for and picked up the minutest scraps which had broken off
whilst he was cutting the "find" through.

Just at sunset, Lester and his gang of burly helpers returned tired
and hungry, but highly elated, for they had succeeded in getting out an
unusual amount of valuable cargo.

"We've had great luck to-day, Lucy," cried Lester, as he strode over the
coarse grass in his high sea boots; "and, all going well, we shall make
the first attempt to pull the ship off the day after to-morrow."

"And I have had luck too," said his wife, her fair, sweet face, now
bronzed by the sun, glowing as she spoke. "But come inside first, and
then I'll tell you."

The interior of the dwelling consisted of two rooms only--a small
bedroom and a large living room which was also used as a kitchen. It
was quite comfortably furnished with handsome chairs, lounges, chests of
drawers, and other articles taken from the cabin of the stranded ship.
The centre of the room was occupied by a large deal table made by one
of the men, and a huge fire of drift timber blazed merrily at one end.
Manuel was laying the table, his black face beaming with sup-pressed
excitement, and the rough, sea-booted wreckers entered one by one and
sat down. Mrs. Lester bade them smoke if they wished.

"Well, boys," said their leader to the wrecking party--of whom there
were thirty--"we all deserve a drink before supper. Help yourselves to
whatever you like," and he pointed to a small side-table covered with
bottles of spirits and glasses. Then Lucy, after they had all satisfied
themselves, walked over to the cask containing her "find," and standing
beside it, asked if they would all come and look at the contents and see
if they knew what it was. Lester, thinking she had succeeded in catching
a young seal, looked on with an amused smile.

One by one the men came and looked inside the cask, felt the greasy mass
with their horny fingers, and each shook his head until the tenth man,
who, the moment he saw it, gave a shout.

"Why, I'm blest if it ain't ambow-grease!"

Lester started. "Ambergris! Nonsense!" and then he too uttered a cry
of astonishment as a second man--an old whaler--darted in front of him,
and, pinching off a piece of the "find," smelt it.

"Hamble-grist it is, sir," he cried, "and the cask is chock-full of it."

"Turn it out on the floor," said Lester, who knew the enormous value of
ambergris, "and let us get a good look at it. Light all the lamps, Lucy."