of gold. I dropped them out the window into the lilac bushes, and put
the board up again. I didn't mean to steal it then. I never stole
anything in my life, not even a pin."

"What did you put the board up again for?" asked Levi.

"I didn't screw it up till afterwards. I carried the gold over to the
shop, and hid it under the floor. Then I went back and fastened up the
board, just as I found it. While I was doing this Dock Vincent came in,
and saw what I was doing. I turned it off as well as I could, and
helped move the furniture where the water was coming down upon it.
There was a lot of money in those bags, and I didn't like to give them
up. Dock had said something to me about going to Australia with him,
and I thought I could take the money out here with me.

"Just as soon as it came out that the gold was gone, Captain Vincent
pitched into me. He knew then what I was screwing up that board for. It
wasn't any use to deny it to him after what he had seen. I said I would
give it back to the old man, and tell him I had taken it to keep it
from being lost in the fire. Dock said it wan't worth while to do that;
the old man had lost it, and he wouldn't feel any worse if he didn't
find it. We talked it over, and after a while I agreed to divide with
him.

"Then he began to tell me, a little at once, about carrying off Miss
Watson again. I didn't like the job; but Dock said he'd send me to jail
for stealing the gold if I didn't go in with him; and I had to go. When
the new Starry Flag came round, he told me Levi wanted to hire me
before the mast, and told me to engage with him, so as to help him get
Miss Watson when the time came. All along, Dock said that Levi was in
his way. If he could get rid of him, he could carry her off without any
trouble. So he laid the stealing to him, and tried to prove it on him.

"Dock told me to put the bag and some of the gold in the state-room,
but I hadn't any chance to do it; the steward was in my way all the
time. The yacht was going off the next day, and Dock wanted to have
Levi taken up before he started. I handed the bag I had fixed to Ben
Seaver, and told him I had forgotten to do what the captain had
ordered. I asked him to give it to the steward, and tell him Levi
wanted him to put it into a locker in his state-room. Ben did just what
I told him; and I knew he was going off that day. Levi was taken up;
but things didn't work as Dock wanted. He was discharged.

"All this time the