died away, he fell.

As he collapsed within the pit, I made a step forward to the brink
and looked. He was now upon his hands and knees before the chest,
bathing his hands in the gleaming heap of gems, catching them up in
handfuls, and as they ran like sparkling rain through his fingers,
muttering incoherently to himself and humming wild snatches of song.

"Colliver--Simon Colliver!" I called.

He paid no attention, but went on tossing up the diamonds and rubies
in his hands and watching them as they rattled down again upon the
heap.

"Simon Colliver!"

I leapt down into the pit beside him, and laid my hand upon his
shoulder. He paused for a moment, and looked up with a vacant gleam
in his deep eyes.

"Colliver, I have to speak a word with you."

"Oh, yes, I know you. Trenoweth, of course: Ezekiel Trenoweth come
back again after the treasure. But you are too late, too late, too
late! You are dead now--ha, ha! dead and rotting.

"For his glittering eyes are the salt sea's prize,
And his fingers clutch the sand, my lads.

"Aha! his fingers clutch the sand. Here's pretty sand for you! sand
of all colours; look, look, there's a brave sparkle!" And again he
ran the priceless shower through his fingers.

"Oh, yes," he continued after a moment, looking up, "oh, yes, I know
you--Ezekiel Trenoweth, of course; or is it Amos, or Jasper?
No matter, you are all dead. I killed the last of you last year--no,
last night; all dead.

"And the devil has got his due, my lads!

"His due, his due! Look at it! look again! I had a skull just now.
John Railton's skull, no eyes in it though,

"For his glittering eyes are the salt sea's--

"Where is the skull? Let me fit it with a bonny pair of eyes here--
here they are, or here, look, here's a pair that change colour when
they move. Where is the skull? Give it me. Oh, I forgot, I lost
it. Never mind, find it, find it. Here's plenty of eyes when you
find it. Or give it this big, red one. Here's a flaming, fiery
eye!"

As he stretched out his hand over the Great Ruby, I caught him by the
wrist. But he was too quick for me, and with a sharp snarl and click
of his teeth, had whipped his hand round to his back.

Then in a flash, as I grappled with him, he thrust me back with his
left palm, and, with a sweep of his right, hurled the great jewel far
out into the sea. I saw it rise and curve in one long, sparkling
arch of flame, then fall wit