nstinct had
guided her better than man's sense, of which he is often so proud.

The Haddens, with the men of the other boat, began, without loss of
time, to search through the ship. She was a foreigner. It was clear
that those who had left her were in great fear, and had thought only of
saving their lives. Many articles of value lay scattered about in the
cabins. John Hadden and his sons were on deck; the rest were below.

"Hurrah!--a prize! a prize!" cried one of the men of the other boat. "A
box of gold!"

"Hush!" cried one of his companions. "Don't talk of it, man. If no one
else sees it, we may have it all to ourselves."

At that moment John Hadden entered the cabin. His eye fell on the box,
as the men were trying to hide it; he looked at what was in it.
"Friends, this property is not ours," he remarked, in a calm, firm
voice; "we shall get a fair reward if we succeed in saving it. I hope,
if we stay by the ship, that we may get her off, at the top of the next
flood, by lightening her a little. What say you? Will you stay by my
lads and me, and do the job?"

The other men, however, had set their hearts on getting the box of gold.
Have it they would, and they made all sorts of excuses to get away from
the ship, that they might take it with them. John Hadden was a man who
not only would not do wrong himself, but would stop others, if he could,
from doing it.

"Mates," he said, "I do not want to quarrel with you, or with any other
men; but the goods on board this ship must remain just as we found them.
I am sure that my own lads will bear me out in what I say: none of us
will touch them."

"Oh, we always have heard that you were a very strict man, Mr Hadden,
and now we find it true enough!" replied one of the men, with a sneer.

"No," said John Hadden quietly; "I only say, `Do right, whatever comes
of it.' If we take the goods on board this ship, we should be doing
wrong. And others doing so, won't make wrong right. That's all."

"Well, well; we don't want to quarrel. We wished you to share; but if
you won't, you won't, and neither will get it," answered the other; "so,
Mr Hadden, let's say no more about it."

John, honest and true himself, did not think that any trick was going to
be played him. The other men joined him and his sons, with seeming
goodwill, in getting out warps, and in heaving overboard some of the
cargo. Thus they worked on till night stopped them. There was a
promise of