vin' trouble, your Honour. But
I prefer to do these things professionally." Dolphin's mock seriousness
tickled his hearers, and they laughed. "But, joking apart," he said,
"after all the experience we've had, to go and turn that mountain-side
into a butcher's shambles is nothin' short of disgraceful. They all
ought to've been 'squeezed,' an' have died as quiet as mice, without a
drop of blood on 'em."

"All food for worms; all lying in the howling wilderness, where they'll
stop till kingdom come. What's the use of worrying? Hand over that bag
of gold, Garstang, an' let's have a look. I've got an awful weakness for
nuggets."

A blanket was spread on the floor of the cavern, and upon this were
heaped bank-notes and sovereigns and silver that glittered in the
fire-light.

The four men gathered round, and the leader of the gang divided the
money into four lots.

"Here's some of the gold." The shrill-voiced young man handed a small
but heavy bag to Dolphin. "There's stacks more."

"One thing at a time, William," said the leader. "First, we'll divide
the money, then the gold, which won't be so easy, as we've got no
scales. Here, take your cash, and count it. I make it L157 7s. apiece."
From a heap of bundles which lay a few yards off he drew forward a
tent-fly, and then he carried into the light of the fire a number of
small but heavy bags, one by one, and placed them on the canvas.

"My lot's only L147 7s.," said a deep and husky voice.

"You must ha' made a mistake, Garstang," said Dolphin. "Count it again."

While the hulking, wry-faced robber bent to the task, the leader began
to empty the contents of the bags upon the tent-fly.

Peering through the tracery of the Organ Gallery, Tresco looked down
upon the scene with wonder and something akin to envy. There, on the
white piece of folded canvas, he could see dull yellow heaps, which,
even in the uncertain light of the fire, he recognised as gold.

At first, half-stunned by the presence of the strangers, he was at a
loss to determine their character, but from their conversation and the
display of such ill-gotten riches, he quickly grasped the fact that they
were greater criminals than himself. He saw their firearms lying about;
he heard their disjointed talk, interlarded with hilarious oaths; he saw
them stooping over the heaps of gold, and to his astonished senses it
was plain that a robbery on a gigantic scale had been committed.

On one side of the fire the