ysterious body that had rushed by us through the mouth of the cave, so
frightening Sam.

But something more surprising still had happened.

The earthquake, in rending the rock, had upheaved all the earth around
it, and there, beneath, in a large cavity, was a collection of old oaken
chests, bound round, apparently, with heavy clamps of iron, similar to
those used by our forefathers a couple of centuries ago for the storage
of their goods and chattels--boxes that could defy alike the ravages of
age and the ordinary wear and tear of time, the carpenters and builders
of bygone days making things to last, and not merely to sell, as in
modern years!

"Hooray!" cried Hiram, springing towards one of the chests, which had
been crushed open by a piece of detached rock from the roof of the cave,
thus disclosing to view a lot of glittering ingots of gold, with a
crucifix and some little images of the same precious metal, like the
Madonna figure we had first discovered. "Hyar's the boocaneer treesor,
I guess, at last!"

"I vas mooch sorry," said Jan Steenbock, shaking his head solemnly, as
we gathered round the hole and eagerly inspected its contents, noticing
that there were seven or eight of the large chests within the cavity,
besides the broken one and a number of smaller ones, along with pieces
of armour and a collection of old guns and pistols, all heaped up
together. "I vas mooch sorry. It vas bringt us bat look, like it did
to ze schgooners, and Cap'en Shackzon, and all ze crew of zo sheep I vas
zail in befores!"

"Why, old hoss," asked Hiram, all excitement, "I guess we air all
friends hyar, an' 'll go share an' share alike; so thaar's no fear on a
muss happenin' atween us, like thaar wer with ye an' them durned
cut-throat Spaniards. Why shu'd it bring us bad luck, hey?"

"I vas avraid of ze curse," replied the other. "It vas hoonted mit
bloot, and vas bringt harm to every ones! I vill not touch it
meinselfs--no, nevaire!"

"Guess I will, though," retorted Hiram. "I ain't afeard o' no nigger ez
was buried two hundred year ago; no, nor on his ghostess neither. What
say ye, Sam, consarnin' this brother darkey o' yourn?"

"Golly, Massa Hiram!" said Sam, grinning from ear to ear at the sight of
the gold. "I'se tink I'se hab claim to de lot, if it am belong to de
nigger family. Ho-ho-ho!"

With that we all laughed; whereupon the skipper, whom we had forgotten
for the moment, made a movement where he still la