r half a minute. He closed with
the furious skipper and clung tightly to him, thus avoiding punishment
for the moment. The two were well matched in height and weight; but the
skipper was the stronger in both body and heart. Also, he seemed now to
be possessed of the nerve-strength of a madman. He lifted his clinging
antagonist clear of the floor, shook him and wrenched at him, and at
last broke his hold and flung him against the wall. Dick landed on his
feet, steadied himself for a moment and then dashed back to the
encounter; but he was met by the skipper's fist--and that was the end
of the fight.

Black Dennis Nolan returned to the table and sat down behind the smoky
lamp. There was a red spot on his forehead from a chance blow, and the
knuckles of both big hands were raw. He breathed heavily for a full
minute, and glared around him in silence.

"Pick 'em up," he said, at last. "The lesson I larned 'em seems to lay
cold on their bellies. Give 'em rum, Burky Nolan--ye'll find a case of
bottles behind the stove. Drink up, all o' ye. T'row some water in their
faces, too."

His orders were promptly obeyed. He took the pistols from Bill Brennen
and Nick Leary, and laid them on the table, and then picked up his coat
and put it on.

"Now, men, maybe ye know who bes master of this harbor," he said. "If
any one o' ye, or any four o' ye, bain't sure, say the word an' I'll
pull off me coat again an' show ye. Well now, we'll git back to
business. The jewels bes still hid in the swamp. They bain't no manner
o' use to us till we sells 'em. I'll do that, men, bit by bit, in St.
John's. The grub an' liquor we took bes all in the pit under this
floor. Ye kin come every day an' tote away what ye wants of it. The
wines and brandy bes for them who has sick folks an' old folks to feed.
Lift the trap, Bill, an' let them help theirselves."

Bill Brennen stooped and hoisted a trap-door in the middle of the floor.
The skipper left the table, lamp in hand.

"Help yourselves, men," he invited. "Take whatever ye fancies."

They came up meekly. Even the three who had so lately been disabled
obeyed the invitation, leaning upon their companions. The water and rum
had revived them physically, but their spirits were thoroughly cowed.
The skipper held the lamp over the square hole in the floor.

"Two at a time, men," he cautioned. "Bill, light a candle an' pass it
down to 'em."

Half an hour later the store was empty, save for the skipper a