“Ay, ay, Miss Rose, I will be of the party, seeing there is no other way of getting the lamb out of the jaws of the wolf.  A’ter all, it may be the wisest thing I can do, though back to the Swash I must and will come, powder or no powder, treason or no treason, at the first opportunity.  Yes, my business is with the Molly, and to the Molly I shall return.  It’s lucky, Miss Rose, since you have made up your mind to ship for this new cruise, that I bethought me of telling Biddy to make up a bundle of duds for you.  This carpet-bag has a change or two in it, and all owing to my forethought.  Your woman said `Miss Rose will come back wid us, Jack, and what’s the use of rumplin’ the clothes for a few hours’ sail in the boat;’ but I knew womankind better, and foreseed that if master mate fell in alongside of you ag’in, you would not be apt to part company very soon.”

“I thank you, Jack, for the provision made for my comfort; though some money would have added to it materially.  My purse has a little gold in it, but a very little, and I fear you are not much better off, Harry.  It will be awkward to find ourselves in Key West penniless.”

“We shall not be quite that.  I left the brig absolutely without a cent, but foreseeing that necessity might make them of use, I borrowed half a dozen of the doubloons from the bag of Senor Montefalderon, and, fortunately, they are still in my pocket.  All I am worth in the world is in a bag of half-eagles, rather more than a hundred altogether, which I left in my chest, in my own state-room aboard the brig.”

“You’ll find that in the carpet-bag too, master mate,” said Jack, coolly.

“Find what, man—­not my money, surely?”

“Ay, every piece of it.  Spike broke into your chest this a’ternoon, and made me hold the tools while he was doing it.  He found the bag, and overhauled it—­a hundred and seven half, eleven quarter, and one full-grown eagle, was the count.  When he had done the job, he put all back ag’in, a’ter giving me the full-grown eagle for my share of the plunder, and told me to say nothing of what I had seen.  I did say nothing, but I did a good bit of work, for, while he was at supper.  I confiserated that bag, as they call it—­and you will find it there among Miss Rose’s clothes, with the full-grown gentleman back in his nest ag’in.”

“This is being not only honest, Tier,” cried Mulford, heartily, “but thoughtful.  One-half that money shall be yours for this act.”

“I thank’e, sir; but I’ll not touch a cent of it.  It came hard, I know, Mr. Mulford; for my own hands have smarted too much with tar, not to know that the seaman `earns his money like the horse.’”

“Still it would not be `spending it like an ass,’ Jack, to give you a portion of mine.  But there will be other opportunities to talk of this.  It is a sign of returning to the concerns of life, Rose, that money begins to be of interest to us.  How little did we think of the doubloons, or half-eagles, a few hours since, when on the wreck!”