But all he could say and protest did not
relieve him of the suspicion that he was a participant in getting up
the enterprise. In short, there was the old story of his knowledge of
where Kidd's treasure was buried lending color of truth to the
statements made to his injury by Chapman.
The innocent Dutch settlers would gather at Bright's inn of an evening,
smoke their pipes, mutter their discontent at the way things had turned,
compare their "equivalents," and relate how much saving it had cost them
to get the money thrown away on them. If it had not been for Hanz
Toodleburg, they said, not a man of them would have believed a word of
the story about Mr. Kidd and his money. Indeed, they would insist on
laying all their sorrows at Hanz's door.
Chapman had also circulated a report, which had gained belief among the
settlers, that the trouble was caused by the devil refusing to surrender
the key of the big iron chest; that he had been heard under
sounding-rock, making terrible noises, and threatening to destroy every
man working in the shaft.
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