ere
hundreds of coins!

These were quite bright, strange to say, although this circumstance was
most likely owing to the action of the fire that had burnt the tussock-
grass; for, some heavy iron clamps and hinges, that had evidently
belonged to the box which contained the coins originally and had been
consumed at the same time, lay on either side of the golden treasure. A
number of the coins, too, if any further proof was needed, were fused
together in a solid lump.

With eyes dilated with joy, the brothers gazed at the mine of wealth,
hardly daring to believe that what they saw was real.

Then, Fritz put out his hands and touched the heap.

"It is there--I feel it!" he exclaimed. "We are not dreaming?"

"I'm sure I'm not," said Eric, laughing with delight. "Why, it is a
regular fortune--it will beat all that we have earned by our sealing!"

Fritz took up one of the coins and examined it carefully. He had some
knowledge of numismatics from his mercantile education in Herr
Grosschnapper's office, that worthy merchant trading to all parts of the
globe and having considerable dealings with foreign monies.

"It is a doubloon," he explained to his brother after studying it a bit.
"The treasure consists of old Spanish coins that must have lain here
for years."

"I wonder who put them in this little hole?" said Eric.

Fritz did not answer this query for the moment; but, almost at the same
instant, there flashed across his recollection a curious story which an
old man at Tristan d'Acunha had told him--at the time when he and Eric
were inspecting the settlement on that island, before coming over to
their own little colony--concerning an old pirate who had buried a lot
of treasure either there or on Inaccessible Island.

After the brothers had gazed to their hearts' fill at the precious hoard
which had so suddenly been, revealed to them, the next thought was how
to remove it to their hut below.

"We'll roll up the lot in a blanket," said Eric, who as usual was always
to the fore when anything had to be planned out. "Tie up the gold
securely; and then chuck the bundle containing it down below, along with
the poor pigs we have slaughtered! There's no fear of anybody making
off with our doubloons before we accomplish the swim round the headland
back home."

"Yes, that will be the wisest course," acquiesced Fritz; "but, talking
of swimming round the headland, the sooner we're off the better. Those
clouds look v