are rock. They was sort o' lines and
crosses; and folks would have it that them was Kidd's private marks, and
that there was one o' the places where he hid his money.

"Wal, there's no sayin' fairly how it come to be thought so; but fellers
used to say so, and they used sometimes to talk it over to the tahvern,
and kind o' wonder whether or no, if they should dig, they wouldn't come
to suthin'.

"Wal, old Mother Hokum she heard on't, and she was a sort o'
enterprisin' old crittur: fact was, she had to be, 'cause the young
Hokums was jest like bag-worms, the more they growed the more they eat,
and I expect she found it pretty hard to fill their mouths; and so she
said ef there _was_ any thing under that 'are rock, they'd as good's
have it as the Devil; and so she didn't give old Hokum no peace o' his
life, but he must see what there was there.

"Wal, I was with 'em the night they was a talk-in' on't up. Ye see,
Hokum he got thirty-seven cents' worth o' lemons and sperit. I see him
goin' by as I was out a splittin' kindlin's; and says he, 'Sam, you jest
go 'long up to our house to-night,' says he: 'Toddy Whitney and Harry
Wiggin's com-in' up, and we're goin' to have a little suthin' hot,' says
he; and he kind o' showed me the lemons and sperit. And I told him I
guessed I would go 'long. Wal, I kind o' wanted to see what they'd be up
to, ye know.

"Wal, come to find out, they was a talkin' about Cap'n Kidd's treasures,
and layin' out how they should get it, and a settin' one another on with
gret stories about it.

"'I've heard that there was whole chists full o' gold guineas,' says
one.

"'And I've heard o' gold bracelets and ear-rings and finger-rings all
sparklin' with diamonds,' says another.

"'Maybe it's old silver plate from some o' them old West Indian
grandees,' says another.

"'Wal, whatever it is,' says Mother Hokum, 'I want to be into it,' says
she.

"'Wal, Sam, won't you jine?' says they.

"'Wal, boys,' says I, 'I kind o' don't feel jest like j'inin'. I sort
o' ain't clear about the rights on't: seems to me it's mighty nigh like
goin' to the Devil for money.'

"'Wal,' says Mother Hokum, 'what if 'tis? Money's money, get it how ye
will; and the Devil's money 'll buy as much meat as any. I'd go to the
Devil, if he gave good money.'

"'Wal, I guess I wouldn't,' says I. 'Don't you 'member the sermon Parson
Lothrop preached about hastin' to be rich, last sabba' day?'

"'Parson Lothrop be hanged!' s