sand on the beach at High Rock, uncle," replied
Leopold.
"Den it pelongs to you, mine poy."
"Not at all, uncle; at least, not yet a while."
Leopold told the whole story, from Harvey Barth's diary down to date, as
briefly as he could.
"If I don't find any owner, I suppose the money belongs to me," he
added.
"Himmel! Yes!" answered the watch-maker.
"Now, uncle, don't you let anybody, not even my father, have the bag
without my consent."
"No, Leopold; nobody shall touch him," added Herr Schlager, as he locked
the door of the safe, and put the key in his pocket.
The money-digger was satisfied that his uncle would be faithful to the
letter of his promise; and he hastened back to the hotel, to attend to
his usual duties.
But the malignant little Mr. Redmond had already told the story of the
hidden treasure, so far as he new it, to an audience in the office of
the Sea Cliff House, which included the landlord. Of course the
narrative was full of interest; and in the course of half an hour it was
travelling from mouth to mouth up the main street of Rockhaven as
rapidly as though it had been written out, and sent by express. When the
finder of the treasure entered the hotel office, the subject was still
under discussion.
"Leopold wouldn't do the fair thing, and divy with Stumpy and me," said
the little fop, when he had finished his story. "If he had, I would have
kept the whole thing secret as he wished me to do."
"Why should he share the money with you, Charley?" demanded Mr.
Hamilton.
"Because I was in at the death, and that's the way to do the thing when
any money is found. Leopold was mean about it."
"Perhaps he was; but my boy hasn't the reputation of being mean," added
the landlord.
"I don't think Charley has any claim," said Mr. Redmond, senior, the
father of the _other_ Mr. Redmond, "however it may be with Stumpy."
"Here he is, to speak for himself," added Mr. Hamilton, as Leopold
entered the room. "They say you are mean because you would not divide
the money with Charley. How is that, my boy?"
"I certainly would not divide with him, or with anybody, for that
matter," replied the skipper of the Rosabel. "I found the money, all
alone by myself, on the night before the Orion arrived. I left it where
it was, because I did not know what to do with it," replied Leopold.
"Where is it now?" asked the landlord.
"In my uncle's safe. I have not opened the bag, and uncle Leopold sealed
it u
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