Say, what went on durin' the rest of the day I couldn't tell. I expect it was a good deal the same kind of an afternoon we'd been havin' right along, but to me it was three X double A with the band playin'. I was light in the head and I had springs in my heels. Everything and everybody looked good to me.

I jollied Old Hickory into lettin' me tip the sailors that had lugged the sacks aboard, and I threw in some of his best cigars just by way of relievin' my feelin's. Whenever I pa.s.sed Captain Rupert Killam I hammered him on the back folksy and told him he sure was some discoverer. I even let Mrs. Mumford feed me an earful about how the late dear Mr. Mumford always remembered to send home a bunch of roses on their weddin' anniversary. Rather than revisit the scene himself, I suppose.

But when it come to playin' opposite Auntie--say, I was right there with the Percy-boy stuff: givin' her a hand up the stairs when she came on deck, leadin' her to a chair on the shady side, and hintin' how she looked mighty chipper after an all-night session such as we'd had.

Talk about smooth stuff! I had the inside of a banana peel lookin'

like a nutmeg grater.

Auntie falls for it, too. She has me whisper in her ear just where the treasure is stowed and how complete we'd thrown the crew off the trail.

I works up that sketch of my talk with the Swede second mate until I had her shoulders shakin'.

"What a boy you are!" says she, gaspy.

"Don't overlook the fact that I'll be votin' next year," says I.

"How absurd!" says Auntie.

"We do grow up, you know," says I. "It's a habit we have. And now, how about a gla.s.s of that iced pineapple the steward fixes so well?

Sure! Lemme fetch a couple."

The climax was when she got me to holdin' a skein of yarn for her. As Old Hickory strolls by and sees me with my hands stuck out, I thought he was goin' to swallow his cigar.

Still, I couldn't get just the right cue. Not that I'd mapped out anything definite. I only knew I had something special and particular to say to Auntie, but I couldn't spring it unless I got the proper hunch. So the afternoon petered out, and the sun dropped into the Gulf, and folks begun disappearin' to dress for dinner.

The word had been pa.s.sed that this was to be a special event to-night, so it's full white flannels for the men and evenin' gowns for the ladies. You see, we hadn't told the outsiders a word. In fact, they didn't even know we'd been away from the yacht durin' the night.

It's a swell feed the steward puts on, too, considerin' where we was.

Nothin' dry about it, either; for, while Mr. Ellins ain't a great hand to overdo irrigation, he's no guide to the Great Desert. There was silver ice buckets on the floor, and J. Dudley Simms lost a side bet to Professor Leonidas Barr on namin' the vintage. He was five years too young.

Not until coffee had been served did Old Hickory give any hint that this was to be a regular celebration, with post-prandial doin's. Then he proceeds to chase out all the help, lockin' the doors behind 'em.

Next he has me pull the shades over the cabin windows.

"Friends," says he, "you all know what it was that we came down here for. It sounded foolish in New York, I acknowledge. Even in these surroundings, our enterprise may have appealed to some of you as a bit fantastic. But--Torchy, will you and Captain Killam bring those sacks?"

Did we have 'em goggle-eyed? Say, when we dumped peck after peck of treasure and sand in the middle of the dinner table, and they got to pawin' over those weird old gold pieces and them samples of antique jewelry, it was a knockout for fair.

"My word!" gasps J. Dudley. "You must feel like successful bank robbers."

"Wonderful!" says Professor Barr, breathin' excited through his whiskers. "Why, some of these doubloons must have been coined during the reign of--"

"Cornelia," breaks in Mrs. Mumford, "will you look at that old brooch.

It's exquisite!"

"Then it is yours as a souvenir of the trip," says Auntie--just like that.

Next, Dudley and the Professor was asked to pick out a trinket. After which Mr. Ellins suggests that they divide the loot into five equal piles, and that we draw numbers to see who get which. Rupert wasn't strong for this free and casual way of splittin' the gate receipts, but he gives in. And when we each has our heap in front of us, with the sand sc.r.a.ped into the middle of the cloth, Old Hickory has the gla.s.ses filled once more, and starts up that pirate song of his:

"Fifteen men on a dead man's chest-- Yo-ho-ho! and a bottle of rum."

Right in the middle of the festivities, too, I takes my runnin' jump.

Pickin' out a quaint old ring from my collection, I slips around beside Auntie and snuggles up confidential.

"Well, Torchy," says she, "what is it?"

"It's a big favor," says I. "See this? I want you to let me ask Vee to wear this for--for keeps. Can I?"

"You--you mean--" she begins.

"Uh-huh!" says I. "Until some time I can fit one on--well, one that the best man hands me. Come on, Auntie. Have a heart!"

"You ridiculous boy!" says she. "If you must, though--"

Say, I wasn't lookin' for that next move of hers. Think of it--Auntie!

And she lands one right on my cheek, too. Everyone sees it. And, while I'm pinkin' up like a cranberry tart, Old Hickory sings out gleeful:

"Tut, tut, Cornelia! What is this all about?"

"I suppose," says Auntie, "that we must drink a toast to these youngsters of ours. That is, if Verona insists on being so foolish."

"How about it, Vee?" I whispers, capturin' her left hand. "Do we let 'em drink?"

"Silly!" says she. "The other finger."

It's a bit public, I admit. Might as well have hired a hall. But they all seems to enjoy handin' us the jolly. Mr. Ellins makes a reg'lar speech, tellin' how fond he is of both of us and how this event pleases him more'n findin' the buried treasure. He winds up by askin' if everybody ain't about ready to start back for New York. The vote is unanimous.

"Why not to-night?" asks J. Dudley.

"To-night it shall be," says Old Hickory.

"Say, Mr. Ellins," I breaks out just then, "lemme pa.s.s the word on that, will you?"

And, when I gets the nod, I breezes out on deck and up to the Captain's stateroom.

"Cap," says I, "welcome words from the boss."

"Sailing orders?" he asks.

"Yep!" says I. "You're to tie her loose from Florida as quick as you know how, and head her straight for the wet end of Broadway. Get me?

Broadway! Say, but don't that listen good?"

CHAPTER XVII

A LITTLE SPEED ON THE HOME STRETCH

And, speakin' of thrills, what beats gettin' back to your own home town? Why, say, that mornin' when we unloads from the _Agnes_ after a whole month of battin' around, New York looked to me like it had been touched up with gold leaf and ruby paint. Things seemed so fresh and crisp, and all so sort of natural and familiar. And the sounds and the smells! It's all good.