would by no means accept of
a single penny from him in any form.

Edgar had set his heart upon two things that morning, and had prayed,
not for success, but, for guidance in regard to them.

In the first he had failed--apparently. Not much depressed, and nothing
daunted, he tried the second.

"Captain," he said, pacing up and down by the side of that
black-bearded, black-eyed, and powerful pirate-killer, "what say you to
run back to the spot where you sank the pirates, and attempt to fish up
some of the treasure with our diving apparatus?"

"I've thought of that two or three times," replied the captain, shaking
his head; "but they went down in deep waters,--forty fathoms, at
least,--which is far beyond your powers."

"True," returned Edgar, "but the prow of the pirate-chief was, you know,
run down in only nineteen fathoms, and _that_ is not beyond us."

"Is it not?"

"No, we have already been deeper than twenty fathoms with the dress I
have on board."

"There is only one objection," said the captain, pausing in his walk; "I
have learned from the prisoners that before we came up with them,
Pungarin had had all the money and chief treasure transferred from his
own prow to another, which was a faster boat, intending to change into
it himself, but that after our appearing he deferred doing so until the
fight should be over. If this be true, then the treasure went down in
deep water, and the chiefs prow has nothing in it worth diving for."

"But we are not sure that this story is true; and at all events it is
probable that at least _some_ of the treasure may have been left in
Pungarin's boat," urged Edgar.

"Well, I'll make the trial; but first I must dispose of my prisoners."

So saying, the captain resumed his walk and Edgar went below to look
after his engine, having, in passing, given Rooney Machowl instructions
to overhaul the diving gear and get it into good working order.

This Rooney did with much consequential display, for he dearly loved to
bring about that condition of things which is styled "astonishing the
natives." As the Malays on board, seamen and captives, were easily
astonished by the novelties of the western hemisphere, he had no
difficulty in attracting and chaining their attention to the minutest
details of his apparatus. He more than astonished them!

With the able assistance of Baldwin and Maxwell and Ram-stam, he drew
out, uncoiled, rubbed, examined inch by inch, and re-coiled the