"

"I have still a treasure to seek," I said, half to myself.

"Good enough," said the "King." "Now, to be practical. We can assume
that Tobias is on the watch. I don't mean that he's around here just
now, for, before we left, I spoke to Samson and Erebus and they will
pass the word to four men blacker than themselves; therefore we can
assume that this square mile or so is for the moment 'to ourselves.' But
beyond our fence you may rely that Tobias and his myrmidons--is that
the word?" he asked with a concession to his natural foolishness--"are
there."

"So," he went on, "I want you to go down to your boat to-morrow morning
to say good-bye to the commandant, the parson, and the postmaster; to
haul up your sail and head for Nassau. Call in on Sweeney on the way,
buy an extra box of cartridges, and say '_Dieu et mon Droit_'--it is our
password; he will understand, but, if he shouldn't, explain, in your own
way, that you come from me, and that we rely upon him to look out for
our interest. Then head straight for Nassau; but, about eight o'clock,
or anywhere around twilight, turn about and head--well, we'll map it out
on the chart at home--anywhere up to eight miles along the coast, till
you come to a light, low down right on the edge of the water. As soon as
you see it, drop anchor; then wait till morning--the very beginning of
dawn. As soon as you can see land, look out for Samson--within a hundred
yards of you--all the land will look alike to you. Only make the Captain
head straight for Samson, and just as you think you are going to run
ashore--Well, you will see!"

CHAPTER IX

_Old Friends._

Next morning I did as the "King" had told me to do. The whole programme
was carried out just as he had planned it. I made my good-byes in the
settlement, as we had arranged, not forgetting to say "_Dieu et mon
Droit_" to Sweeney, and watching with some humorous intent how he would
take it. He took it quietly, as a man in a signal box takes a signal,
with about as much emotion, and with just the same necessary
seriousness. But I suppose he felt that the circumstances justified a
slight heightening of his usual indifference to all mortal things.

"Tell the boss," he said--of course he meant the "King"--"that we are
looking after him. Nothing'll slip through here, if we can help it. Good
luck!"

So I went down to the boat--to old Tom once more, and the rest of our
little crew, who had long since exhausted the attract