“Well, is it to be Kauai after all?” asked Mac suddenly.

“This is bad enough for me,” said Tommy.  “Let’s stick it out where we are.”

“Well, I can tell ye one thing,” said Mac, “if ye care to hear it.  When I was in the China mail, we once made this island.  It’s in the course from Honolulu.”

“Deuce it is!” cried Carthew.  “That settles it, then.  Let’s stay.  We must keep good fires going; and there’s plenty wreck.”

“Lashings of wreck!” said the Irishman.  “There’s nothing here but wreck and coffin boards.”

“But we’ll have to make a proper blyze,” objected Hemstead.  “You can’t see a fire like this, not any wye awye, I mean.”

“Can’t you?” said Carthew.  “Look round.”

They did, and saw the hollow of the night, the bare, bright face of the sea, and the stars regarding them; and the voices died in their bosoms at the spectacle.  In that huge isolation, it seemed they must be visible from China on the one hand and California on the other.

“My God, it’s dreary!” whispered Hemstead.

“Dreary?” cried Mac, and fell suddenly silent.

“It’s better than a boat, anyway,” said Hadden.  “I’ve had my bellyful of boat.”

“What kills me is that specie!” the captain broke out.  “Think of all that riches,—­four thousand in gold, bad silver, and short bills—­all found money, too!—­and no more use than that much dung!”

“I’ll tell you one thing,” said Tommy.  “I don’t like it being in the boat—­I don’t care to have it so far away.”

“Why, who’s to take it?” cried Mac, with a guffaw of evil laughter.

But this was not at all the feeling of the partners, who rose, clambered down the isle, brought back the inestimable treasure-chest slung upon two oars, and set it conspicuous in the shining of the fire.

“There’s my beauty!” cried Wicks, viewing it with a cocked head.  “That’s better than a bonfire.  What! we have a chest here, and bills for close upon two thousand pounds; there’s no show to that,—­it would go in your vest-pocket,—­but the rest! upwards of forty pounds avoirdupois of coined gold, and close on two hundredweight of Chile silver!  What! ain’t that good enough to fetch a fleet?  Do you mean to say that won’t affect a ship’s compass?  Do you mean to tell me that the lookout won’t turn to and SMELL it?” he cried.

Mac, who had no part nor lot in the bills, the forty pounds of gold, or the two hundredweight of silver, heard this with impatience, and fell into a bitter, choking laughter.  “You’ll see!” he said harshly.  “You’ll be glad to feed them bills into the fire before you’re through with ut!” And he turned, passed by himself out of the ring of the firelight, and stood gazing seaward.