“But you told me the buccaneers stripped you of your money,” he said, with a look of puzzlement.

“So they did, but I happened to have this crown piece slung about my neck under my shirt, and it escaped their attention.”

“Egad, I should never have believed you were superstitious,” he said with a laugh, and I laughed back, glad enough that I had escaped further interrogation.

I returned the coin to Noah, assuring him that I had no further need of it, and he went away well pleased, assured of the protection of the white man’s duppy—­the token of the good spirits which he venerates as much as he fears the bugaboos.

I was not to get off after all.  When we lay side by side on the grass, Cludde was for a long time silent; then he said abruptly, with a keen look at me: 

“Bold, do you remember I flung a crown piece at you when I passed you on the Worcester road years ago!”

“I believe you did,” said I, prevaricating.

“Is that the coin?”

“Why, Cludde,” says I, “there are thousands of crown pieces in the world.”

“Is it?” he persisted.

“Why should you suppose it is?” I said.

“Why did you keep it?  Come, I must know.”

“Oh, confound you, Cludde,” I said, “why don’t you let me go to sleep?”

“You had some design in keeping that coin,” he said; “I want to know what it was.”

“Well, if you insist,” I said, “I meant to keep it until I could return it to you with interest.  But Fate, you see, has found a better use for it.”

“Bold,” says he, after a silence, “you’re a good fellow and a generous—­”

“Belay there, Cludde,” I said, anxious to cut him short, “we’ll cry quits over all the past.  Intus si recte ne labora—­you remember the old school motto.  We’re friends, and all we have to worry about now is how to dish Cyrus Vetch; and as we shall be none the worse for a long sleep, I’ll take first watch, and wake you when you’ve had three or four hours.”

And with a grip of hands we closed the enmity of a dozen years.

Chapter 27:  Some Successes And A Rebuff.

We lay all next day in the forest, maintaining an irksome silence, and continually on our guard against intrusion.  Uncle Moses told me that the wagons would not leave Dry Harbor on their return journey until the heat of the day was past—­a circumstance which favored our design.  The spot we had determined on for the ambush was five miles from our lurking place, and we should have cover all the way save where we must needs cross the road.  When the time came for our setting forth, I went myself to the edge of the woodland to spy out and see if the coast was clear.  Not a soul was in sight; we were at the portion of the estate which was given over to pasture; if it had been sugar land we must have inevitably met negro laborers.