ion, as much as possible, by making
short tacks under close-reefed luggs.

Spike had been received on board the sloop-of-war, sent into her sick
bay, and put under the care of the surgeon and his assistants. From
the first, these gentlemen pronounced the hurt mortal. The wounded man
was insensible most of the time, until the ship had beat up and gone
into Key West, where he was transferred to the regular hospital, as
has already been mentioned.

The wreckers went out the moment the news of the calamity of the Swash
reached their ears. Some went in quest of the doubloons of the
schooner, and others to pick up any thing valuable that might be
discovered in the neighborhood of the stranded brig. It may be
mentioned here, that not much was ever obtained from the brigantine,
with the exception of a few spars, the sails, and a little rigging;
but, in the end, the schooner was raised, by means of the chain Spike
had placed around her, the cabin was ransacked, and the doubloons were
recovered. As there was no one to claim the money, it was quietly
divided among the conscientious citizens present at its revisiting
"the glimpses of the moon," making gold plenty.

The doubloons in the yawl would have been lost but for the sagacity of
Mulford. He too well knew the character of Spike to believe he would
quit the brig without taking the doubloons with him. Acquainted with
the boat, he examined the little locker in the stern-sheets, and found
the two bags, one of which was probably the lawful property of Capt.
Spike, while the other, in truth, belonged to the Mexican government.
The last contained the most gold, but the first amounted to a sum that
our young mate knew to be very considerable. Rose had made him
acquainted with the sex of Jack Tier since their own marriage; and he
at once saw that the claims to the gold in question, of this uncouth
wife, who was so soon to be a widow, might prove to be as good in law,
as they unquestionably were in morals. On representing the facts of
the case to Capt. Mull and the legal functionaries at Key West, it was
determined to relinquish this money to the heirs of Spike, as, indeed,
they must have done under process, there being no other claimant.
These doubloons, however, did not amount to the full price of the
flour and powder that composed the cargo of the Swash. The cargo had
been purchased with Mexican funds; and all that Spike or his heirs
could claim, was the high freight for which he