In Search of an Unknown Race — page 17: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

VAN. Q ment, which exhaled a strange, spicy odor as he un- folded it. On the back of the sheet, Van saw the out- line of a map cleverly drawn in a sort of golden-tinted ink, and in one corner was the impress of a seal of singular design. A hand clasping a burning torch was encircled by a serpent holding the tip of its tail in its mouth—the ancients’ symbol of eternity. ‘‘A year ago this month,” began Captain Peterson nervously, ‘‘a big, sailorish-looking chap, who called himself Robert Martin, came aboard the Rattler with this letter, which was directed to Captain James Briscoe, your father, in care of Davis & Co., ship brokers. Martin had been there with it, and they sent him to me, know- ing that I, as your fathers administrator, was his only representative excepting yourself. Martin had a re- markably strange story to tell that was fully corrobo- rated by the contents of this letter, which heleft. Then, taking out his clasp knife, he ripped open the collar of his coarse flannel shirt, and, from at least a dozen diamonds of the purest water which he had sewed in the lining, selected the largest. ‘This goes with the letter—you’ll understand the whole thing when you come to read it,’ he said, and before I could stop him, Martin was gone. I’ve never set eyes on him since then,” said Captain Peterson, drawing a long breath, ‘‘though, for reasons youll soon understand, I would give a hundred dollars to-day to be able to lay my hand on Bob Martin.” ‘‘But the letter,” eagerly exclaimed Van. ‘‘ Who was it from? what is it about?” ‘¢That’s what I’ve been coming at,” replied the cap- tain, ‘‘and now if you'll listen without interruption, Gomichbooks (E(0) im