Raymonds would not leave the boat till they saw their chest
hoisted up in safety. Their first care on reaching the deck was about
it, and, going aft to the captain, they begged he would be very careful
where it was stowed.

"Stay! Before these gentlemen lose sight of it let it be opened, that
there may be no mistake about its contents," said Mr Merton.

"What, and expose all our hoarded wealth to the eyes of the avaricious
crew!" they cried out vehemently. "We shall be robbed and murdered for
the sake of it, and this chest will be sent where many others have
gone--to the bottom of the sea."

"You are perfectly safe on board this ship, I trust, gentlemen,"
remarked our captain. "Is the chest secured with a key?"

"Whether or not, with our consent never shall it be opened!" exclaimed
one of the brothers.

"Then remember I can in no way be answerable for what is found in it
when it is opened," observed the captain.

What new idea came into the heads of the two brothers I do not know, but
they instantly agreed that the chest should be opened.

"Call the carpenter," said our captain, who wanted to bring the matter
to a conclusion, and who probably by this time had begun to suspect the
sad condition of the two gentlemen.

Mr Pincott, the carpenter, and one of his mates came aft, and made
short work in opening the mysterious chest. Those who claimed it as
their property started back with looks of dismay. It was full to the
brim of stones and sand and shells. Again and again they looked at it;
they rubbed their eyes and brows; they clutched it frantically and
examined it with intense eagerness; they plunged their hands deep down
among the rubbish; it was long before they appeared able to convince
themselves of the reality; over and over again they went through the
same action. At last one of them, the most sane of the two, drew
himself up, and, pointing to the chest, said in a deep, mournful voice--

"Captain, we have been the victims of a strange hallucination, it seems.
We have not lost sight of that chest since we filled it. We thought
that we had stored it with gold and precious stones. I know how it was.
Hunger, anxiety, hardships, had turned our brains. We had lost all--
all for which we had been so long toiling. We conjured up this phantasy
as our consolation. Is it not so, Jacob?"

The other brother thus addressed shook his head and looked incredulous.
Once more he applied himself to the examinat