bles, and
made a few experiments with some bearing metals. They're all brasses;
alloys of copper and zinc, with a little lead and tin in some. I weighed
and measured two or three small ingots and afterwards calculated what
they'd weigh, if their cubic size was the capacity of the cup. I'll give
you the figures."

He did so and then filled the cup with the yellow grains and held up the
balance. Montgomery, leaning forward, looked over his shoulder.

"Weighs more than your heaviest bearing metal! It's gold!" he exclaimed
hoarsely.

"Yes," said Lister, "it's obviously gold. Perhaps we needn't open the
other boxes. When we get on board well weigh them against this lot. So
far as I can reckon after heaving them up the ladder, well not find much
difference."

Montgomery sat down, as if he were too limp to stand. "But these are not
all the boxes that were shipped--"

Brown went for the pocket-book he had put to dry and took out some
papers. "This thing belonged to Gordon Herries, second officer."

"Mr. Herries?" exclaimed the sailor Watson. "The second-mate as was
drowned when the surf-boat capsized!"

"What do you know about it?" Brown asked.

"I know something, sir," said Watson, but Montgomery stopped him and
turned to the others.

"It seems the second mate tried to _save_ the stuff."

"Looks like that," Brown agreed and signed to the sailor. "Now tell us
all you do know."

"We was lying in Forcados river, shifting cargo to the Lagos boat
alongside. Barret, my townie, was on board her; he'd made a run in
_Arcturus_, and told me about the wreck. When she struck, Mr. Herries
swung out number two surf-boat and Barret was her bowman. He went to the
lazaret with Herries and they got up some bags of special gum and some
heavy boxes. Barret thought they were gold, but hadn't seen them put on
board. Then a big comber hit the poop, smashed the skylights, and
flooded the lazaret. They reckoned she was going over and had some
bother to get out. Well, they got the surf-boat off her side; she was
pretty full with a load of Kroo boys and three or four white men. In the
surf, the steering oar broke, she yawed across a sea, and turned out the
lot. Some held on to her, but she rolled over and Barret made for the
beach. They all landed but Mr. Herries; Barret thought the boat hit him.
Gum and boxes went down in the surf."

"Very good," said Brown. "Now get off and send somebody to help heave
the boxes on board."

Montgomery