When Johnnie had finished there was a long moment of silence. Then
Norine quavered, tremulously: "That boy! That blessed boy!"
Branch murmured, feebly: "Dash water in my face, or you'll lose
me. I--You--" He found no words to express his feelings and
finally voiced his favorite expletive.
"It's all too weirdly improbable," O'Reilly smiled, "but ask Rosa
or Jacket--the boy is bursting to tell some one. He nearly died
because he couldn't brag about it to Captain Morin, and there
won't be any holding him now. I'm afraid he'll tip off the news
about that treasure in spite of all my warnings. Those jewels are
a temptation; I won't rest easy until they're safely locked up in
some good vault. Now then, I've told you everything, but I'm dying
for news. Tell me about yourselves, about Esteban. I expected to
find him well. What ails him?"
"Oh, Johnnie!" Norine began. "He's very ill. He isn't getting
well." Something in her tone caused O'Reilly to glance at her
sharply. Branch nodded and winked significantly, and the girl
confessed with a blush: "Yes! You told me I'd surrender to some
poor, broken fellow. I'm very happy and--I'm very sad."
"Hunh! He's far from poor and broken," Leslie corrected; "with a
half-interest in a humpful of diamonds and a gold-plated well,
according to Baron Munchausen, here.
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