The boys groaned.  “That is true,” said one of them; “but still we wish to go back to our island.”

“Of course,” said the eldest boy, “it is quite proper that we should return to Long Division.  But think of the hard work we did to get that fruit, and think of the quarts of gold we gave up for it!  It would be too bad to lose it now!”

It was unanimously agreed that it would be too bad to lose the fruit, and it was also unanimously agreed that they wished to go back to Apple Island.  But what to do about it, they did not know.

Day by day the weather grew colder and colder, and the boys became more and more excited and distressed for fear they should lose their precious fruit.  The eldest boy lay awake for several nights, and then a plan came into his head.  He went to Captain Covajos and proposed that he should send a flag of truce over to the corsairs, offering to exchange winter clothing.  He would send over to them the heavy garments they had left on their own vessel, and in return would take the boxes of clothes intended for the winter wear of his sailors.  In this way, they would get their fruit back without the corsairs knowing any thing about it.  The Captain considered this an excellent plan, and ordered the chief mate to take a boat and a flag of truce, and go over to the “Horn o’ Plenty,” and make the proposition.  The eldest boy and two of the others insisted on going also, in order that there might be no mistake about the boxes.  But when the flag-of-truce party reached the “Horn o’ Plenty” they found not a corsair there!  Every man of them had gone.  They had taken with them all the money-chests, but to the great delight of the boys, the boxes of winter clothes had not been disturbed; and in them still nestled, safe and sound, the precious nuts of the Fragile Palm.

When the matter had been thoroughly looked into, it became quite evident what the corsairs had done.  There had been only one boat on board the “Horn o’ Plenty,” and that was the one on which the First Class in Long Division had arrived.  The night before, the two vessels had passed within a mile or so of a large island, which the Captain had approached in the hope it was the one they were looking for, and they passed it so slowly that the corsairs had time to ferry themselves over, a few at a time, in the little boat, taking with them the money,—­and all without discovery.

Captain Covajos was greatly depressed when he heard of the loss of all the money.

“I shall have a sad tale to tell my merchants,” he said, “and Christmas before last will not be celebrated so joyously as it was the first time.  But we cannot help what has happened, and we all must endeavor to bear our losses with patience.  We shall continue our search for Apple Island, but I shall go on board my own ship, for I have greatly missed my carpeted quarter-deck and my other comforts.  The chief mate, however, and a majority of the crew shall remain on board the corsair vessel, and continue to tow us.  The ‘Horn o’ Plenty’ sails better stern foremost, and we shall go faster that way.”