e knew enough to feel
assured that, when the time for division should arrive, we should each
be rich enough to be independent, for the rest of our lives, of any need
to work for a living. But, on the contrary, as a matter of fact the
acquisition of the treasure gave rise to a condition of restiveness and
discontent that caused me grave uneasiness.

Not that I was greatly surprised. From the moment when I first climbed
in over the brigantine's rail from the _Saturn's_ life-boat I recognised
that the presence of the four Dagoes in the ship's company was likely to
breed discord, but it was not until I witnessed the mad covetousness
with which they flung themselves upon the chest containing coin, and
proceeded to help themselves regardless of the rights of us others, that
I actually began to scent real, serious trouble; for I then foresaw
that, having once glimpsed the treasure, those men would never more be
content until it was actually theirs to squander in the debauchery that
they called pleasure.

The trouble which I anticipated developed within twenty-four hours of
our departure from the estuary, first taking the form of a demand, on
the part of the six seamen in the forecastle, that the division of the
treasure should be effected forthwith; and when I pointed out that,
owing to the impossibility of justly valuing such articles as gold and
silver candlesticks, salvers, bowls, cups, caskets, jewelled crosses,
articles of jewellery and gems, such a division as they desired was out
of the question, they insisted that the ship should forthwith be taken
to the nearest civilised port, in order that the treasure might be
turned into money, and the division effected. To this I replied that
only in London would it be possible to obtain anything approaching fair
value for so enormous a treasure as ours, therefore to London I intended
to take it; whereupon the Dagoes became so violently insubordinate that
forcible measures had to be resorted to, and a very pretty fight ensued
between them on the one hand, and the boatswain, carpenter, and myself
on the other before we succeeded in putting the quartette in irons and
dumping them down upon the ballast in the main hold, where, I informed
them, they would remain until they should show unmistakable signs of
having come to their senses. Such resolute action, coupled with the
fact that during their confinement their food consisted solely of coarse
ship biscuit and water, soon broug