ed at its contents. The complete document read as follows:--

"Latitude 2 degrees 48 minutes 40 seconds South. Longitude 144 degrees
10 minutes 10 seconds West. Approach island from north-west, and stand
toward it with summit of hill bearing South-East by a half South, which
leads through the passage in the barrier reef. Then haul up to South by
a quarter West for the mouth of the bight at the bottom of the bay.
Stand boldly in until abreast of the big rock at the mouth of the bight,
when clew up and furl everything. Follow the bight until you reach the
lagoon, when anchor anywhere not closer than within a dozen fathoms of
the island. The gems are buried in the earth at a spot which may thus
be identified. Draw a line from one black rock to the other; and on
this line project another to the summit of the peak, making an angle of
sixty-five degrees to the westward. Dig there, and the gems will be
found at a depth of three feet below the surface. I write this that the
treasure may not be lost should I die ere I find opportunity to secure
it.

"John Withicombe."

The document was written in the calligraphy of an evidently educated
man; and now that I had it in its complete form in my hands I began to
regard the whole matter in a very different light from what I had
hitherto done; up to now I had been disposed to regard the adventure as
one that was more than likely to prove a wild-goose chase; but as I
noted the evidences of intelligence and education that the document
revealed on the part of the writer it suddenly dawned upon me that after
all there might be something in it. But who was John Withicombe, and
how did he become acquainted with the existence of the treasure? Did he
hide it himself, or did he discover its whereabouts by accident? And
where did the treasure come from?

I was still puzzling over these questions when I was startled out of my
reverie by a light step beside me; and, turning, I beheld Miss Onslow
regarding me with eyes so brilliant that I could almost fancy they were
gemmed with tears.

"So," she exclaimed playfully, "you have been fighting another wordy
battle with that Irish wretch; and this time, having kept your temper
under control, you have emerged victorious from the conflict. But oh,
Mr Conyers," she continued, her voice suddenly changing to a tone of
deep earnestness, "I cannot express to you how profoundly sorry I am
that you should thus continually be harassed and worrie