The Treasure-Train eBook

Arthur B. Reeve
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 324 pages of information about The Treasure-Train.

The Treasure-Train eBook

Arthur B. Reeve
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 324 pages of information about The Treasure-Train.

“I can’t seem to get out of my mind, Everson, that meeting with the Spanish girl on the street,” suddenly remarked Kennedy, in the hope of getting something by surprise.  “You see, I had already heard of a little unpleasantness in a hotel cafe, before the expedition started.  Somehow I feel that there must be some connection.”

For a moment Everson regarded Kennedy under the soft rays of the electric light under the awning as it swayed in the gentle air, then looked out over the easy swell of the summer sea.

“I don’t understand it myself,” he remarked, at length, lowering his voice.  “When we came down here Dominick knew that girl, Dolores, and of course Kinsale met her right away, too.  I thought Gage was head over ears in love with Norma—­and I guess he is.  Only that night in the cafe I just didn’t like the way he proposed a toast to Dolores.  He must have met her that day.  Maybe he was a bit excited.  What she said to-day might mean that it was her fault.  I don’t know.  But since we’ve been out to the Key I fancy Norma has been pretty interested in Dominick.  And Kinsale doesn’t hesitate to show that he likes her.  It all sets Donald crazy.  It’s so mixed up.  I can’t make anything of it.  And Norma—­well, even Asta can’t get anything out of her.  I wish to Heaven you could straighten the thing out.”

We talked for some time, without getting much more light than Everson had been able at first to shed on the affair, and finally we retired, having concluded that only time and events would enable us to get at the truth.

It was early in the morning that I was wakened by a change in the motion of the boat.  There was very little vibration from the engine, but this motion was different.  I looked out of the port-hole which had been very cleverly made to resemble a window and found that we had dropped anchor.

The Key of Gold was a beautiful green island, set, like a sparkling gem, in a sea of deepest turquoise.  Slender pines with a tuft of green at the top rose gracefully from the wealth of foliage below and contrasted with the immaculate white of the sandy beach that glistened in the morning sun.  Romance seemed to breathe from the very atmosphere of the place.

We found that the others on the yacht were astir, too, and, dressing hastily, we went out on deck.  Across the dancing waves, which seemed to throw a mocking challenge to the treasure-seekers to find what they covered, we could see the trawler.  Already a small power-boat had put out from her and was plowing along toward us.

It was as the boat came alongside us that we met Gage for the first time.  He was a tall, clean-cut fellow, but even at a glance I recognized that his was an unusual type.  I fancied that both proctors and professors had worried over him when he was in college.

Particularly I tried to discover how he acted when he met Norma.  It was easy to see that he was very eager to greet her, but I fancied that there was some restraint on her part.  Perhaps she felt that we were watching and was on her guard.

Copyrights
Project Gutenberg
The Treasure-Train from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.