is coat, as if about to commence the journey at once.

"Too late to-night, Robin," said Sam; "restrain your impatience, my boy.
You forget that it sometimes gets dark in these latitudes, and that
there are no street lamps on the country roads."

"True, true, Sam. And what said they about our capture?"

"That we must leave it in their hands at present; that they did not know
exactly what the Rajah might have to say about it, but that he would be
there himself in a few weeks, and decide the matter."

"'Pon my word, that's cool," said Slagg, who came up at the moment; "an'
suppose we wants to continue our voyage to England, or Indy, or Chiny?"

"If we do we must continue it by swimming," returned Sam; "but it
matters little, for there is a steamer expected to touch here in a few
days on her way to India, so we can take passage in her, having plenty
of funds--thanks to the pirates!"

"It's all very well for you to boast of bein' rich," growled Stumps,
"but _I_ won't be able to afford it."

"Oh! yes you will," returned Robin with a laugh. "The Jews will advance
you enough on your jewellery to pay your passage."

"Sarves you right for bein' so greedy," said Slagg.

The greed which Slagg referred to had been displayed by Stumps at the
time the parcels of coin and precious stones were made up in the cavern
for sudden emergency, as before mentioned. On that occasion each man
had made up his own parcel, selecting such gems, trinkets, and coin from
the pirate horde as suited his fancy. Unfortunately, the sight of so
much wealth had roused in the heart of Stumps feelings of avarice, which
heretofore had lain dormant, and he stuffed many glittering and superb
pieces of jewellery into his bag in a secretive manner, as if half
ashamed of his new sensations, and half afraid that his right to them
might be disputed.

Afterwards, on the voyage to Borneo, when the bags were emptied and
their costly contents examined, it was discovered that many of Stumps's
most glittering gems were mere paste--almost worthless--although some of
them, of course, were valuable. Stumps was much laughed at, and in a
private confabulation of his comrades, it was agreed that they would
punish him by contrasting their own riches with his glittering trash,
but that at last they would give him a share which would make all the
bags equal. This deceptive treatment, however, wrought more severely on
Stumps than they had expected, and roused not only j