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 "What's all this," he demanded, "here at the bottom?"

Joan read on: "Being a Compleat Charte and Information pertaining to Certaine Islandes and Contente Thereof…"

"Mysterious, they is," Bobstay remarked. "Nothink plain-spoken, sir. Like enough, there's treasure hid on their 'Certaine Islandes.' And what, sir, might this be?"

She indicated the signs at the bottom of the sheet, which ran in this fashion:



"That's what I was asking you about," Garth said. Then, with dawning comprehension: "It's a cipher, mate! What does it mean? Does it mean anything?"

"'Tis writ for us not to understand," Bobstay said gloomily. "Mayhap you might fathom it, sir, you bein' an eddicated man."

"Does it mean something?" the Captain demanded. "Does it—Joan?"

"I shouldn't be surprised if it do," she assented grudgingly. "Anyhow, we're middling