ie
well?"

Triumph swam in the eyes, narrowed to slits, through which he watched
me. I could not understand his derisive confidence.

"We'll not discuss that," I told him bluntly.

"As you say. I come to another common interest--the treasure. Is it
running up to our hopes?"

So he knew that we had found it. No doubt he had been watching us all
day through the telescope that hung at his side.

"We don't recognize any hopes you may have."

"But why not face facts? I intend to own the treasure when you have dug
it up for me."

"You're of a sanguine temperament."

"Poof! Life is a game of cards. First you hold trumps, then they fall to
me. It chances that now I hold the whip and ride on the crest of
fortune's wave. Hope you don't mind mixed figures."

"You'll ride at the end of the hangman's rope," I prophesied.

"Let us look on the bright side."

"I'm trying to do that."

The man knew something that I did not. I was not bandying repartee with
him for pleasure, but because I knew that if he talked long enough he
would drop the card hidden up his sleeve.

What was his ace of trumps? How could he afford to sit back and let us
dig up the gold? He could not be merely bluffing, for the man had been
laughing at me from that first wave of the hand.

"It is unfortunate that you and I don't pull together, Mr. Sedgwick.
We'd make an invincible team. You're the best enemy I ever met."

"And you're the worst I've met."

"Same thing, I assure you. We both mean compliments. But what I want to
say is that it is against the law of conservation of energy for us to be
opposing each other. I propose combination instead of competition."

"Be a little more definite, please."

"Chuck your friends overboard and go into partnership with me."

"Are you speaking literally, or in metaphor, captain?"

He shrugged.

"That's a mere detail. If you have compunctions we'll maroon them."

"Just what you promised the crew last time," I scored.

"Wharf rats!" He waved the point aside magnificently. "I'm proposing now
a gentleman's agreement."

"Which you'll keep as long as it suits you."

"I thought you knew me better."

"What have you to offer? My friends and I can keep the treasure. Why
should I ditch them for you? What's the _quid pro quo_?"

"You and Evie and I will go shares, third and third alike. The better
man of us two will marry her. If it should be you, that will give you
two-thirds."

"You're very generous."