that?"

"Why, sah, I 'fess eberything to you, sah, and tell you all."

"Heave ahead, then."

"Well, sah, I no tink it berry wrong, sah, cause there such a debble ob a lot ob silber, but while I watch Ma.s.s' Jone and de sailor chip, chip, chip at de sh.e.l.l to knock 'em off I see dem knock little bit ob silber too some time, and one time dey fro lump of sh.e.l.l down. I quite sure got big piece of silber inside."

"And you've been up on deck to get hold of it, eh?"

"Yes, Ma.s.s' Oak.u.m, sah, dat's him."

"Hand over, and let's feel the weight on it, 'Pollo, old man, only you needn't do that, my lad. We found the spot for the govnors, and they'll come down hansome."

"Yes, Ma.s.s' Oak.u.m, sah, but I tink it great pity waste anyting, eben bit ob fat, so no like see bit ob silber fro overboard."

"Where's the stuff; 'Pollo?"

"I no got um, sah, dat's why I came to ask you."

"But is it so heavy as all that, 'Pollo?"

"No, sah, you no understand. I come on deck, find de silber, and I find someting else."

"What's that?" said Oak.u.m sleepily.

"I find piece ob de crew, sah, all sit togedder in a corner, hatchin'

mutiny."

"What?" exclaimed Oak.u.m, whom these words galvanised into an excited state.

"Hatch de mutiny, sah."

"I've good as expected as much," exclaimed Oak.u.m, giving his leg a slap.

"Heave out, and let's rouse the skipper. The beggars mean treachery."

"We better go softly then, Ma.s.s' Oak.u.m, sah, or we get knife in de ribs."

"Right, 'Pollo," said Oak.u.m; "let's investigate first and see."

Creeping softly up the ladder he just raised his head above the coamings of the hatchway, and peered cautiously round, but seeing nothing he drew himself the whole way out, and lay down on deck, 'Pollo following him on the instant.

"Well?" whispered Oak.u.m, "what's their bearings?"

'Pollo, for answer, crawled away into the darkness, and returned at the end of a couple of minutes to announce that they were all gone.

"Look here, Master 'Pollo," growled Oak.u.m in a whisper; "if you've woke me out of a fine sleep to humbug me, you and I will have a row."

"I quite suah, sah, dat free sailor fellow set under de bulwark, sah, hatch mutiny."

"Come and have a look round," said the old fellow, and together they went softly to the man who had the watch forward, to find that he had heard nothing, though a sharper investigator than Oak.u.m would have come to the conclusion that the fellow had been fast asleep.

A similar result followed the journey aft, when with a growl Oak.u.m walked straight back to the hatchway, where he turned round.

"Lookye here, 'Pollo, old man, you get to your hammock and have a good night's rest, or you'll be rolling into the fire fast asleep to-morrow, and burning those beautiful curls of yourn. And lookye here, too, my lad, you leave that there silver rubbish alone, and trust to what the skippers and the govnors give you for reward. Good-night."

"Dah!" cried 'Pollo, sulkily, "I don't care who come and take de ship now. I no say word about more. Only get laugh at;" and muttering volubly to himself, he crept back to his hammock, and the next minute he was lying fast asleep with his mouth open.

The morning broke bright and beautiful, with the golden sunshine glinting through the tall columns of the palm-trees ash.o.r.e, and lighting up the dark vistas of the jungle in the most wonderful manner; but the thoughts of all on board were directed not to the golden sunshine, save that it was available for the manner in which it lit up the depths of the clear sea; and all that day in steady turns Dutch, Mr Parkley, and Rasp went down, working away clearing out the sand, and sending up the iron buckets laden with silver.

Careful probing with the iron rod had shown them that the s.p.a.ce in which the treasure lay was not great, only spread over a portion of the lower part of the old galleon of about twelve feet by sixteen; everywhere else the rod would penetrate to any depth, save where it came in contact with the old hardened ribs of the ship, or portions of its keel, and they gave forth to the touch such unmistakable signs of what the opposing material was that the adventurers were quite content.

A receptacle had been prepared for the treasure in the hold, and the way to this was down the cabin stairs, strong bulkheads cutting this off from the other portions of the vessel; and down here continuously, after the sh.e.l.ly concretions, where they existed, had been knocked off, was carried bucket after bucket of ingots, which Mr Jones and Oak.u.m stacked as regularly as they would lie, while the captain superintended and kept watch on deck.

The men worked admirably: their wonder at the richness of the find pa.s.sing away as the silver became common to their sight, for it was shot out of the buckets on to the deck, hammered even, and thrown about as if it was so much stone.

There were two or three alarms of sharks, but an occasional cartridge fired under water at a distance from the ship had the desired effect of scaring the monsters away.

Rasp worked even harder than Dutch, giving as his reason that they ought to make hay while the sun shone; and certainly he made a goodly addition to the silver stack, while Mr Parkley was not far behind his partner.

The doctor, Mr Wilson, and even John Studwick helped, by cleaning the ingots as they were raised by the sailors in the buckets, and emptied out on deck, while Bessy Studwick, Hester, and 'Pollo aided by being always ready with refreshments as they were needed, and besides kept a lookout.

For it was determined to make the best use they could of the daylight, and consequently their meals were s.n.a.t.c.hed in the little intervals of work. Even the men forbore to grumble at being kept without their regular food, for there was a novelty in their task.

The sand caused a great deal of trouble to the divers, but this was steadily mastered, and when at sunset the task was set aside for the night, and, wearied out, the adventurers sat down to the repast 'Pollo had prepared and the steward set out, the question was asked in a whisper, what was the value of the treasure recovered. Mr Parkley, who had been below, could only say--

"Many thousands."

STORY ONE, CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.

A GOOD RESOLUTION.

The next day and the next and the next pa.s.sed rapidly in the same toil; and work, rest, and refreshment were all that were thought of. Even Dutch had been seized now by the thirst for wealth, and, hardly looking at Hester, he toiled on at his task, while she, pale and rigid, kept watch over him, never once gaining confidence as she saw his many descents, but always tortured by the horror of that first day.

To her great relief, though, Laure had hardly noticed her, and there seemed to be an unspoken truce existing between them. She could see that he was one of the most industrious of the workers, and she shuddered as she felt why this was, and knew that some terrible catastrophe might ere now have taken place on the schooner, only that Laure wanted the divers to do their work to the full before he a.s.serted himself.

And yet she dared not speak, feeling that to utter a warning would be to sign her husband's death-warrant, while he, giving no heed to, perhaps not crediting, her sufferings, pa.s.sed her by at times without a look.

But a change was rapidly approaching, and it took place so suddenly as almost to surprise Hester herself.

The only thing that had disturbed the harmony of the past week had been the bitter opposition of John Studwick to the advances made by the young doctor. So far from the presence of a medical man on board being of advantage to the invalid, it had served to irritate and annoy him, and more than once he had angrily turned his back and drawn his sister away with the petty jealousy of a child more than a man, all which the doctor had taken in quite good part, while Bessy had more than one hearty cry to herself, as she called it.

Hester and she were like sisters now, and in consequence a coolness existed towards Dutch, who saw nothing, however, but, miser-like, gloated over the enormous wealth he was helping to pile up for himself and partner.

It was on the ninth day of the diving that, all elate, and congratulating themselves on the calm and delightful weather that had attended their efforts, the task began once more. The sand had been well mastered, and great half-rotten, water-hardened pieces of timber had been removed, and the silver was sent up, from the ease with which it was obtained, at a greater rate than ever.

Dutch had been down five times, and he was now down for the sixth, having succeeded Mr Parkley, and wading to the hole that had been made, after filling the bucket with some difficulty, the silver having now become scarce, he took his bar and tried to remove a piece of blackened wood that showed plainly in the mid-day sun.

It seemed quite fast, but a good wrench moved it, and, lifting it with ease, Dutch carried it a few paces and thrust it between two of the ribs behind him.