he
long boat's cargo. Another fowling piece and ammunition, my canvas
hunting coat and wading boots, followed. Even, I caught down from a
nail the only other pair of trousers available in my wardrobe--for
Davidson's vast midship section comported ill with my own. I found my
watch in these other trousers, and putting a hand in a pocket, fished
out also my portemonnaie. It had certain bills in it--I presume two or
three thousand dollars in all, and I thrust these into my pocket. At
the bottom of the little purse,--among collar buttons and other hard
objects,--I found a little round white object, and once more bethought
me of my pearl which I had won on the far northern river, as it seemed
to me many years before--the pearl which, as I have said, was to be
known as the _Belle Helene_. I preserved it now.

Peterson and Williams, meantime, were busy in getting aboard a case or
so of water--not forgetting the ninety-three of which I reminded the
old man once more. Some additional stores of bacon and tea, and a
case of eggs, were also taken aboard. At length, with quite a little
cargo in the way of comforts, we embarked once more and started for
our rude encampment.

"We may be here for a month," said Peterson gloomily, looking at the
_Belle Helene_, now rolling just a little, her keel fast full length
in the mud-bar. "I don't think there's ever going to be any change of
wind--it'll blow steadily this way for a week, anyhow."

"I presume, Peterson," said I coolly, "that you don't see the sun
breaking through the clouds over there, at all. And I fancy that you
will not believe, either, that the sea is lulling now. Very well, I
don't want to make you unhappy, my friend."

I heard Williams chuckling as he stooped over his engine. Thus,
chugging on merrily with the long oily roll of the sea under us, we
presently once more ran our surf, and this time had small difficulty
in winning through, for, once we felt the ground under us, we simply
sprang overboard and waded in, dragging the boat with us, waist-deep
sometimes in the flood, but on the whole quite safe.

My two pirate mates came down to the beach joyously, and helped us
unload. It seemed that they had made something of a hunt already, for
with much pride Jean now displayed to me certain birds, proof of his
own prowess with his shotgun.

"Some of 'em's good to eat," said he. "Regular greenheads, like we get
up North." I looked at the string of birds, and saw that they w