to me by the light of our impromptu torch,
similar to the same substance we noticed on the arid plain near the
shore of the bay, and again below the sand at high-water mark.

There were queer fragments of rock also, placed round the hard floor of
the cavern like seats, with regular intervals between them; while
apparently in the middle, as near as we could approximate, was a raised
portion of the under stratum of rock shaped like a pulpit.

"Guess if thaar's airy tree-sor hyar, b'ys," observed Hiram, pointing to
this, "it's thaar!"

"No, bo," replied Tom, laughing, "that's the black man's pulpit, where
he preaches a Sunday, same as our `Holy Joes' do when they're ashore!"

Hiram paid no attention to this remark, but continued poking about the
place, stamping with his feet and trying in every way to see whether the
treasure we were in search of might not be buried in some spot or other;
but his trouble was all in vain.

Presently, the piece of blazing wood began to give forth a more feeble
light, being almost burnt out; and, then, all at once Hiram and I
noticed another spark of light like a round hole, at the opposite end of
the cave.

"Hillo!" shouted Hiram, "I guess thaar's another end to the durned hole,
an' we hev taken the wrong track!"

Making our way slowly, so as not to extinguish the torch, we advanced in
the direction of the new light, which got bigger and bigger as we
approached nearer to it.

There was no doubt it was another entrance to the cave, and a far more
convenient one, too, for it opened out on to a little spur of the hill
that ran down a somewhat steep declivity to the seashore below.

"It must be the buccaneers' cave," said Tom. "It's just the sort o'
place men that were sailors would choose. I misdoubted it at first,
from being so far inland, as I thought; but now I see it's near the
sea."

"But there ain't nary a tree-sor thaar!"

"Don't you be too cocksure o' that," returned Tom, looking about him
well, to make certain of his direction. "Howsomdever, we ain't got the
time to search the place properly now, as it'll be dark soon, and we
ought to be aboard."

"Durned if I likes givin' it up like this."

"Never mind, bo; there'll be plenty of time for us to look the cave over
to-morrer arternoon, and I'll bring one o' them port fires you spoke on
to light up the place."

"Guess thet'll jest about do, Chips," replied Hiram, turning round, as
if about to go back within the entran