God!"

I knew her by her short fore-topgallantmast, by her chequered band,
and by other signs clear to a sailor's eye, and the three of us sent
up a shout of delight, for it was like stumbling upon one's very home,
as it were, after having been all night lost amidst the blackness and
snow of the country where one's house stands.

She came along handsomely, with foam to the hawsepipe, thanks to the
freshening breeze, and her main royal and topgallantsail clewing up as
she approached, for our signal had been seen; then drove close
alongside with her topsail aback and in a few minutes we were aboard,
shaking hands with Captain Blow, and all others who extended a fist to
us, and spinning our yarn in response to the eager questions put.

"But what have you there, Mr. Small?" said Captain Blow, staring at
the two craft and the whale. I explained. "Well," cries he, "call me a
missionary if ever I saw such a sight as that afore! Have ye boarded
the vessel?" pointing to the one that was whole.

"Yes," said I, "but there's nothing but shells to look at."

"Hatches open?" says he.

"No," says I, "they are as securely cemented with shells as if the
stuff had been laid on with a trowel."

Jackson, Fallows, the boatswain, and a few of the darkeys stood near,
eagerly catching what we said.

"A wonderful sight truly!" said Captain Blow, surveying the object
with a face almost distorted with astonishment and admiration. "How
many years will they have been asleep under water, think ye, Mr.
Small?"

"All a hundred, sir," said I.

"Ay," says he, "I've seen many prints of old ships, and I'll allow
that it's all a hundred, as you say, since she and the likes of she
was afloat. Why," cries he with a sort of a nervous laugh as if half
ashamed of what he was about to say, "who's to tell but that there may
be a chest or two of treasure stowed away down in her lazerette?"

"That very idea occurred to me, sir," says I.

"By your pardon, capt'n," here interrupted Jackson, knuckling his
forehead, "but that may be a question not hard to settle if ye'll send
me aboard with a few tools."

The captain looked as if he had had a mind to entertain the idea, then
sent a glance to windward.

"She'll be full of water," said I.

"Ay," said the captain, turning to Jackson, "how then?"

"We can but lift a hatch and look out for ourselves, sir," answered
the man.

"Right," says the captain; "but you'll have to bear a hand. Get that
cask on