time to time picking up articles which they thrust into their pockets or
laid on their shoulders, according as weight and dimensions required.

In a short time they returned to their boat pretty well laden.

"Weel, lad, what luck?" enquired Spink, as Swankie and he met--the
former with a grappling iron on his shoulder, the latter staggering
under the weight of a mass of metal.

"Not much," replied Swankie; "nothin' but heavy metal this mornin', only
a bit of a cookin' stove an' a cannon shot--that's all."

"Never mind, try again. There must ha' bin two or three wrecks on the
rock this gale," said Davy, as he and his friend threw their burdens
into the boat, and hastened to resume the search.

At first Spink was the more successful of the two. He returned to the
boat with various articles more than once, while his comrade continued
his rambles unsuccessfully. At last, however, Big Swankie came to a
gully or inlet where a large mass of the _debris_ of a wreck was piled
up in indescribable confusion, in the midst of which lay the dead body
of an old man. Swankie's first impulse was to shout to his companion,
but he checked himself, and proceeded to examine the pockets of the dead
man.

Raising the corpse with some difficulty he placed it on the ledge of
rock. Observing a ring on the little finger of the right hand, he
removed it and put it hastily in his pocket. Then he drew a red morocco
case from an inner breast pocket in the dead man's coat. To his
surprise and delight he found that it contained a gold watch and several
gold rings and brooches, in some of which were beautiful stones.
Swankie was no judge of jewellery, but he could not avoid the conviction
that these things must needs be valuable. He laid the case down on the
rock beside him, and eagerly searched the other pockets. In one he
found a large clasp-knife and a pencil-case; in another a leather purse,
which felt heavy as he drew it out. His eyes sparkled at the first
glance he got of the contents, for they were sovereigns! Just as he
made this discovery, Davy Spink climbed over the ledge at his back, and
Swankie hastily thrust the purse underneath the body of the dead man.

"Hallo! lad, what have ye there? Hey! watches and rings--come, we're in
luck this mornin'."

"_We_!" exclaimed Swankie, somewhat sternly, "_you_ didn't find that
case."

"Na, lad, but we've aye divided, an' I dinna see what for we should
change our plan noo."

"We