each to lay their eggs, and they were now looking for some good spot
where they might dig.

Presently the tall man gave some orders in a low voice, and then his men
left him to himself, and went back to the boat. There was a great pine
tree standing back a considerable distance from the water, battered and
racked by storms, but still a tough old tree. Toward this the pirate
captain stalked, and standing close to it, with his back against it, he
looked up into the sky. It was plain that he was looking for a star.
There were very few of these luminaries to be seen in the heavens, for
the moon was so bright. But as Abner looked in the direction in which
the pirate captain gazed, he saw a star still bright in spite of the
moonlight.

With his eyes fixed upon this star, the pirate captain now stepped
forward, making long strides. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.
Then he stopped, plunged his right heel in the soft ground, and turned
squarely about to the left, so that his broad back was now parallel
with a line drawn from the pine tree to the star.

At right angles to this line the pirate now stepped forward, making as
before seven long paces. Then he stopped, dug his heel into the ground,
and beckoned to his men. Up they came running, carrying picks and
spades, and with great alacrity they began to dig at the place where the
captain had marked with his heel.

It was plain that these pirates were used to making excavations, for it
was not long before the hole was so deep that those within it could not
be seen. Then the captain gave an order to cease digging, and he and all
the pirates went back to the boat.

For about half an hour,--though Mary thought it was a longer time than
that,--those pirates worked very hard carrying great boxes and bags from
the boat to the excavation. When everything had been brought up, two of
the pirates went down into the hole, and the others handed to them the
various packages. Skilfully and quickly they worked, doubtless storing
their goods with great care, until nearly everything which had been
brought from the boat had been placed in the deep hole. Some rolls of
goods were left upon the ground which Mary thought were carpets, but
which Abner believed to be rich Persian rugs, or something of that
kind.

Now the captain stepped aside, and picking up from the sand some little
sticks and reeds, he selected ten of them, and with these in one hand,
and with their ends protruding a sho