| Show CHAPTER XII doctor white fichot lot him film a swift glance ile he ascribed this tip parent faintness to an overpowering disappointment lie ile was convinced convince I 1 that the count had firmly expected the presence of 0 vast treasure in those guns euna jewels diamonds and rubles from 8 some ome bishops miter or pearls from rio do de la llach hach somebody aboard the corvette had guessed the secret perhaps and found time to get below and draw the priceless charges before the hold had filled the count drew another deep breath and appeared to get himself in hand but doctor white was disturbed by the pallor of his face also its ita expression pres slon puzzled him because it was not that of a man who has suffered crushing disappointment but of one ona who struggles to suppress some rao bently active emotion rather than the passive crushing one of profound chagrin the discerning doctor was more than ever certain that count de corlay carlay had good reason to count on a secret hoard contained in these guns and that even though they had proven to be empty of such this might yet be ba found in others dut but having now seen that doctor white suspected something of this sort the count was torn between eager expectation of treasure still secreted in such a fashion and despair nt at knowing that ho he might as well abandon all hope of its possession doctor white glanced nt at robert that young mans face wore a mask like indifference lie ile did not seem to be concerned nt at all about their comparatively ively worthless find but what struck tile the doctor ns as even more singular in so evidently devoted a son he did not appear to observe the obvious distress of his father then catching the doctors eye robert said lightly well it rather looks ns as if papa and I 1 had been had had by whom doctor white demanded nv by our jolly old revered ancestor I 1 dont mind telling you now that eliat he recorded a tidy bit of personal plunder in the diary we found nut but some artful johnny must have piped it down tin and scoffed it in the shuffle we might find it yet said tom im going down to have a look myself when hike alike gets through ile he may have missed somo something thing doctor white nodded of course I 1 dont know what was recorded in the diary but it ft seems to me too early in the me game to give up tip hope I 1 think also that it would ho be very much better it if you were to tell us just what was in the diary 11 robert smiled the good of that sir when you have shown us very ery clearly that we have actually no legal claim at all I 1 dont mind telling you frankly that it would only be it a slap nt fit our ancestor and the family name your suspicions that he might have collared something to the whole of which he was not entitled were wera entirely correct robert said the count sharply you say too much the odds papa the jigs up the liver diver has overhauled the cabin and drawn a blank I 1 would jump nt at the chance of selling out our share if tile the doctor considers were entitled to any for what weve taken off her already timm these little guns don dont t look like much but tho the plate would be rather nice to have we have already decided decide among ourselves that you wore were to have lave the plate said doctor white and you tire are quite welcome to the guns too for that mr matter itter nut but we dont insist on your abandoning all further share the count and robert exchanged a swift startled look then robert asked slowly just what Is your estimate of our proper share doctor white gentlemen said doctor white ray my ward miss poole and I 1 decided before starting our operations that the value of whatever we might secure should in all fairness be divided in three equal shares one third to the do de corlais Cor lays who sped our efforts and because robert helped drive off sebas flea one third to toni tom jordan for similar reasons and one third to miss poole and myself because we were the first to establish tin an actual claim by getting a line to the wreck miss ioie and I 1 would not have beaten sebastion but for bior what you gentlemen told us we were actually trying to bent beat you we could not then have held our claim if it had not been for tom and robert particularly tom and it if it had not been for us prin cipully miss poole Sebast sebasteen len would certainly have got his line fast to the fourquet Pour before tom and robert nr fir rived on the scene I 1 think that you yen roust all adelt tile he justice of these statements nril and their truth TO DM DB CONTINUED |
