their presence without being heard. But then both of them were absorbed
in the unearthing of the treasure, and Leopold made so much noise with
his shovel that the sound of Charley Redmond's approach, if there were
any, could not be heard.

Leopold looked at Stumpy, and Stumpy looked at Leopold. The money-digger
and the clam-digger realized that they were in a bad scrape. This little
dandy in eye-glasses had certainly upset all Leopold's plans for the
disposition of the gold.

"Halveses!" shouted Charley a second time, as he adjusted his
eye-glasses, and fixed his gaze upon the wet shot-bag which contained
the hidden treasure.

"I think not," added Leopold.

"No? When a fellow finds any money, the rule is to divy with all
present," added Charley.

"And for that reason you modestly ask for one half?"

"Well that's a conventional phrase, you see. Of course I meant
_shareses_. I shall be quite satisfied with one-third; and that's the
way to do the thing."

"Where did you come from? I thought you were on the cliff with the young
ladies," asked Leopold.

"I was there; but it seems that I came down just in the nick of time,"
replied the little fop. "The fact is, I drank too much wine last night,
and it makes me thirsty to-day. I was almost choked, and the ladies had
seated themselves on a rock, to enjoy a view of the boundless ocean, you
see; and it looked to me just as though they intended to stay there all
day, you see. In the mean time I was suffering with thirst; but it
wasn't polite, you see, for me to leave them. It isn't the way to do the
thing, you see. I knew they wouldn't want me to leave them."

Leopold looked at Stumpy, and smiled significantly.

[Illustration: STUMPY WITH THE BAG OF GOLD. Page 253.]

"My throat was as parched as though I had spent a month in the Desert of
What-you-call-it, you see," continued Mr. Redmond. "I desired very much
to come down to the boat and obtain a draught of cold water. I didn't
expect to obtain a draft on a gold bank then--ha, ha! you see? Not
bad--eh? Even a gentleman can't help making a pun sometimes, you see."

"Making a what?" asked Leopold.

"A pun--you see," laughed Mr. Redmond.

"Which was the pun?"

"Don't you see it? Why, a draught of water, and a draft on a gold bank.
Ha, ha!"

"O, that was it--was it? I'm much obliged to you for telling me."

Of course Mr. Redmond hardly expected a "countryman" to appreciate his
wit.

"_I_ was suffering with thir