like it being in the
boat--I don't care to have it so far away."

"Why, who's to take it?" cried Mac, with a guffaw of evil laughter.

But this was not at all the feeling of the partners, who rose, clambered
down the isle, brought back the inestimable treasure-chest slung upon
two oars, and set it conspicuous in the shining of the fire.

"There's my beauty!" cried Wicks, viewing it with a cocked head. "That's
better than a bonfire. What! we have a chest here, and bills for close
upon two thousand pounds; there's no show to that,--it would go in
your vest-pocket,--but the rest! upwards of forty pounds avoirdupois of
coined gold, and close on two hundredweight of Chile silver! What! ain't
that good enough to fetch a fleet? Do you mean to say that won't affect
a ship's compass? Do you mean to tell me that the lookout won't turn to
and SMELL it?" he cried.

Mac, who had no part nor lot in the bills, the forty pounds of gold, or
the two hundredweight of silver, heard this with impatience, and fell
into a bitter, choking laughter. "You'll see!" he said harshly. "You'll
be glad to feed them bills into the fire before you're through with ut!"
And he turned, passed by himself out of the ring of the firelight, and
stood gazing seaward.

His speech and his departure extinguished instantly those sparks of
better humour kindled by the dinner and the chest. The group fell again
to an ill-favoured silence, and Hemstead began to touch the banjo, as
was his habit of an evening. His repertory was small: the chords of
_Home, Sweet Home_ fell under his fingers; and when he had played the
symphony, he instinctively raised up his voice. "Be it never so 'umble,
there's no plyce like 'ome," he sang. The last word was still upon his
lips, when the instrument was snatched from him and dashed into the
fire; and he turned with a cry to look into the furious countenance of
Mac.

"I'll be damned if I stand this!" cried the captain, leaping up
belligerent.

"I told ye I was a voilent man," said Mac, with a movement of
deprecation very surprising in one of his character. "Why don't he give
me a chance then? Haven't we enough to bear the way we are?" And to the
wonder and dismay of all, the man choked upon a sob. "It's ashamed of
meself I am," he said presently, his Irish accent twenty-fold increased.
"I ask all your pardons for me voilence; and especially the little
man's, who is a harmless crayture, and here's me hand to'm, if he'll
condesc