'll bet a dollar you never find anythin'
there."

"That is as may be." The captain liberated a full sigh and dug a hand
into a trousers pocket. He looked cautiously about. The two of them
were without witnesses. The landlord was always willing to serve beer
to those in quest of it; but immediately on providing it, he resumed
his interrupted perusal of the sporting column. At this moment his
soul was flying around the track at Bennington. When the captain
pulled out his hand it seemed full of bright autumn leaves. Donovan's
glass was suspended midway between the table and his lips. Slowly the
glass retraced the half-circle and resumed its perpendicular position
upon the oak.

"Beauties; huh?" said the captain.

"Twenty-dollar bills!"

"Yessir; every one of 'em as good as gold; payable to bearer on demand,
says your Uncle Sam."

"An' why are you makin' me envious this way?" said Donovan crossly.

"Donovan, you and me's been friends off an' on these ten years, ever
since th' commodore bought th' _Laura_. Well, says he t' me 'Capt'n,
we forgot that Mr. Donovan was in th' room at th' time o' th'
discovery. Will you be so kind as to impress him with the fact that
this expedition is on the Q.T.? Not that I think he will say anythin',
but you might add these few bits o' paper to his promise not t' speak.'
Says I, 'I'll trust Mr. Donovan.' An' I do. You never broke no
promise yet."

"It pays in the long run," replied Mr. Donovan, vainly endeavoring to
count the bills.

"Well, this 'ere little fortune is yours if you promise to abide by th'
conditions."

"That I keeps my mouth shut."

"An' _not_ open it even to th' Mrs."

Mr. Donovan permitted a doubt to wrinkle his brow. "That'll be a tough
proposition."

"Put th' money in th' bank and say nothin' till you hear from me,"
advised the captain.

"That's a go."

"Then I give you these five nice ones with th' regards o' th'
commodore." The captain stripped each bill and slowly laid it down on
the table for the fear that by some curious circumstance there might be
six.

"One hundred? Capt'n, I'm a--" Mr. Donovan emptied his glass with a
few swift gulps and banged the table. "Two more."

The landlord lowered his paper wearily (would they never let him
alone?) and stepped behind the bar. At the same time Mr. Donovan
folded the bills and stowed them away.

"Not even t' th' Mrs.," he swore. "Here's luck, Capt'n."

"Same t' you; an' don't get