ion more than once
without obtaining a satisfactory answer to it. I should like to do so,
were it possible, for I am very heartily sick of the life that I am now
leading. There was a time when, soured and embittered by as cruel a
wrong as man could inflict upon his fellow man, I believed that I could
find consolation, if not actual happiness, in the wreaking of my
vengeance upon every Englishman whom I could get into my power, or whose
wealth I could take from him by force; but that time has long passed,
the revenge which I believed would be so sweet has turned to dust and
ashes in my mouth, and now I am so weary of life that the bullet or
steel that should rid me of it would be more welcome than any other
earthly thing. When it is too late, I have begun to realise the full
depth of my villainy, and to see what a contemptibly cowardly creature I
have been in permitting myself to seek such an ignoble method of revenge
as piracy. But, as I said, it is now too late, yes, too late--"

"Surely not," I broke in. "Have you forgotten the homely old adage that
`It's never too late to mend'? What you have done can never be undone,
it is true, but it can be repented of, and reparation can be made, if
not directly to the persons injured, yet by doing good to others where
you have the opportunity. Will you not think the matter over again, and
this time with the determination to arrive at a right decision?"

"I will think it over, certainly," he said. "As to arriving at `a right
decision', that is as may be. If I can see my way to such a decision it
may be that I shall take it. I will consider the matter while I am at
sea, and I promise you that no wrong shall be done during the progress
of this cruise if I can possibly help it, and I think I can. For I
always make a point of confining the navigation of the ship strictly to
myself; nobody aboard ever knows where we are until I choose to tell
them, and it will therefore be easy for me to take the brig to some spot
where there is little or no chance of our falling in with other craft.
Then, perhaps, if we can cruise for a month or six weeks without taking
a prize, the men may be content to accept their share of the booty, and
disband, especially as I should tell them that they may divide my own
share between them. And now, good-bye, with many thanks for your
sympathy!"

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN.

THE TREASURE CAVE.

When I awoke, rather late, the next morning, after a some