hat it can be found, without any trouble._

_"The first is a sum of one million and a half dollars--($1,500,000)--"_

At this point, John paused. We all took a long breath, and Charlie
Webster gave a soft whistle, and smacked his lips.

"A million and a half dollars. What ho!"

Then I, happening to cast my eye through the open door, caught sight of
a face gazing through the ironwork of the outer office with a fixed and
glittering expression, a face anything but prepossessing, the face of a
half-breed, deeply pock-marked, with a coarse hook nose, and
evil-looking eyes, unnaturally close together. He looked for all the
world like a turkey buzzard, eagerly hanging over offal, and it was
evident from his expression, that he had not missed a word of the
reading.

"There is some one in the outer office," I said, and John rose and went
out.

"Good morning, Mr. Saunders," said an unpleasantly soft and cringing
voice.

"Good morning," said John, somewhat grumpily, "what is it you want?"

It was some detail of account, which, being despatched, the man shuffled
off, with evident reluctance, casting a long inquisitive look at us
seated at the desk, and John, taking up the manuscript once more
resumed:

_"... a sum of one million and one half dollars--buried at a cay known
as Dead Men's Shoes, near Nassau, in the Bahama Islands."_

"'Dead Men's Shoes!' I don't know any such place, do you?" interrupted
Charlie.

"No, I don't--but, never mind, let's read it through first and discuss
it afterwards," and John went on:

_"Buried at a cay known as Dead Men's Shoes, near Nassau, in the Bahama
Islands; about fifty feet (50 ft.) south of this Dead Men's Shoes is a
rock, on which we cut the form of a compass. And twenty feet (20 ft.)
East from the cay is another rock on which we cut a cross (X). Under
this rock it is buried four feet (4 ft.) deep._

_"The other is a sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000). It is buried
on what was known as Short Shrift Island; on the highest point of this
Short Shrift Island is a large cabbage wood stump and twenty feet (20
ft.) south of that stump is the treasure, buried five feet (5 ft.) deep
and can be found without difficulty. Short Shrift Island is a place
where passing vessels stop to get fresh water. No great distance from
Nassau, so it can be easily found._

"_The first pod was taken from a Spanish merchant and it is in Spanish
silver dollars._

"_The other on Short Shrift Island i