ckzon vas von sdrange mans!"

"Thunder!" ejaculated the skipper, on the other pausing at this point,
as if waiting for the question to be put. "How wer he streenge, mister,
hey?"

"He vas like to keep zings to himselfs," said Jan Steenbock meaningly.
"He vas not let me go to ze cave at all, and ze schgooner vas anchor't
here in ze bay more dan a veek!"

"I s'pose he didn't want the crew--them rascally Spaniards ye spoke on--
smellin' a rat an' spilin' his game, I reckon," suggested the skipper;
"but how did he manage, hey?"

"He vas keep ze mans all day hunting for ze orchilla veeds up ze montane
dere," replied Jan; "and den, ven ze night vas coom, he vas tell me to
shtop on ze vatch, and den he vas go ashore to look for ze cave mit
himselfs."

"He didn't spot it at once agen then?"

"Nein. He vas look in vain vor dree nights, and vas near give oop ze
hoont in despair; but on ze ozer night he vas come back to ze schgooners
in goot sbirrits, and zays to me, zays he, `I vas vind ze cave at last.'
He vas zo glat he vas laf mit joy and I vas laf, too!"

"I guess ye hed sunthin' to snigger over, hey?"

"Yase, joost zo! I vas laf mit him; and den, he vas bring oot dat
Madonna dere, dat he vas hab stow avay in his shirt, and vas show it to
me, and ze vigure vas shin in ze moonlight. Ah, dat vas bat; vor, von
of ze Sbaniards of ze crew vas zee it shin in ze light and show ze golt,
and he vas tell ze ozers--a pack of raskels--and ze whole game was oop
vor us and ze dreazure!"

"How's thet, mister?" inquired the skipper, as Jan paused again here,
his voice dropping. "Did the varmint spile ye?"

"Humph!" growled the other. "Dey vas spile zemselves! In ze mittle of
ze night ze raskels go down into ze cabin vere Cap'en Shackzon vas
ashleep and shtab him mit dere knifes. Den, zey shtole ze golt Madonna
and brings it oop on ze deck; and den, zey get vighting vor ze vigure,
and shtab von ze ozers, and dey vas vake me oop mit ze row, vor I vas
tiret and vas ashleep in ze boate over ze taffrail."

"An' how did ye come off with a hull skin?" asked Captain Snaggs. "I
guess ye wer in a durned tight corner."

"Zee goot Gott vatch overs me!" replied Jan Steenbock gravely, raising
his eyes reverently upward as he uttered the word, "vor, in ze mittle of
ze row, ven ze raskels vas all of zem murtering each ozers and ze deck
vas rolling in bloot, a sudden gale vas spring oop; and ze schgooner vas
dash on ze rocks dere to p