old
woman gave it to Mary Kavanagh, and Mary in turn put it into the hands
of one of the young men of the harbor, with instructions to take it to
Witless Bay and from there send it out by mail. The young man promised
to do all this, of course.

"An' mind ye," cautioned Mary, "don't ye go an' let the skipper know
what ye bes up to."

Now this young man was one of the dozen who wanted Mary Kavanagh for a
wife. He was not brave, he was not honest; but he was as cunning as a
fox. So he thought the matter over, and soon came to the conclusion that
the game was not worth the candle. He was afraid of the skipper; and he
was content that the girl from up-along should remain in the harbor and
continue to blind the skipper's heart to the charms of Mary Kavanagh. So
he went quietly to the master, put the letter in his hands and told him
what he knew of it. Dennis Nolan destroyed the letter, and told the
young man to keep himself out of sight for the next three days. The
infatuated skipper had not yet given up hope of winning the heart of the
wonderful creature from up-along.

Late in March a French brig, bound for St. Pierre, went ashore on the
Squid Rocks to the north of Chance Along. Only two of her crew reached
the land-wash alive. They were powerful fellows, swarthy as Arabs, with
gold rings in their ears, the devil in their hearts, and a smattering of
many languages on their tongues. The gale that had driven the brig on
the Squid Rocks had interrupted them in the hatching of a mutiny against
their captain, mate and boatswain; for the brig's cargo consisted of
silks and wines for the smugglers of St. Pierre, and two chests of gold
containing the half-year's pay of the Governor, officials, and soldiers
of the little island.

Black Dennis Nolan and his men found them on the land-wash, more dead
than alive, dragged them back out of reach of the spray, and laid them
on blankets beside a fire. The brig was well in among the rocks, going
to pieces fast. After two hours of daring effort the skipper and four of
his men reached her, and found the chests of French gold in the lazaret
beneath the captain's cabin. They remained aboard the wreck for nearly
an hour before venturing shoreward with the treasure. They salvaged the
chests at last, however, placed a guard over them, and made one more
trip to the brig and back, bringing a bale or two of silk and a cask of
red wine the second time. Then the brig melted and fell to pieces befor