. There were no other men in our immediate vicinity, so after
pounding away in silence for a quarter of an hour, the carpenter spoke.

"'Tis bloody well we've been treated to get no share av the wreck, whin
here we are sweatin' our brains out wid th' work av refittin'," said he.

"And what the devil is a few hundred pounds of salvage to me?" growled
Jim, hot with his exertion. "See here, man! I've left ten thousand behind
me on the _Pirate_."

"And a pious regard fer the truth along wid it," added Chips, smiting the
lug-bolt heavily.

Jim's face was so serious that I asked what he meant, and with the heat
of the work upon him and the absolute hopelessness of ever getting back
aboard our ship before his eyes, he spoke out:--

"Did you ever hear of Jackwell, the fellow who cracked the Bank of
Sydney?" he asked.

Chips and I both admitted that we had. He was the most notorious burglar
in the southern hemisphere.

"But what are ye askin' sich a question fer?" asked Chips. "What's
burglars got to do wid losin' salvage?"

"He was aboard the _Pirate_, and a reward awaits the lucky dog who lands
him. Just a trifle of ten thousand dollars," said Jim, fiercely.

Chips turned on him.

"Is it sure 'nuff truth ye're tellin', or jest a yarn to soothe our
feelin's?" he demanded. "I don't call to mind any gallus-lookin' chap in
th' watch."

"He never stood watch, and I wasn't certain of him until we were out to
sea and it was too late. What d'ye suppose I tried to get Trunnell to go
back for? 'Twas the old man, you stupid wood-splitter. You don't think
I'm a sailor, do you?"

"'Pon me sowl, how cud I? I niver had th' heart to hurt yer feelings,
Jim, me son, or ye'd have heard from me before. But what are ye, thin?"
And Chips leaned back against the rail.

"Nothing but a--" and Jim opened his coat which he had always worn since
coming aboard the _Pirate_. On the inside was a silver shield stamped
handsomely with the insignia of the detective corps of Melbourne.

"A sea lawyer aboard a derelict. Ye do fairly well, considerin'. An' th'
old man? You don't really mean it?"

"What?" I asked; "do you mean that Thompson's a burglar; and that he's
Jackwell himself?"

"Nothing else, and I'm out for the reward, which I won't get now. You
know now how he came aboard. If I'd only been a few hours sooner, it
would have been all right. He was about to buy his passage when he found
the real Captain Thompson wasn't there, and would