ould return and tell him that I had a safe place, while as Tom lazily
stretched himself over the packages in the canoe, sheltering his head
with a few great leaves, his appearance excited no attention, and I left
him without much anxiety, to return to my uncle.

The discovery that Tom existed had robbed our perils of three parts of
their suffering; and now, with feelings of real anxiety respecting the
treasure springing up, I hurried back again to the landing-place, to
find all well, for the place was too Spanish and lazy for our coming to
create much excitement.

"Say, Mas'r Harry," cried Tom, grinning hugely, in spite of his pale
face and exhaustion, "I've got you now. I said you was to let me have a
pound a week; I must go in for thirty bob after this. Come, now, no
shirking. Say yes, or I'm hanged if I don't scuttle the canoe."

It was evident, though, that Tom had undergone a great deal, and was far
from able to bear much more; for that evening, after telling the Indian
porters that I was a sort of curiosity and stone collector, and getting
the treasure carried up safely to the house which I had taken, he
suddenly gave a lurch, and would have fallen had I not caught his arm.

"Why, Tom!" I cried anxiously.

"I think, Mas'r Harry," he said softly, "it might be as well if you was
to let a doctor look at me--it would be just as well. I've a bullet in
me somewhere, and that knife--"

"Bullet--knife, Tom?"

"Yes, Mas'r Harry, that Garcia--but I'll tell you all about it after."

The doctor I hastily summoned looked serious as he examined Tom's hurts;
and though, with insular pride, I rather looked down upon Spanish
doctors, this gentleman soon proved himself of no mean skill in surgery,
and under his care Tom rapidly approached convalescence.

"You see, Mas'r Harry, it was after this fashion," said Tom one evening
as I sat by his bedside indulging in a cup of coffee, just when one of
the afternoon rains had cooled the earth, and the air that was wafted
through the open window was delicious. "You see it was after this
fashion--"

"But are you strong enough to talk about it, Tom?" I said anxiously.

"Strong, Mas'r Harry! I could get a toller cask down out of a van.
Well, it was like this: I was, as you know, in the gold canoe; and being
on my knees, I was leaning over the side expecting you to swim off to
me, and at last, as I thought, there you was, when I held out my hands
and got hold of one of yours