d the hollowed block of ice tossed out of the door.

"Let's see," said Tregelly, "my two mates said that at the end of the
winter there'd only be about two hundred shillings' worth. But they
were wrong," he continued, with a merry laugh, "for all my share's here,
and I've added a bit more to it--enough to pay for what we want from
down the river; so I haven't done so badly, after all."

"You have done wonders," cried Dallas.

"Oh, I don't know. I've worked pretty hard, though," said Tregelly,
giving the contents of the bucket a twist round and pouring off some of
the melted ice into another bucket. "Looks pretty, don't it, my sons?
but hardly worth all the trouble one takes to get it."

He pushed the bucket right in among the embers, and the contents began
to steam, till all the ice was melted, when the dirty water was drained
away and the gold then turned carefully out on the iron cake griddle,
baked to dryness on the wood ashes, and then examined.

"That would make Mr Redbeard's ugly mouth water if he could see it, my
sons, eh?"

"Yes, it looks tempting," said Dallas. "Put it away."

"Nay; we've agreed to share now, my sons. Let's take out enough for me
to spend down the river. Let the other go into your leather bag."

"No, that would not be fair," said Dallas quickly.

"I say it would, my sons; and I ought to know best. Look here: you're
going to help me take care of what I've got, and I'm going to help you.
Sometimes you'll get more; sometimes I shall; so you see it will come
all square in the end. There," he said, in conclusion, as he roughly
scraped a portion of the glittering heap aside, "what do you say to that
being enough?"

"I'd take more," said Abel; "provisions will be dearer than ever."

"Right; so they will. Well, that must be plenty. Now then, where's
your bag?"

This was produced, rather unwillingly, from the hiding-place.

"That's right," he continued, as the glittering treasure was poured into
the leather bag. "Now then, we'll just see what we can do in the way of
prog for me to take. I can hold out pretty well on some cake and plenty
of tobacco. Then I'll be off."

"When do you mean to go?" said Abel.

"Go, my son? Why, now, directly. Sooner the better. Those chaps won't
come back till they want some more prog. I tell you what you might do,
though; go to the first shanty and tell the neighbour about those two
being out on the rampage, and ask him to pass the word all