-took my eyes off him just a second, and--" He stopped his
excuses suddenly, and held up the lantern, gazing about.

"Good heavens, do you know what this is?" he cried.

Martin knew. He had guessed it even before Billy spoke, even before
the lantern brought clear sight. The thing he had tumbled over: the
other things that bumped him; the reek of musk in the air. He knew it
was the treasure.

None the less, he was astonished when he followed Little Billy's
gesture with his gaze. They were in a corner of the dry cave, and the
jutting rock which had spelled grief for Ichi formed a pocket or
alcove. This little chamber, in which they now were, was nearly filled
with kegs. They were stowed neatly, tier on tier, from floor to
sloping roof. They were about the size of pickle kegs, and there were
dozens of them. Ichi had evidently plumped headlong into the pile and
sent several kegs (and himself) rolling, one of which had tripped
Martin.

Martin's knowledge of ambergris was still very vague. He would not
have been surprised at the sight of a couple of barrels and an
iron-bound chest or two. But a regiment of kegs! Dozens of kegs! If
they all contained ambergris, he thought, there must be tons of the
smelly stuff.

"See it, Martin?" cried the volatile hunchback, all else forgotten in
the excitement of the instant. "By Jove, the entire fifteen hundred
pounds, or I'll eat this lantern! _Phew_--it hasn't lost any of its
virtue."

"But all those kegs can't be filled with it," said Martin. "Fifteen
hundred pounds--why, there must be fifty kegs there."

"Fifty-five," answered Little Billy, "counting the ones you knocked
over. Not as much as it looks. There is hardly any weight to
ambergris; it takes quite a lump to weigh even an ounce. Specific
gravity is--is--oh, I forget."

"It is .09," came a muffled voice from underneath Martin.

Martin started, and lifted his weight from the prostrate form.

"That is of betterness," said Ichi, more clearly. "May I see, please?"

"The rat smells cheese," observed Little Billy. It seemed so. Ichi
struggled into a sitting posture, and his little black eyes were bright
and greedy as he feasted them upon the kegs. He even sucked in the
burdened air greedily.

"Let's get back where we can see the ship," said Martin. He jerked the
Jap to his feet, and propelled him before. "That cursed stuff sickens
me," he told Little Billy, as they rapidly retraced their way. "