He did so.  When he came up, their eyes were ready to start from their heads, for he bore with him an object of infinite promise to their wealth-craving souls.  It was a lump of silver,—­a “sow,” they called it,—­worth some two or three hundred pounds in money.

The search was over!  The spot was found!  Fortune lay within their reach!  Marking the spot with a buoy, they rowed back to the ship, on which the captain had remained.  Here they, disposed to have some sport, declared with long faces that the affair had better come to an end.  They were wasting time and labor; the sea had no treasure to yield.

“If we were wise, captain,” said the leading speaker, “we’d pull up stakes and sail back for merry old England.  There’s nothing but failure here.  As much work done in digging and drudging at home would bring tenfold more profit.”

Phips listened in silence to him and the others, looking from face to face.

“Our disappointments have been many,” he replied, in a calm and resolute tone.  “Yet I do not despair.  I am determined to wait patiently on God’s providence.  We will find the treasure-ship yet, my lads.  Do not lose courage.”

Turning his gaze to one side as he spoke, he started violently, and then asked, in a tone so constrained that it seemed the voice of agony,—­

“Why, what is this?  Whence comes this?”

He had caught sight of the sow of silver, which they had cunningly laid a little out of direct vision.

“It is silver, Captain Phips,” said the spokesman.  “We did but jest with you.  That came from the bottom of the sea.  All is well; we have found the treasure-ship.”

“Then, thanks be to God, we are made!” cried the captain, clasping his hands in fervent thankfulness.

There was no longer any lack of energy in the labor.  All hands went to work with a hearty good-ill.  Curiosity to learn what the sea had to yield wrought upon them as much as desire for reward.  Up came the silver, sow after sow.  In a short time they had brought up no less than thirty-two tons of this precious metal, with six tons besides that were raised and appropriated by a Captain Adderly, of Providence, whom Phips had engaged to help him, and who took this means of helping himself.  His crew was small, but his diligence great.

The silver was not all in sows.  Much of it was coined, and this coined silver was, in many cases, covered with a crust, several inches thick, of limestone-like material.  It came out in great lumps, the crust needing to be broken with iron tools, when out would tumble whole bushels of rusty pieces of eight, Nor was the treasure confined to silver.  There came up gold in large quantities, and also pearls and other precious stones.  The Spaniards had gleaned actively in those days of old, when the treasures of Peru were theirs for the taking; and the ocean, its secret hiding-place once found, yielded generously.  In short, the treasure recovered is said to have been worth nearly three hundred thousand pounds sterling.  They did not exhaust the deposit.  Their provisions failed, and they had to leave before the work was completed.  Others who came after them were well paid for their labor.