n?"

"Mor'n I shell tell."

"Come now, Betsey, laive us be oal comfortable like. You've got your
gifts, and I've got mine. I doan't care 'bout sperrits to-night, Betsey;
but you've got some good wine--that I knaw. Ah! Cap'n Billy ded some
good trade on his laast voyage."

"Good traade," sneered Betsey. "What's your traade nowadays? Zee wot
Granfer ded."

"Iss, I've wanted to talk to 'ee 'bout et, Betsey, my deear. I've bin
very good to you."

I heard some clinking of glass, and I knew they were drinking. I had
heard only two voices, but by the footsteps I judged that more than two
might have entered the cottage. In this, however, I was mistaken, for
the others who had come with him left at the door.

"Iss, I've bin very good to you and Eli," repeated Cap'n Jack. "You've
never wanted summin' warm to drink."

"A fat lot I've 'ad from 'ee," retorted Betsey, "and I ain't a wanted
nothin' nuther. I've got my 'ouse, and I've got summin' to ait, so've
Eli."

"Iss. I sh'll make a man o' Eli."

I heard Eli laugh in his strange, gurgling way.

"I've made money, more'n Tamsin 'll want; well, and why sha'ant Eli 'ave
some ov it?"

"What 'ee'll git from you'll be good for sore eyes," snarled the old
woman. "Ugh, ef I wanted money--aw, aw!--well, I knaw!"

"You'm thinkin' 'bout the treasure. But you caan't git et, Betsey. Ef
ould Granfer ded bury it some where out to say--well, you caan't git et.
But ded a bury a treasure, Betsey, ef 'ee ded, why ded a die so poor?"

Betsey did not reply.

"Doan't you think 'tes oal lies, Betsey? Where's the paper weth the
dreckshuns? I knaw 'ee sailed weth Cap'n Blackbeard, everybody do knaw
that, and it's zed that the Cap'n was very rich--took oal soarts of
things from the Spaniards and the Portugeese; but then where ded a put
et? Zum zay on Lundy Island, others that he found a caave in Annette
Island, and others that he found a place on the South Says; but ed'n et
oal a taale, Betsey, my deear?"

Betsey remained silent, while Eli grunted.

"Granfer zaid that he stailed the dreckshuns," continued Cap'n Jack; "ef
a ded, where be um?"

"'Spoase I was to tell 'ee?" sneered Betsey. "Well, you'd git et. As fur
Eli, 'ee cud go a-beggin'."

"Eli shud 'ave aaf," said Cap'n Jack, with a most terrible oath, "and
Billy and we'd 'ave the other aaf far our share. Tha's fair, Betsey."

"No, no, no!" cried Eli, "it's oal lies, oal lies!" And there was, I
thought, a note of fear in his vo