hin the cave I looked whither her shaking hand pointed and saw what
I took at first for a monstrous egg and beyond this the staves of a
small barrel; then, bending nearer, I saw these were the skull and ribs
of a man. And this man had died very suddenly, for the skeleton lay
face down one bony arm folded under him, the other wide-tossed, and the
skull, shattered behind, showed a small, round hole just above and
betwixt the cavernous eye-sockets; about the ribs were the mouldering
remains of a leathern jerkin girt by a broad belt wherein was a knife
and a rusty sword; but that which pleased me mightily was a thing still
fast-clenched in these bony fingers, and this no other than a heavy
hatchet. So, disturbing these poor bones as little as need be, I took
the hatchet and thereafter sword and knife; and then, turning to go,
stopped all at once, for tied about the bony neck by a leathern thong I
espied a shrivelled parchment. Wondering, I took this also, and coming
without the cave, found my companion leaning as I had left her and very
shaky.

"O Martin!" says she, shivering, "and I slept within touch of it!"

"But you slept very well and he, poor soul, is long past harming you or
any." So saying I smoothed out the crackling parchment and holding it
in her view, saw this writ very bold and clear:

"Benjamin Galbally Slain of necessity June 20, 1642 This for a sign to
like Rogues.

"Adam Penfeather."

"Will this be our Adam Penfeather, Martin?"

"Indeed," says I, "there is methinks but one Adam Penfeather in this
world, the which is just as well, mayhap."

"Then he murdered this poor man?"

"Why the fellow had this hatchet in his fist, it hath lain rusting in
his grasp all these years, methinks his blow came something too late!
Though he must be mighty quick who'd outmatch Penfeather, I guess. No,
this man I take it died in fight. Though why Adam must set this
placard about the poor rogue's neck is beyond me."

"Let us go away, Martin. This is an evil place."

"It is!" says I, glancing at the great pimento tree that marked the
grave of the poor Spanish lady and Black Bartlemy. "Truly we will seek
out another habitation and that at once. Howbeit, I have gotten me my
hammer." And I showed her the hatchet, the which, unlike the ordinary
boarding-axe, was furnished with a flat behind the blade, thus:

(Line drawing of the hatchet.)

CHAPTER XXVII

DIVERS ADVENTURES ON THE ISLAND

Seeing my compani