inside the rather humble home of the retired mariner. Presently
Captain Obed entered and quickly closed the door.

"Have to be very careful--very careful," he said in a whisper. "If
any one knowed I had this map they'd rob me of it."

He pulled down the shades of the windows, and then carefully locking
the door he went to another room. Bob heard him fumbling about, and
soon the old man came out with a yellowish piece of paper in his
hand.

"Feel of it," he said to Bob.

Bob did so. It was stiff and crackly.

"Parchment--parchment," whispered Captain Obed. "The map is drawed
on parchment--that's sheepskin instead of paper. He wanted it to
last for years and years."

"Who did?"

Once more Captain Obed looked around to see if by chance any one had
stolen into the room. He made Bob rather nervous.

"Captain Kidd," he answered in a lower whisper than he had yet used.
"Captain Kidd drawed that map. It gives the real secret of his
buried treasure. I'm the only one that knows where it is. There's
lots of maps of Captain Kidd's treasure, but I've got the only real
one. All them others was jest drawed so as to fool folks. An' they
did fool 'em. 'Cause why? 'Cause nobody ain't never yet found the