He chartered a brig, reached the spot
indicated,--a reef of the Magellan archipelago,--they sounded at
several points and after hard work dredged up only a few shattered
chests that contained not a trace of anything. When their food supply
gave out they were forced to return, and my uncle reached Manila
without a farthing. He got a position in a business house. After a
year of this a fellow from the United States proposed that they should
go out together in quest of the treasure, and my uncle accepted, on
the condition that they'd share the profits equally. On this second
voyage they brought up two huge, very heavy chests, one filled with
silver ingots, the other with Mexican gold pieces. The Yankee and my
uncle divided the money and each one's share amounted to more than one
hundred thousand duros. But my uncle, who was an obstinate fellow,
returned to the site of the shipwreck and this time he must have
located the treasure, for he came back to England with a colossal
fortune. Today the Hastings, who still live in England, are
millionaires. Do you remember that Fanny who came to the tavern in Las
Injurias with us?"
"Yes."
"Well, she's one of the wealthy Hastings of England."
"Then why didn't you ask them for some money?" queried Manuel.
"No, never. Not even if I were dying of hunger, and this despite the
fact that they've often offered to help me.
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