as risky work. How
would it be if we represented that we had found the schooner washing
about with nobody aboard?"

"The tale wouldn't be credited," said I. "The age of the vessel would
tell against such a story, even if you removed all other evidence by
throwing the clothes and small-arms overboard and whatever else might go
to prove that the schooner must have been floating about abandoned since
the year 1750!"

"Musn't lose de clothes, massa, on no account," cried Pitt.

"Well, sir," says Wilkinson, after another spell of reflection, "I
reckon you're right. If so be the law would seize the vessel and goods
on the grounds that she had been a pirate and all that's in her was
plunder, why, then, certainly, I don't see nothin' else but to make a
smuggling job of it, as you say, sir."

This being settled (Wilkinson's concurrence being rendered the easier by
my telling him that, providing the lading was safely run, I would adhere
to my undertaking to give them six hundred and sixty pounds each for
their share), I went below and spent half an hour over a letter to Mr.
Jeremiah Mason. There was no ink, but I found a pencil, and for paper I
used the fly-leaves of the books in my cabin. I opened with a sketch of
my adventures, and then went on to relate that the _Boca_ was a _rich
ship_; that as she had been a pirate, I risked her seizure by carrying
her to London; that I stood grievously in need of his counsel and help,
and begged him not to lose a moment in returning with the messenger to
Deal, and there hiring a boat and coming to me, whom he would find
cruising off Beachy Head. That I might know his boat, I bade him fly a
jack a little below the masthead. "As for the _Boca del Dragon_," I
added, "Wilkinson would recognize her if she were in the middle of a
thousand sail, and indeed a farmer's boy would be able to distinguish
her for her uncommon oddness of figure." I was satisfied to underscore
the words "a rich ship," quite certain his imagination would be
sufficiently fired by the expression. At anything further I durst not
hint, as the letter would be open for Wilkinson to read.

When I had finished, I took a lanthorn and the keys of the chest and
went very secretly and expeditiously to the run, and removing the layers
of small-arms from the top of the case that held the money, I picked out
some English pieces, quickly returned the small-arms, locked the chest,
and returned.

All this time we were running up Chan