ologist's
description of Short Shrift Island. Its situation and general character,
too, bore out the surmise. On landing, also, we found that it answered
in two important particulars to Tobias's narrative. We found, as he had
declared, that there was good water there for passing ships. Also, we
found, in addition to the usual scrub, that cabbage-wood trees grew
there very plentifully, particularly, as he said, on the highest part of
the island. Our conjectures were presently confirmed by the captain of a
little sponging boat that, an hour after our arrival, put in for water.
Yes, he said, it was ---- Cay (giving it the name by which it was
generally known, and by which the conchologist had first mentioned it to
me). So, having talked it all over with Tom, I decided that here we
would stay for a time, and try our luck.

But, first, having heard from the sponging captain, that he was en
route for Nassau, I gave him a letter to Charlie Webster, telling him of
our whereabouts, in case he should have sudden need of me with regard to
Tobias.

It was too late to begin treasure-hunting that day, but Tom and I made
an early start, the following morning, prospecting the island--I having
set the men to work gathering shells, in the hope of being able to
oblige my shell-loving friend. The island was but a small cay compared
with that of Dead Men's Shoes,--on which we had so memorably laboured
side by side--some five miles long and two broad. It was a pretty little
island, rising here and there into low hills, and surprising us now and
again with belts of pine trees. But, of course, the cabbage-wood tree
was our special tree; and, as I said before, this grew plentifully. All
too plentifully, indeed; and cabbage-wood stumps, alas! were scarcely
more rare.

The reader may recall that Tobias's narrative, in reference to his
second "pod" of one million dollars, had run: "_On the highest point of
this Short Shrift Island is a large cabbage-wood stump, and twenty feet
south of that stump is the treasure, buried five feet deep and can be
found without difficulty._" But which was the highest point? There were
several hillocks that might claim to be that--all about equal in height.

We visited them all in succession. There was a "large cabbage-wood
stump" on each and all of them! It had seemed an absurdly inadequate
direction, even as we had talked the narrative over in John Saunders's
snuggery. But, confronted with so many "large cabbag