round."

Deacon Pratt did not _tell_ Daggett that Thompson might have as good
reasons for disregarding the oath as he had himself; but he _thought_ it.
These are things that no wise man utters on such occasions; and this
opinion touching the equality of the obligation of that oath was one of
them.

"There is another hold upon Jack," continued Daggrett, after reflecting a
moment. "He never could make any fist of latitude and longitude at all,
and he kept no journal. Now, should he get it wrong, he and his friends
might hunt a year without finding either of the places."

"You think there was no mistake in the pirate's account of that key, and
of the buried treasure?" asked the deacon, anxiously.

"I would swear to the truth of what _he_ said, as freely as if I had seen
the box myself. They was necessitated, as you may suppose, or they never
would have left so much gold, in sich an uninhabited place; but leave it
they did, on the word of a dying man."

"Dying?--You mean the pirate, I suppose?"

"To be sure I do. We was shut up in the same prison, and we talked the
matter over at least twenty times, before he was swung off. When they was
satisfied I had nothing to do with the pirates, I was cleared; and I was
on my way to the Vineyard, to get some craft or other, to go a'ter these
two treasures (for one is just as much a treasure as t'other) when I was
put ashore here. It's much the same to me, whether the craft sails from
Oyster Pond or from the Vineyard."

"Of course. Well, as much to oblige you, and to put your mind at rest, as
anything else, I've bought this Sea Lion, and engaged young Roswell
Gar'ner to go out in her, as her master. She'll be ready to sail in a
fortnight, and, if things turn out as you say, a good voyage will she
make. All interested in her will have reason to rejoice. I see but one
thing needful just now, and that is that you should give me the chart at
once, in order that I may study it well, before the schooner sails."

"Do you mean to make the v'y'ge yourself, deacon?" asked Daggett, in some
surprise.

"Not in person, certainly," was the answer. "I'm getting somewhat too old
to leave home for so long a time; and, though born and brought up in sight
of salt-water, I've never tried it beyond a trip to York, or one to
Boston. Still, I shall have my property in the adventure, and it's nat'ral
to keep an eye on _that_. Now, the chart well studied before-hand would be
much more useful, it seems