“That’s the best place on the island,” said Thirkle soothingly.  “This is the ideal place.  But if you don’t like it in there, we won’t put it in there, and that’s an end of it, Bucky.”

“But it’ll all rust up into great gobs if it’s left any great while—­I don’t like so much water drippin’ over the place, Thirkle.”

“Gold don’t rust, Bucky,” called Petrak, and he laughed immoderately and slapped his knees with his hands.

“But what better place is there, Bucky?  It’s getting late now, lads, and that’s the best place for it.”

“Then I vote to stow it and pipe down with the gabbin’ with the writin’ chap,” said Buckrow savagely.  “It’s time we got clear of here and took to the boats by dark, Thirkle.  I’m not for cruising over this blasted island in the dark, and I don’t fancy ye and the writin’ chap gettin’ so thick all of a sudden.  If there’s to be talk, we want to know what it’s about, and I don’t see no great gain in so much gossipin’.”

“That’s entirely my idea, Bucky.  My vote is that we put it in the crack there and slick up around here so nobody can know what’s been afoot.  But I want a rest, and there are some things I want to say to Mr. Trenholm here that will be of use to us.  Clap on, lads, and I’ll be there soon.”

“That’s my vote,” assented Petrak, grinning at Thirkle.  “No argument there, Bucky.”

“Then, lay on again, ye fool,” growled Buckrow, turning to the sacks once more.  “Cuss ye, Reddy, yer goin’ to side with Thirkle ag’in’ me, I can see that.”

They picked up a sack and staggered into the canon with it, and Thirkle grinned at me, and lit his cigar again.

“See that, Mr. Trenholm?  If I had let Bucky rule then I would have been as good as dead.  I had another chap in my crew like that.  After he saw the way I worked the game he wanted to kill me and take command himself.  While he was making his plans to settle me the police got him for a murder he didn’t do, and I trumped up the evidence against him, but never appeared at the trial.

“When he was condemned I told him I’d get him out all right.  I had turned the trick before, with saws in the binding of Bibles, for some of my men in prison, and he had absolute faith in me, as all my men have.  I went away on a little expedition after pearls down Mindanao way, and got back the day he was to hang.  I visited him an hour before he was to swing, and told him it was all right and he was to escape at the last minute.

“I walked up to the trap with him, and, while praying with the prison chaplain, kept whispering it was all right, and he kept quiet until they had the cap over his head, and then he knew I had him.  He tried to yell that I was the Devil’s Admiral—–­but it was too late then.  I felt that I was justified—–­he would have killed me the next day.  But it was a fine joke, to my mind, Mr. Trenholm.”

“Ain’t ye goin’ to quit gammin’ with that chap and give us a hand here?” demanded Buckrow.  “Is that what ye call all bein’ equal, Mr. Thirkle?  If ye do, I don’t.”