ow can I tell?" replied Juarez. "Many men have sold their lives for
it. How much is a man worth, eh? Count it that way. The many strange
jewels, three big handfuls, are thousands and thousands of money,
besides the gold. The box itself is a richness--beaten gold with gems
all over it, so they say."

Tom stood with his mouth open and his eyes shining. Jim laughed at him.

"I bet you will make a regular old shylock when you grow up. You are
money hungry like all those eastern grubs. I tell you now that you and
Jo only have a third of our share between you, as you happen to be
twins. You see, I'm the oldest, therefore I get two-thirds."

I grinned, because I knew that Jim cared as little for money as it was
possible to. In fact, he was entirely indifferent to it. Tom should have
known this. But money was, with him, too sacred and serious a matter to
be taken lightly.

He grew white with anger, and picking up a stick made for Jim to strike
him. Juarez stepped between them.

"You excite, hot under the collar. You sit down."

Tom did so suddenly, and with emphasis under Juarez guiding hand.

"Now you give me that stick?" Tom did so and Juarez tossed it ashore.
That was all. Jim said nothing and paid no attention to Tom's attack.

Tom felt ashamed of himself, as he had every reason to, and for some
time thereafter was a most amiable person, and Jim did not aggravate
him.

"We will get an early start in the morning," announced Jim, "and drop
down the river and try our luck in looking for this bunch of valuables."

"How did these Indians get hold of so much, Juarez?" I asked,
"especially the gems."

"There are a good many stones to be picked up in the southwest," he
replied, "and this collection has been growing for centuries."

"But the gold box," I said. "They did not make it, I suppose."

"No," he replied. "They captured it, that is the Indians in the early
days, from the Hispanooles. And there were a lot of these jewels in it
as well as the gold."

"Well, if somebody hasn't robbed the bank," said Jim, "we will soon be
wearing diamonds."

"We will look like a sporty alderman," I said, "when we get rich."

"I expect to wear diamonds in my front teeth," said Jim, "if I can't
dispose of them in any other way."

"We can buy a steam yacht, too," I said.

"Not for me," remarked Jim. "'The Captain' is a good enough boat for
me. Can you row, Juarez?"

"Ah, yes, I think so some, yes. I paddle a canoe many, many