BEING A TRUE HISTORY OF THE GOLD, JEWELS, AND PLATE OF PIRATES, GALLEONS, ETC., WHICH ARE SOUGHT FOR TO THIS DAY. Ralph Delahaye Paine was an American journalist and author popular in the early 20th century. Paine's book tells of pirates, heroes, scoundrels, and treasure seekers creating, stealing, seeking, and sometimes finding great wealth. It also tells of treasures yet undiscovered (as of 1911, but perhaps to this day). It remains the stuff of dreams for countless kids growing up, and those of us who never grew up.