evoted
themselves to the task of repairing the slight damage sustained by the
_Adventure_ in running aboard the galleon, while the remainder engaged
in the work of thoroughly rummaging the prize and transferring from her
to the _Adventure_ all the valuables they could find. At first some
fear was entertained that the treasure which it was intended the ship
should take home had not yet been put on board, for it could be found
nowhere; but at length a sort of strong room was discovered, cunningly
built in the run of the ship, its entrance hidden by a big pile of
sails; and when this was entered, there, sure enough, lay the treasure,
consisting of no less than five hundred gold bricks, each weighing some
forty pounds; two thousand bars of silver averaging about fifty pounds
each, a chest of pearls the value of which was so great that they made
no attempt even to estimate it approximately; and a small chest of uncut
precious stones, chiefly emeralds and rubies, which of itself would have
sufficed to make every man of them rich for life. The whole of this
stupendous treasure they at once proceeded to transfer to the
_Adventure_; and so much of it was there that, working watch and watch,
one watch mounting guard to render impossible anything in the nature of
a surprise attack from the shore, while the other watch carried the
treasure from the one ship to the other, it was long past midnight when
at length the work was done and the weary men were permitted to snatch a
little rest.

The authorities ashore had been given until sunrise of the following
morning in which to find someone capable of interpreting Bascomb's
letter, and to come to a decision as to whether or not they would accede
to the terms of the said letter; and the first light of dawn revealed a
large boat putting off from the shore, pulled by twelve oarsmen, and
flying a white flag at the stern. This was the first boat that had
attempted to approach either of the ships since the appearance of the
_Adventure_ upon the scene, and her approach was watched with the utmost
interest and curiosity. She carried three officials in brilliant
uniforms and four other individuals in her stern-sheets, but it was
Stukely's keen eyes which were the first to detect the fact that Captain
Marshall was not in her; and his announcement of this fact at once
raised a storm of indignation among those who had hastily turned out and
gone on deck when the approach of the boat had been r