By Shore and Sedge by Bret Harte (first e reader txt) đ
- Author: Bret Harte
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Rosey, conscious of her loverâs irritation, and more eager to soothe his impatience than from any faith in her suggestion, interfered. âWhy not examine the place where he was concealed? he may have left some traces of his search.â
The two men looked at each other. âSeemâ ez Iâve turned the Pontiac over to Sleight jist ez it stands, I donât know ez itâs âxactly on the square,â said Nott doubtfully.
âYouâve a right to know at least WHAT you deliver to him,â interrupted Renshaw brusquely: âBring a lantern.â
Followed by Rosey, Renshaw and Nott hurriedly sought the lower deck and the open hatch of the forehold. The two men leaped down first with the lantern, and then assisted Rosey to descend. Renshaw took a step forward and uttered a cry.
The rays of the lantern fell on the shipâs side. The Lascar had, during his forced seclusion, put back the boxes of treasure and replaced the planking, yet not so carefully but that the quick eye of Renshaw had discovered it. The next moment he had stripped away the planking again, and the hurriedly-restored box which the Lascar had found fell to the deck, scattering part of its ringing contents. Rosey turned pale; Renshawâs eyes flashed fire; only Abner Nott remained quiet and impassive.
âAre you satisfied you have been duped?â said Renshaw passionately.
To their surprise Mr. Nott stooped down, and picking up one of the coins handed it gravely to Renshaw. âWould ye mind heftinâ that âere coin in your handâfeelinâ it, bitinâ it, scrapinâ it with a knife, and kinder seeinâ how it compares with other coins?â
âWhat do you mean?â said Renshaw.
âI mean that that yer coinâthat ALL the coins in this yer box, that all the coins in them other boxesâand therâs forty on âemâis all and every one of âem counterfeits!â
The piece dropped unconsciously from Renshawâs hand, and striking another that lay on the deck gave out a dull, suspicious ring.
âThey waz counterfeits got up by them Dutch supercargo sharps for dealinâ with the Injins and cannibals and South Sea heathens ez bows down to wood and stone. If satisfied them ez well ez them buttons ye puts in missionary boxes, I reckon, and âcepting ez freight, donât cost nothinâ. I found âem tucked in the ribs oâ the old Pontiac when I bought her, and I nailed âem up in thar lest they should fall into dishonest hands. Itâs a lucky thing, Mr. Renshaw, that they comes into the honest fingers of a square man like Sleightâainât it?â
He turned his small, guileless eyes upon Renshaw with such childlike simplicity that it checked the hysterical laugh that was rising to the young manâs lips.
âBut did any one know of this but yourself?â
âI reckon not. I once suspicioned that old capâen Bowers, who was always foolinâ round the hold yer, must hev noticed the bulge in the casinâ, but when he took to axinâ questions I axed othersâye know my style, Rosey? Come.â
He led the way grimly back to the cabin, the young people following; but turning suddenly at the companionway he observed Renshawâs arm around the waist of his daughter.
He said nothing until they had reached the cabin, when he closed the door softly, and looking at them both gently, said with infinite cunningâ
âEf it isnât too late, Rosey, ye kin tell this young man ez how I forgive him for havinâ diskivered THE TREASURE of the Pontiac.â
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It was nearly eighteen months afterwards that Mr. Nott one morning entered the room of his son-in-law at Madrono Cottage. Drawing him aside, he said with his old air of mystery, âNow ez Roseyâs ailinâ and donât seem to be so eager to diskiver whatâs become of Mr. Ferrers, I donât mind tellinâ ye that over a year ago I heard he died suddenly in Sacramento. Thar was suthinâ in the paper about his beinâ a lunatic and claiminâ to be a relation to somebody on the Pontiac; but likes ez not itâs only the way those newspaper fellows got hold of the story of his wantinâ to marry Rosey.â
End of The Project Gutenberg Etext of By Shore and Sedge, by Bret Harte
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