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.But ef I let yer off this once, you must take a message to Ferrers from me.""Let me off this time, boss, and I swear to God I will," said the Lascar eagerly."Ye kin say to Ferrers—let me see—" deliberated Nott, leaning on his rifle with cautious reflection."Ye kin say to Ferrers like this—sez you, 'Ferrers,' sez you, 'the old man sez that afore you went away you sez to him, sez you, "I take my honor with me," sez you'—have you got that?" interrupted Nott suddenly."Yes, boss.""'I take my honor with me,' sez you," repeated Nott slowly."'Now,' sez you—'the old man sez, sez he—tell Ferrers, sez he, that his honor havin' run away agin, he sends it back to him, and ef he ever ketches it around after this, he'll shoot it on sight.' Hev yer got that?""Yes," stammered the bewildered captive."Then git!"The Lascar sprang to his feet with the agility of a panther, leaped through the hatch above him, and disappeared over the bow of the ship with an unhesitating directness that showed that every avenue of escape had been already contemplated by him.Slipping lightly from the cutwater to the ground, he continued his flight, only stopping at the private office of Mr.Sleight.When Mr.Renshaw and Rosey Nott arrived on board the Pontiac that evening, they were astonished to find the passage before the cabin completely occupied with trunks and boxes, and the bulk of their household goods apparently in the process of removal.Mr.Nott, who was superintending the work of two Chinamen, betrayed not only no surprise at the appearance of the young people, but not the remotest recognition of their own bewilderment at his occupation."Kalkilatin'," he remarked casually to his daughter, "you'd rather look arter your fixin's, Rosey, I've left 'em till the last.P'r'aps yer and Mr.Renshaw wouldn't mind sittin' down on that locker until I've strapped this yer box.""But what does it all mean, father?" said Rosey, taking the old man by the lapels of his sea-jacket, and slightly emphasizing her question."What in the name of goodness are you doing?""Breakin' camp, Rosey dear, breakin' camp, jist ez we uster," replied Nott with cheerful philosophy."Kinder like old times, ain't it? Lord, Rosey," he continued, stopping and following up the reminiscence, with the end of the rope in his hand as if it were a clue, "don't ye mind that day we started outer Livermore Pass, and seed the hull o' the Californy coast stretchin' yonder—eh? But don't ye be skeered, Rosey dear," he added quickly, as if in recognition of the alarm expressed in her face."I ain't turning ye outer house and home; I've jist hired that 'ere Madrono Cottage from the Peters ontil we kin look round.""But you're not leaving the ship, father," continued Rosey, impetuously."You haven't sold it to that man Sleight?"Mr.Nott rose and carefully closed the cabin door.Then drawing a large wallet from his pocket, he said, "It's sing'lar ye should hev got the name right the first pop, ain't it, Rosey? but it's Sleight, sure enough, all the time.This yer check," he added, producing a paper from the depths of the wallet, "this yer check for 25,000 dollars is wot he paid for it only two hours ago.""But," said Renshaw, springing to his feet furiously, "you're duped, swindled—betrayed!""Young man," said Nott, throwing a certain dignity into his habitual gesture of placing his hands on Renshaw's shoulders, "I bought this yer ship five years ago jist ez she stood for 8,000 dollars.Kalkilatin' wot she cost me in repairs and taxes, and wot she brought me in since then, accordin' to my figgerin', I don't call a clear profit of 15,000 dollars much of a swindle.""Tell him all," said Rosey, quickly, more alarmed at Renshaw's despairing face than at the news itself."Tell him everything, Dick—Mr.Renshaw; it may not be too late."In a voice half choked with passionate indignation Renshaw hurriedly repeated the story of the hidden treasure, and the plot to rescue it, prompted frequently by Rosey's tenacious memory and assisted by Rosey's deft and tactful explanations.But to their surprise the imperturbable countenance of Abner Nott never altered; a slight moisture of kindly paternal tolerance of their extravagance glistened in his little eyes, but nothing more."Ef there was a part o' this ship, a plank or a bolt ez I don't know, ez I hevn't touched with my own hand, and looked into with my own eyes, thar might be suthin' in that story.I don't let on to be a sailor like YOU, but ez I know the ship ez a boy knows his first hoss, as a woman knows her first babby, I reckon thar ain't no treasure yer, onless it was brought into the Pontiac last night by them chaps.""But are you mad! Sleight would not pay three times the value of the ship to-day if he were not positive! And that positive knowledge was gained last night by the villain who broke into the Pontiac—no doubt the Lascar.""Surely," said Nott, meditatively."The Lascar! There's suthin' in that.That Lascar I fastened down in the hold last night unbeknownst to you, Mr.Renshaw, and let him out again this morning ekally unbeknownst
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