"Did ye ever hear o' such a hardened, contrary critter, boys? It's awful
to think on. Wal, ye see that 'are's the way fellers allers begin the
ways o' sin, by turnin' their backs on the Bible and the advice o' pious
parents. Now hear what he come to:--

"'Then I murdered William More,
As I sailed, as I sailed;
I murdered William More,
And left him in his gore,
Not many leagues from shore,
As I sailed, as I sailed.

"'To execution dock
I must go, I must go.
To execution dock,
While thousands round me flock,
To see me on the block,
I must go, I must go.'

"There was a good deal more on't," said Sam, pausing, "but I don't seem
to remember it; but it's real solemn and affectin'."

"Who was Capt. Kidd, Sam?" said I.

"Wal, he was an officer in the British navy, and he got to bein' a
pirate: used to take ships and sink 'em, and murder the folks; and so
they say he got no end o' money,--gold and silver and precious stones,
as many as the wise men in the East. But ye see, what good did it all do
him? He couldn't use it, and dar'sn't keep it; so he used to bury it in
spots round here and there in the awfullest heathen way ye ever heard
of. Why, they say he allers used to kill one or two men or women or
children of his prisoners, and bury with it, so that their sperits might
keep watch on it ef anybody was to dig arter it. That 'are thing has
been tried and tried and tried, but no man nor mother's son on 'em ever
got a cent that dug. 'Twas tried here'n Oldtown; and they come pretty
nigh gettin' on't, but it gin 'em the slip. Ye see, boys, _it's the
Devil's money, and he holds a pretty tight grip on't_."

"Well, how was it about digging for it? Tell us, did _you_ do it? Were
_you_ there? Did you see it? And why couldn't they get it?" we both
asked eagerly and in one breath.

"Why, Lordy massy! boys, your questions tumbles over each other thick
as martins out o' a martin-box. Now, you jest be moderate and let alone,
and I'll tell you all about it from the beginnin' to the end. I didn't
railly have no hand in't, though I was know-in' to 't, as I be to most
things that goes on round here; but my conscience wouldn't railly a let
me start on no sich undertakin'.

"Wal, the one that fust sot the thing a goin' was old Mother Hokum, that
used to live up in that little tumble-down shed by the cranberry-pond up
beyond the spring pastur'. They had a p