ce.

"The professor said," smiled the girl, a trifle anxiously, "that the
writing was in very, very old Spanish and for that reason he might not
have understood every word of it correctly but that taking it all in all
he thought he had made the meaning clear."

"We'll have a look," said Curlie, unfolding the paper.

"He said it was the photograph of a very unusual manuscript, rare and
valuable." There was something about the way the girl said this which
led Curlie to guess that she might know who was in possession of the
original. He was, however, too much excited over the first lines of the
translation to ask her any questions.

"The Island of Lagos." He read the title to himself. Beneath this in
brackets were the words:

"Being the account of how the good ship Torence was cast ashore on an
unknown island in the midst of the great sea; an island whereon there
are many barbarians having much gold."

Curlie caught his breath. Save for one word the translation was the same
as that he had read in the book. That word was of no consequence.

"It's the same map!" he told himself. "The very same!"

The girl, leaning over the table, watched him eagerly. She was both
excited and elated over the find.

"Isn't it wonderful?" she exclaimed, clasping her hands. "I think it's
great! And to think that my brother and his chum were the ones who
found it!"

"Haven't read it all," Curlie mumbled.

"Then read on. Read it all. Please do."

CHAPTER XI

"MANY BARBARIANS AND MUCH GOLD"

Curlie, obeying her instructions, read on and with every line his
conviction grew stronger that the conclusions he had come to were well
formed.

This is what he read:

"Having spent Good Friday with his family, our captain, deeming further
delay but loss of time, determined to cast anchor and sail for the coast
of Ireland. Here he hoped to do a brisk business at barter with the
peasants and fisher-folk who inhabit the shores.

"But Providence had determined otherwise. Hardly had we been from shore
a half day's journey, when, without warning, from out the night there
rose a great tumult. This tumult, coming as it did from the shore,
grasped us in its mighty arms and hurled us league by league in
directions that we would not go. And being exceedingly tossed with the
tempest we lightened the ship. On the fourth day we, with our own hand,
cast out the tackle of the ship. And when not sun nor moon nor stars had
appeared for many days,