As the exclamation escaped him, Captain Branscome, who had casually picked up a corner of the parchment between finger and thumb, with a nervous jerk drew the whole chart from under my outspread palms and turned it over face-downwards.

“Eh?  But see here!”

He fumbled with his glasses, while Miss Belcher and I, snatching at the chart, almost knocked our heads together as we bent over a corner of it—­the left-hand upper corner—­and a dozen lines of writing scrawled there in faded ink.  They ran thus—­

     1.  Landed by cuttar when wee saw a sail.  Lesser Kay N. of
        Gable.  Get open water between two kays S.W. and W. by S.,
        and N. inner point of Gable (where is green patch, good
        watering) in line with white rock (birds), neer as posble. 
        S. a point E. 3 feet bare, being hurried.

     2.  Bayse of cliff second hill S.S.W. from Cape Alderman. 
        Here is bank over 2 waterfals.  Neer lower fall, 12 paces
        back from egge, getting island open N.E. beyond rock W. of
        inlet, and first tree Misery Swamp over Crabtree, W.S.W Bush
        above rock to rt of fall.  Shaddow 1/4 to 4, June 21st, when
        we left digging.

     3.  R. bank river, 1 and 1/2 mile up from Gow crikke.  Centre
        tree in clump 5 branch bearing N. and by E. 1/2 point, two
        forks.  R. fork 4ft. red cave under hill 457yds. foot of tree
        N.N.W.  N.B.—­The stones here, under rock 4 spans L side.

That was all, except two short entries.  The first scribbled aslant under No. 1, and in Captain Coffin’s own handwriting—­so Captain Branscome, who knew it, assured us.

        N.B.—­Took out 5 cases Ap. 5, 1806, besides the boddies. 
        Avging 3/4 cwt. 1 case jewels.  We left the clothes, wh.
        were many.

The second entry appeared to have been penned by the same hand as the original, but more neatly and some while later.  The ink, at any rate, was blacker and fresher.  It ran: 

        S.W. ann. aetat. 37.  R.I.P.

The handwriting, though rugged—­and the indifferent ink may have been to blame for this—­was well formed, and, but for the spelling, might have belonged to an educated man.

The reader, if he choose, may follow our example and discuss the above directions for half an hour—­I will warrant with as little result.  Miss Belcher ended by harking back to the summer-house and to the latest crime—­if we might guess, the latest of many—­for which this document had been responsible.

“What puzzles me is this:  Since the Major had pockets in his coat, why should he have hidden the parcel as he did?  So small a parcel, too!”

“Captain Coffin,” I suggested, “may have known that he was being followed.”

“Well?”

“And in handing it over he may have warned my father that there was danger.”