Jack mounted on the breech of one of the guns, and looked over the bulwarks at the dispositions that had been made about the wreck.  The tafferel of the schooner actually came in sight, when a little swell passed over it, leaving it for an instant in the trough.  The steward thus caught a glimpse again of the craft on board which he had seen so much hazard, and he shook his head and seemed to be thinking of anything but the question which had just been put to him.

“Well, about that gold?” asked Spike, impatiently.

“The sight of that craft has brought other thoughts than gold into my mind, Captain Spike,” answered Jack, gravely, “and it would be well for all us mariners, if we thought less of gold and more of the dangers we run.  For hours and hours did I stand over etarnity, on the bottom of that schooner, Don Wan, holdin’ my life, as it might be, at the marcy of a few bubbles of air.”

“What has all that to do with the gold?  Have you deceived me about that locker, little rascal?”

“No, sir, I’ve not deceived you—­no, Captain Spike, no.  The bag is in the upper transom-locker, on the starboard side.  There I put it with my own hands, and a good lift it was; and there you’ll find it, if you’ll cut through the quarter-deck at the spot I can p’int out to you.”

This information seemed to give a renewed energy to all the native cupidity of the captain, who called the men from their suppers, and ordered them to commence heaving anew.  The word was passed to the crew that “it was now for doubloons,” and they went to the bars and handspikes, notwithstanding the sun had set, cheerfully and cheering.

All Spike’s expedients admirably answered the intended purposes.  The stern of the schooner rose gradually, and at each lift the heels of the shores dropped in more perpendicularly, carried by the weights attached to them, and the spars stood as firm props to secure all that was gained.  In a quarter of an hour, most of that part of the stern which was within five or six feet of the tafferel, rose above the water, coming fairly in view.

Spike now shouted to the men to “pall!” then he directed the falls to be very gradually eased off, in order to ascertain if the shores would still do their duty.  The experiment was successful, and presently the wreck stood in its upright position, sustained entirely by the two spars.  As the last were now nearly perpendicular, they were capable of bearing a very heavy weight, and Spike was so anxious to relieve his own brig from the strain she had been enduring, that he ordered the lashings of the blocks to be loosened, trusting to his shores to do their duty.  Against this confidence the boatswain ventured a remonstrance, but the gold was too near to allow the captain to listen or reply.  The carpenter was ordered over on the wreck with his tools, while Spike, the Senor Montefalderon, and two men to row the boat and keep it steady, went in the yawl to watch the progress of the work.  Jack Tier was ordered to stand in the chains, and to point out, as nearly as possible, the place where the carpenter was to cut.