Maurice settled himself more comfortably to listen.

“Sounds good to me, what you say; and that’s about my mind, too,” observed the one who had discovered the treasure-trove, as he once more turned to the soiled diary to continue reading what the former owner of the shanty-boat had written, in his crabbed hand.

“Here it is, at last; just listen,” he exclaimed, fully ten minutes afterward, and then he went on: 

“I met a man today that had just come up from down-river way.  And he knows George Stormway well.  He told me Bunny was getting on right well, and had three children.  Last time I heard there wa’nt but two mouths to feed.  But he said George was laid up sometimes with the shakes, and money mighty scarce in their cabin.  Time about for Old The to make up his mind to just drop in on Bunny, and surprise her.  If I live to fall that’s what I’m going to do, sure.  I reckon if I left here in October I’d bring up at Morehead sometime about the end of November.  But It’ll be a long wait till then.  As I get older I seem to want to see the gal and her kids more’n more,”

Maurice looked at Thad, and perhaps there was a suspicious moisture in his eyes as he winked violently several times.

“The poor old chap never hung out, Thad.  If he had he would be on board this boat right now, carrying his little treasure down to his Bunny, to give her a surprise.  That was a tough deal all right,” he said, reaching out his hand for the charts they had secured of the lower Mississippi.

“What’s up?” asked the other and his voice was rather husky, so that he had to cough several times to clear it.

“Why, d’ye know, I was wondering where that place might be.  I don’t remember having noticed it; and p’raps it is too small to be put on the map.”

Thad went on reading in the diary, while his chum placed a forefinger on the chart, and ran it slowly down.  “Here’s where we are, right now,” he was saying, half to himself; “and down below—­ well, I declare, if that ain’t the queerest thing.  What d’ye think, Thad, we must be only a day’s run, above Morehead.  It’s on the map all right, even if it is only a wood station, where the river steamers stop to load up!”

Thad had to examine the location to make sure, and all the while he was saying eagerly: 

“It’s just like all this happened on purpose, Maurice—­my wanting that trap so bad, and not finding it, and then looking in the hole in the side of the cabin, to strike this!  I reckon old The’s spirit must have been pushing me along; and Maurice, there ain’t but one thing for us to do now.”

“Yes,” said the other, nodding his head with determination; “this money don’t belong to us.  Bunny needs it, and Bunny’s going to get it, if we can find her out!”

“Shake on that, Pard Maurice.  I knew you’d say it!” cried Thad.

And then and there they ratified the bargain with a grip that stood for everything that was loyal and true.