ld
and jewels into the palm of his big hands.

"And mind ye, lad," warned the Captain, "I don't want any quarreling
among yourselves or ye will hear from me."

"Aye, aye, sir," replied the sailor and backed out of the cabin.

There was an interesting gathering in the forecastle when Jack Cales
deposited his handful of treasures on the top of a sea chest that had
been hauled out for the purpose.

For once it was not necessary to have the lantern lit, for a broad band
of sunshine shone down the steep ladder and cut a golden swath through
the dingy gloom and fell athwart the chest and illuminated the group:
the tall and swaggering Cales, the rugged, grizzled Pete, and the other
sailormen; a typical group and not to be matched for picturesqueness
anywhere; with their faces intent upon the center of the old black sea
chest, where glowed and glittered the gold and jewels in the band of
light that shone upon some of the faces of the intent group, while
others were in the shadow. It was a scene such as Rembrandt--pardon,
kind reader, I forgot for a moment, this is a simple narrative of
Adventure.

"Pete," said Cales, "how the ladies will love you when they see a chain
of glittering diamonds around your throat."

"One thing is certain, lad," replied the grizzled Pete, "I won't be
givin' none of my diamonds away to the ladies. I'll keep the stones safe
in my jeans."

"You'll have to be keerful, Pete," rallied another, "they'll be marrying
you for your ill-gotten wealth, when they find out that you are an
heiress. You can't help yourself, Pete. It won't make any difference
because you are a pirate, that won't scare 'em. Not when they see them
jewels."

"What's the use of you boys a talkin' to me," he said with a wise wink,
"you're only kittens. I'm sixty year old and I'm a free man yit."

"Here's a pill for you, Pop," said Cales, dropping a diamond into his
horny hand.

"Gee! I'm just as well pleased to get this as I was to get a bunch of
popcorn when I was a kid back in New England, off the Christmas tree."

"Better have it sot in one of your front teeth, Pop," said Jack. This
produced a roar of laughter, for Pete's front teeth were conspicuous by
their absence.

So the distribution went on without any bickering at first, only jovial
jokes, but at last there came a bone of contention over the last
diamond. And in a jiffy Jack Cales and a short, stocky sailor were all
tangled up in a fierce encounter. Their comrade