after the treasure."

"Well, I imagine we are returning to the schooner. He can be left on
board, in charge of Mr. Rogers."

"But I was about to suggest that we take Mr. Rogers along with us.
In some ways, he is the most active of the party, and we can hardly
spare him."

"Of Goodfellow, then, or whomsoever Captain Branscome may appoint to
take charge of the ship."

The Doctor sat silent, as though busy with a thought that had
suddenly occurred to him. After a minute, he lifted his head and
threw a qu