Page:Doctor Syn - A Smuggler Tale of the Romney Marsh.djvu/241

 also told me where England's treasure was buried, and that's what I'm off to get."

"England's treasure? What's that?" asked the amazed squire.

"Clegg was a partner of England, the notorious pirate. It is said that he killed England in a quarrel, though nothing was proved of it. Anyhow, Clegg was the only man who knew of the hiding-place, and at his death he imparted the secret to me, after I had given solemn oath upon the Bible to keep it to myself."

"God bless my soul!" said the squire, leaping to his feet; "and do you mean to say that you've kept the secret all this time and not fitted out a ship and gone to lift it? Why, there may be millions there!"

"There are," said Doctor Syn. "I'm certain of that. That's why I've been at pains to keep the whole matter to myself, not even telling the girl, for it will want careful handling. Once let any one know that I am off to lift Clegg's treasure-chests, and all the dogs in Christendom will be nosing on my trail. Clegg had the same fear of this secret being stolen and so committed the exact lie of the island to my memory, and to no artificial map, but he did it so uncommon well that I can see point, bays, lagoons, soundings, and tracks just as if I had piloted ships there all my life."

"Then all this pious talk of wanting to go out as a mission preacher to the smelly blacks is simply balderdash, and you haven't had a ridiculous 'call' at all?"