The Project Gutenberg EBook of My Buried Treasure, by Richard Harding Davis

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Title: My Buried Treasure

Author: Richard Harding Davis

Posting Date: October 23, 2008 [EBook #1761]
Release Date: May, 1999

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MY BURIED TREASURE ***

Produced by Aaron Cannon

MY BURIED TREASURE

by Richard Harding Davis

This is a true story of a search for buried treasure. The only part
that is not true is the name of the man with whom I searched for the
treasure. Unless I keep his name out of it he will not let me write the
story, and, as it was his expedition and as my share of the treasure is
only what I can make by writing the story, I must write as he dictates.
I think the story should be told, because our experience was unique, and
might be of benefit to others. And, besides, I need the money.

There is, however, no agreement preventing me from describing him as I
think he is, or reporting, as accurately as I can, what he said and did
as he said and did it.

For purposes of identification I shall call him Edgar Powell. The last
name has no significance; but the first name is not chosen at random.
The leader of our expedition, the head and brains of it, was and is the
sort of man one would address as Edgar. No one would think of calling
him "Ed," or "Eddie," any more than he would consider slapping him on
the back.

We were together at college; but, as six hundred other boys were there
at the same time, that gives no clew to his identity. Since those days,
until he came to see me about the treasure, we had not met. All I
knew of him was that he had succeeded his father in manufacturing
unshrinkable flannels. Of course, the reader understands that is not
the article of commerce he manufactures; but it is near enough, and it
suggests the line of business to which he gives his life's blood. It is
not similar to my own line of work, and in consequence, when he wrote
me, on the unshrinkable flannels official writing-paper, that he wished
to see me in reference to a matter of business of "mutual benefit," I
was considerably puzzled.

A few days later, at nine in the