thought it in the highest degree improbable that they would
attempt so exceedingly risky an operation as that of leaving the barque
in broad daylight, when all hands would be awake and about; he therefore
partook of a leisurely breakfast next morning, and then fearlessly left
the camp to take care of itself while he sauntered over to the cove to
see how Nicholls and Simpson were getting on. And as he passed the
treasure-cave he looked in, just to satisfy himself that Turnbull was
still in safe keeping, and also to examine his wound. He found the
fellow still bound hard and fast, and in a state of sullen fury at his
helpless condition, but otherwise he was doing fairly well, except for
the fact that his wound presented a somewhat inflamed and angry
appearance, due, no doubt, to the man's unhealthy state of body through
excessive drinking. Leslie dressed the wound afresh, and then passed on
to the cove, where he found Nicholls and Simpson busily engaged in
getting the cutter ataunto. They had already got her mainsail bent,
set, and flapping gently about in the small currents of wind that eddied
round the cove, the idea being to allow it to stretch uniformly before
exposing it to the regular strain of work. And when Leslie came upon
them they were busy upon the task of bending the foresail; and Nicholls
reported that they would be easily able to complete everything, even to
getting the topmast on end and the rigging set up, before nightfall. As
for Flora, she had gone off upon a ramble, leaving a note for Dick which
contained instructions as to how he might find her. This he did,
without difficulty; and as the whole of the treasure was now loaded on
board the cutter and the little craft herself was in condition to leave
the cove at an hour's notice, there remained little or nothing to be
done prior to the recapture of the _Minerva_. Dick therefore felt
himself perfectly free to devote the remainder of the day to his
sweetheart.

About an hour before sunset, however, the pair turned up at the cove,
and while Flora went on board the cutter, Leslie instructed Nicholls to
accompany him back to the camp, which they reached just as darkness
fell. Arrived there, the two men at once made their way to the great
pile of bales and cases that Dick had, with such a tremendous
expenditure of labour, brought ashore from the wrecked _Mermaid_, and,
rummaging among these, found the big case of firearms from which Leslie
had provid