boys became
more and more excited and distressed for fear they should lose their
precious fruit. The eldest boy lay awake for several nights, and then
a plan came into his head. He went to Captain Covajos and proposed
that he should send a flag of truce over to the corsairs, offering to
exchange winter clothing. He would send over to them the heavy
garments they had left on their own vessel, and in return would take
the boxes of clothes intended for the winter wear of his sailors. In
this way, they would get their fruit back without the corsairs
knowing any thing about it. The Captain considered this an excellent
plan, and ordered the chief mate to take a boat and a flag of truce,
and go over to the "Horn o' Plenty," and make the proposition. The
eldest boy and two of the others insisted on going also, in order
that there might be no mistake about the boxes. But when the
flag-of-truce party reached the "Horn o' Plenty" they found not a
corsair there! Every man of them had gone. They had taken with them
all the money-chests, but to the great delight of the boys, the boxes
of winter clothes had not been disturbed; and in them still nestled,
safe and sound, the precious nuts of the Fragile Palm.

When the matter had been thoroughly looked into, it became quite
evident what the corsairs had done. There had been only one boat on
board the "Horn o' Plenty," and that was the one on which the First
Class in Long Division had arrived. The night before, the two vessels
had passed within a mile or so of a large island, which the Captain
had approached in the hope it was the one they were looking for, and
they passed it so slowly that the corsairs had time to ferry
themselves over, a few at a time, in the little boat, taking with
them the money,--and all without discovery.

Captain Covajos was greatly depressed when he heard of the loss of
all the money.

"I shall have a sad tale to tell my merchants," he said, "and
Christmas before last will not be celebrated so joyously as it was
the first time. But we cannot help what has happened, and we all must
endeavor to bear our losses with patience. We shall continue our
search for Apple Island, but I shall go on board my own ship, for I
have greatly missed my carpeted quarter-deck and my other comforts.
The chief mate, however, and a majority of the crew shall remain on
board the corsair vessel, and continue to tow us. The 'Horn o'
Plenty' sails better stern foremost, and we shall go