ay be that sometimes a small party comes alone, and that we
could get possession of a canoe of manageable size. At any rate, we may as
well prepare for such a chance before setting to work to build. We have
plenty of canvas from the fore-topgallant sail and head-sails of the brig,
and can make a couple of lug-sails fit for a large canoe and a couple for
a smaller one, and get the spars ready; that would not take us a great
deal of time, and if a bit of luck does fall in our way we should be ready
to avail ourselves of it. That fellow has swam ashore now, so we had
better be going back to the hut."

A quarter of an hour after they reached it Jacopo appeared. He stopped in
surprise when he saw them.

"So you have been off to the wreck, Jacopo," the captain said. "We found
as much fruit as we could carry, and have brought it straight back again;
and finding that you had gone we went along the cliff and saw you on the
deck. I suppose you went off to see if the gold was all safe. We have seen
to that; we did not like to leave it there, for the ship will break up in
the first gale, and the boxes might be swept into the deep water and be
lost, so we carried it ashore. The gold, you know, is not ours, it is the
property either of the Spanish or the Chilian government, and we shall
hand it over to the first ship of either of these nations that may come
along. If, however, as is likely enough, no ship comes near the island for
years, and the Spanish, as may well be, have by that time lost their
possessions on the west coast altogether, we may then consider it to be
ours, and if we get away we propose to divide it into three equal shares.
As officers we have a right to a larger share than you; but we have agreed
that if you do your work here with us willingly and cheerfully we shall
not stand on our rights, but shall give you an equal portion of it with
ourselves. At present the gold is of no more value to any of us than so
much sand, beyond the fact that if we build a craft, as the senor and I
have been talking of doing, the boxes will be found excellent ballast,
otherwise it is not worth a thought either way."

"You are very good, senor," Jacopo said humbly, "and I can promise that
you shall have no reason to complain of me;" and without another word he
turned, cut off a portion of the pig that was hanging from a bough near,
and proceeded to prepare a meal.

"I hope that that has made the matter all right," the Peruvian said i