“That’s Captain Kidd,” whispered Abner to his wife, and she pressed his hand to let him know that she thought he must be right.

Now the men came up high upon the beach, and began looking about here and there as if they were searching for something.  Mary was filled with horror for fear they should come to that bluff to search, but Abner knew there was no danger of that.  They had probably come to those shores to bury treasure, as if they were great sea-turtles coming up upon the beach to lay their eggs, and they were now looking for some good spot where they might dig.

Presently the tall man gave some orders in a low voice, and then his men left him to himself, and went back to the boat.  There was a great pine tree standing back a considerable distance from the water, battered and racked by storms, but still a tough old tree.  Toward this the pirate captain stalked, and standing close to it, with his back against it, he looked up into the sky.  It was plain that he was looking for a star.  There were very few of these luminaries to be seen in the heavens, for the moon was so bright.  But as Abner looked in the direction in which the pirate captain gazed, he saw a star still bright in spite of the moonlight.

With his eyes fixed upon this star, the pirate captain now stepped forward, making long strides.  One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.  Then he stopped, plunged his right heel in the soft ground, and turned squarely about to the left, so that his broad back was now parallel with a line drawn from the pine tree to the star.

At right angles to this line the pirate now stepped forward, making as before seven long paces.  Then he stopped, dug his heel into the ground, and beckoned to his men.  Up they came running, carrying picks and spades, and with great alacrity they began to dig at the place where the captain had marked with his heel.

It was plain that these pirates were used to making excavations, for it was not long before the hole was so deep that those within it could not be seen.  Then the captain gave an order to cease digging, and he and all the pirates went back to the boat.

For about half an hour,—­though Mary thought it was a longer time than that,—­those pirates worked very hard carrying great boxes and bags from the boat to the excavation.  When everything had been brought up, two of the pirates went down into the hole, and the others handed to them the various packages.  Skilfully and quickly they worked, doubtless storing their goods with great care, until nearly everything which had been brought from the boat had been placed in the deep hole.  Some rolls of goods were left upon the ground which Mary thought were carpets, but which Abner believed to be rich Persian rugs, or something of that kind.

Now the captain stepped aside, and picking up from the sand some little sticks and reeds, he selected ten of them, and with these in one hand, and with their ends protruding a short distance above his closed fingers, he rejoined his men.  They gathered before him, and he held out toward them the hand which contained the little sticks.