"Don't let that worry you," Drew intervened. "I think I know enough Spanish to be able to make out the paper."
There was an exclamation of delight from Captain Hamilton and a snort of surprise from Tyke.
"Why, I never knew that you knew anything about that lingo!" the latter ejaculated.
"I don't know any too much about it," returned Drew, modestly. "But the South American trade is getting so big now that I thought it would be a good thing to know something of Spanish; so I've been studying it at night and at odd times for the last two years."
"Well, don't that beat the Dutch!" cried Tyke delightedly. "Now if I was superstitious" he stared truculently at the suspicious working of Drew's mouth "I'd be sure there was something in this that wasn't natural. We want to look into the box, an' it busts open in front of us. We want to read that Spanish lingo, an' you know how to do it. I'll be keelhauled if it don't make me feel a little creepy. That is," he corrected himself quickly, "it would if I believed in them things."
"Well, now that we know you don't believe in them," said Captain Hamilton, with the faintest possible touch of sarcasm, "and since our young friend here is able to read this paper, suppose we go to it."
"You bet we'll go to it!" cried Tyke eagerly. "You jest take a pencil an' write it down in English as Allen reels it off."
"There won't be any 'reeling off'," warned Drew, as with knitted brow he pored over the document. "In the first place, the Spanish used here is very old, and some of the words that were common then aren't in use any more. I can see that. Then, too, the ink has faded so much that some of the words can't be made out at all. And where the paper has been folded the lines have entirely crumbled away."
"Sort o' Chinese puzzle, is it?" queried Tyke dismally.
"A Spanish puzzle, anyway," smiled Drew. "I need something to help out my eyes. I wish we had some microscopes in our stock, as well as telescopes."
"We'll get the best there is in the market if necessary," declared Tyke. "But jest
for the present, here is something that may fill the bill."
He reached into a drawer and brought out a reading glass that could be placed over the paper as it lay on the desk.
"The very thing!" exclaimed Drew as he applied it. "That helps a lot."
There was a tense air of expectancy over all three as he began to read. Tyke kept nervously polishing his glasses, and Captain Hamilton's hand was the least bit unsteady as it guided the pencil. Drew's voice trembled, though he tried studiously to keep it as calm as though he were reading off the items on a bill of lading in the ordinary course of business.
But if the work was exciting, it was none the less very slow. Once in a while there would be a word that was wholly outside Drew's vocabulary. In such cases the captain put it down in the original Spanish for Drew to study out later by the aid of his dictionary. Then at the points where the story seemed most important, there would be a crease in the paper that would eliminate an entire line. Other words had faded so completely that the magnifying glass failed to help.
But at last, despite all the tantalizing breaks, the final word was reached, and the captain sat back and drew a long breath while the younger man refolded the paper.
"Well now," said Tyke, "lets have it all from the first word to the last. An' Cap'n, read mighty slow."
Amid a breathless silence, Captain Hamilton commenced reading what he had taken down.
"Trinidad, March 18, 17 ."In the name of God, amen.
"I Ramon rez unworthy sin ..... fit ... name ... lips ... knowing ... ... mercy ... shown none, expecting ... ... ... deepest hell yet ... ... Mary ... ... saints shriving ... Holy Church ... confess ... life.
" ... wild ... ... ... Tortugas French Reine Marguerite ... ... ... death.
From there we ran to Port au Spain ... plundering ... ... city, many men and boys and ... women and Off one of Baha Cays ... galleon ... ... fought stoutly ... ... walk plank. Other ships ... ... forgotten. We took great spoils ... ... accursed ... spent ... living,
"I ... captain. Down in the Caribbean Sea we ... caravel ... ... ... ... one hundred and twenty. Lost ship in tornado ... ... got another.
"Many more ... ... ... weary ... telling we ... God man.
"At last ... ten ... butchery frigates ... ch Fled to one of the islands careened. Tired knowing ... sooner or later I made up my mind ... ... one more rich prize ... wickedness.
"We captured the Guadalquiver Desperate ... blood thousand doubloons pearls ... price.
"I knew of an island off the beaten track where there was good hiding ... found, night. Cutter ... ashore, mutiny ... killed them both. And there the booty is still ... ... forbid.
"Now standing ... ... hell, I have made drawing ... island where buried. I give it freely Mother ... ... cand ... altar and ... masses ... unworthy soul.
his
(X) Al ...
mark
"Attest Pablo Ximenes , notary."
captain laid the paper on the desk and glanced at the intent faces of his companions.