bargain with you."

"What is it, my boy?"

"You shall do the unpacking and the breaking up when we set to in
safety, and melt them down into ingots."

"If we ever have the chance," he said sadly.

"Don't be down-hearted, Uncle," I cried cheerily. "Recollect we are
English, and Englishmen never know the meaning of the word `fail.'"

"True, my boy," he replied; "but we have our work before us."

"And that's just the work we mean to get done," said Tom, interposing
his opinion. "And now just you look here, moke," he continued,
addressing the mule he was helping to load--one which kept on laying
down its ears and showing its teeth as if it meant to bite--"here am I
a-doing all I can to make your load easy and comfortable for your ugly
back, and you're saying you're a-going to bite. Am I to kick you in the
ribs? 'Cause if you're not quiet I just will."

The mule seemed to understand either Tom's words or the threatening
movement of his foot, for it allowed itself to be loaded in peace; and
soon after the valuable treasure was declared to be quite safe, though I
knew perfectly well that any violent fit of kicking on the part of the
obstinate beasts must result in the whole being dislodged.

The next task was to apportion the remainder of our extremely reduced
stock of provision between the two mules that my aunt and Lilla were to
ride; and upon these mules, on the off-side away from the stirrup, I
proposed to secure the light poles and skins of the raft.

"They will be very awkward going amongst the trees," I said, "but it is
the best we can do."

"Why not carry them?" said my uncle.

"Because we must have our hands free to use our weapons," I replied.

"True, my lad," he said, "and we might have to drop and not recover
them."

"They'll be no end of a bother for the ladies, Mas'r Harry," said Tom.
"Lookye here: they sticks 'll ride as comf'able as can be atop of the
gold bags. Why not have 'em here?"

"Because, Tom, it may be necessary to leave the gold bags behind, and we
shall want the raft to escape."

"Leave the gold behind, Mas'r Harry!" he cried; "not if I know it."

"Life is worth more than gold, Tom," I said in reply.

Tom made no answer. He only set his teeth very hard, and the skins and
poles were secured just as I wished.

Towards evening, according to arrangement, Tom led the way with one of
the gold mules; my uncle followed leading another and bearing a light,
and the others required n