se, and I'll charitably assume you don't know his
purpose in attacking them."

"He says the girls' camp is on his land and he's only trying to drive
'em off," replied Briggs. "Whatever his game is it's none of my
business."

"It's any man's business to protect women and innocent children from the
malice of a madman. To let you into a dark secret, he's got the idea
that there's buried treasure somewhere on the land occupied by Heart o'
Dreams Camp."

"Treasure!" exclaimed Eliphalet. "Do you mean to say there's money
buried there?"

"That's the idea," said the Governor with a grim smile at the sudden
glint of greed in the old man's eyes. He told the story, told it with
flourishes and decorations that pleased Archie immensely.

"It sounds pretty fishy," Briggs remarked, "but there may be something
in it."

"You never can tell," muttered Eliphalet. "It would have been natural
for one of those old southerners who hadn't any confidence in Jeff Davis
to plant his money in some lonely place like this."

"In one way or another we are all seekers of buried treasure," remarked
the Governor sententiously.

His story had cleared the air, giving, as Archie reflected, a fresh
illustration of the power of romance to soften the harshness of even so
realistic a situation as confronted the tug's passengers. Eliphalet's
imagination had been stirred, and he asked many questions about the
treasure. Briggs lost his hostile air and showed himself the possessor
of an unsuspected amiability.

"You seem to be a good fellow," remarked the Governor; "and your
interest in the _Arthur B. Grover_ is legitimate enough, I daresay. If
you will promise to behave and not try to leave the tug or molest any
one on board you're free to do as you like. But I want you to play
fair."

"I seem to be at your mercy. You've got to consider that my reputation
is at stake. It's my duty to land Mr. Congdon and that chap you call
Perky in the nearest jail and report their arrest to Washington."

"Washington," replied the Governor, drawing his hand across his face,
"is a beautiful city; but it's a long way from here. Be assured that I'm
no anarchist and the delicate matter of your professional standing is
something that shall engage my most earnest thought. Please make
yourself comfortable."

He bade Archie follow him to the bow where Eliphalet was moodily gazing
into the water.

"Mr. Congdon," the Governor began in his blandest tones, "as a mere
looke