Chapter I: Prologue

_(The following MS., the authorship of which I am not at liberty to divulge, came to me in a curious way. Being recently present at a performance of_ "Treasure Island" _at The Punch and Judy Theatre in New York City, and, seated at the extreme right-hand end of the front row of the stalls--so near to the ground-floor box that its occupants were within but a yard or two of me, and, therefore, very clearly to be seen--I, in common with my immediate neighbours, could not fail to remark the very striking and beautiful woman who was the companion of a distinguished military-looking man on the youthful side of middle age._

_Still young, a little past thirty, maybe, she was unusually tall and stately of figure, and from her curious golden skin and massive black hair, one judged her to be a Creole, possibly a Jamaican. Her face, which was rather heavily but finely moulded, wore an expression of somewhat poetic melancholy, a little like that of a beautiful animal, but readily lit up with a charming smile now and again at some sally of her companion, with whom she seemed to be on affectionate terms, and with whom, as the play proceeded, she exchanged glances and whispered confidences such as two who have shared an experience together--which the play seems to bring to mind--are seen sometimes to exchange in a theatre._

_But there was one particular which especially accentuated the singularity of her appearance and was responsible for drawing upon her an interested observation--seemed, indeed, even in her eyes to condone it, for she, as well as her companion, was obviously conscious of it--the two strange-looking gold ornaments which hung from her delicately shaped ears. These continually challenged the eye, and piqued the curiosity. Obviously they were two old coins, of thick gold, stamped with an antique design. They were Spanish doubloons!_

_As, in common with the rest of the audience, I looked at this picturesque pair, my eyes forsook the lady of the doubloons, and fastened themselves with a half-certainty of recognition upon her companion. Why! surely it was ---- ----, an old dare-devil comrade of mine, whose disappearance from New York some ten years before had been the talk of the two or three clubs to which we both belonged. A curious blending of soldier, poet, and mining engineer, he had been popular with all of us, and when he had disappeared without warning we were sure that he was off on some Knight-errant business--to Mexico or the Moon!_

_He was, indeed, wearing that disguise of Time, which we all come involuntarily to wear--an unfamiliar greyness of his hair at the temples, and a moustache that would soon be a distinguished white; yet the disguise was not sufficient to conceal the youthful vigour of his personality from one who had known him so well as I. The more I looked at him, the more certain I grew that it was he, and I determined to go round to his box at the conclusion of the second act._

_Then, becoming absorbed in the play, I forgot him and his companion of the doubloons for a while, and when I looked for them again, they had vanished. However, a letter in my mail next morning told me that the observation had not been all on my side. My eyes had not deceived me. It was my friend--and, at dinner with him and his lady, next evening, I heard the story of some of those lost years. Moreover, he confided to me that a certain portion of his adventures had seemed so romantic that he had been tempted to set them down in a narrative, merely, of course, for the amusement of his family and friends. On our parting, he entrusted me with this manuscript, which I found so interesting that I was able to persuade him to consent to its publication to that larger world which it seemed to me unfair to rob of one of those few romances that have been really lived, and not merely conjured up out of the imaginations of professional romancers._

_His consent was given with some reluctance, for, apart from a certain risk which the publication of the manuscript would entail, it contains also matters which my friend naturally regards as sacred--though, in this respect, I feel sure that he can rely upon the delicacy of his readers. He made it a condition that every precaution should be taken to keep secret the name and identity of his wife and himself._

_Therefore, in presenting to the world the manuscript thus entrusted to me, I have made various changes of detail, with the purpose of the more surely safeguarding the privacy of my two friends; but, in all essentials, the manuscript is printed as it came originally into my hands._

R. Le G.

CONTENTS

PAGE
Prologue vii

_Book I_

Out of the Constant East the Breeze 2

CHAPTER

I. Introduces the Secretary to the Treasury
of His Britannic Majesty's Government
at Nassau 3

II. The Narrative of Henry P. Tobias, Ex-Pirate,
as dictated on his deathbed,
in the year of our Lord, 1859 13

III. In which I charter the _Maggie Darling_ 21

IV. In which Tom catches an enchanted fish,
and discourses of the dangers of treasure
hunting 30

V. In which we begin to understand our unwelcome
passenger 40

VI. The incident of the Captain 48

VII. In which the sucking fish has a chance to
show its virtue 57

VIII. In which I once again sit up and behold
the sun 64

IX. In which Tom and I attend several funerals 69

X. In which Tom and I seriously start in
treasure hunting 75

XI. An unfinished game of cards 85

_Book II_

The dotted cays, with their little trees 92

I. Once more in John Saunders's snuggery 95

II. In which I learn something 100

III. In which I am afforded glimpses into
futurity--possibly useful 108

IV. In which we take ship once more 123

V. In which we enter the wilderness 141

VI. Duck 154

VII. More particulars concerning our young
companion 160

VIII. Better than duck 169

_Book III_

Across the scarce-awakened sea 178

I. In which we gather shells--and other
matters 179

II. In which I catch a glimpse of a different
kind of treasure 187

III. Under the Influence of the Moon 193

IV. In which I meet a very strange individual 200

V. Calypso 213

VI. Doubloons 223

VII. In which the "King" dreams a dream--and
tells us about it 232

VIII. News! 239

IX. Old Friends 246

X. The Hidden Creek 253

XI. An Old Enemy 258

XII. In which the "King" imprisons me
with some old books and pictures 266

XIII. We Begin to Dig 274

XIV. In which I lose my way 283

XV. In which I pursue my studies as a Troglodyte 292

XVI. In which I understand the feelings of a
Ghost! 306

XVII. Action 315

XVIII. Gathering up the threads 321

Postscript 328

Epilogue By the Editor 332