gold. Millions
and millions was stole and buried by them old boys."

"Yah! Hi've 'eard hall that before, Hi 'ave. Who hain't?" said Bingo,
with considerable shrewdness. "Honly hit halways struck me that if
them old buccaneers, as they calls 'em, was proper sailormen, they'd
'ave spent the hull blunt hinstead o' buryin' hof hit."

"Holy heavers, Bingo, they couldn't spend it all!" exclaimed Ditty.
"There was too much of it. Millions, mind you!"

"Millions! My heye!" croaked the Cockney. "A million of yer Hamerican
dollars or a million sterling?"

"You can lay to it," said Ditty firmly, "that there's more'n one
million in English pounds buried in these here islands. And there's a
bunch of it somewheres on this island."

"Then, Bug-eye, wye don't we git that map hand dig it hup hourselves on
the bloomin' jump? Wye wite? We kin easy 'andle the hafter-guard."

"The boys are balkin', that's why," growled Ditty. "They're like
you--afraid of that rotten old volcano."

"Blime me! Hand wye wouldn't they be scare't hof hit?" snarled the
Cockney.

"That bein' the general feelin'," Ditty said calmly, "why we'll stick
to my plan. Let the old man dig it up hisself and bring it aboard.

"It'll save us the trouble, won't it? And mebbe we can git rid of some
of the swabs, one at a time----"

"Huh!" chuckled Bingo. "One's gone halready. Hi see yer bloomin'
scheme, Bug-eye."

"Well, then," said the mate, rising from his seat, "keep it to yourself
and take your orders from me, like the rest does."

"Hall right, matey, hall right," said Bingo, and likewise stood up.

Drew dared remain no longer. He stole away to the stern and stood for
a while, looking over the rail into the black water--no blacker than
the rage that filled his heart.

He felt half tempted to attack the treacherous Ditty with his bare
hands and strangle the rascal. But he knew that this was no time for a
reckless move. There were only himself, the captain, and Tyke to face
this promised mutiny. Probably they could trust Rogers, and some few
of the men forward might be faithful to the after-guard. The
uncertainty of this, however, was appalling.

After a time he went below and rapped lightly on the captain's door.
The commander of the _Bertha Hamilton_ opened to him instantly. He was
partly undressed.

"Eh? That you, Mr. Drew?"

"Sh! Put out your light, Captain. I'll bring Mr. Grimshaw. I have
something to tell you both," whispe