as kept on up the river until past midnight, a glimpse of the
land being caught here and there, an assurance to Hanz that they were
not far out at sea. Indeed, Hanz began to get somewhat uneasy, and to
wish himself back with Angeline in the little house. As this expedition,
however, was to establish a solid basis for the great Kidd Discovery
Company, out of which a fortune for Tite was to come, he was willing to
run the risk of being lost in the fog for a night or two.

Towards morning the men became uneasy and hungry, and began cursing Kidd
and all connected with him, and enquired of Chapman if he knew where he
was going. Indeed, one of them declared it his belief that they had been
brought on a fool's errand. Chapman, however, assured them that he knew
exactly where Kidd had buried his treasure--that it was on a point not
many miles below the Highlands, and under a big rock called the d----l's
sounding stone. That if they kept on they would reach the place before
daybreak. Hanz assured the men that every word Chapman said concerning
Kidd was true, and this inspired their confidence, for they honestly
believed his father to be an intimate friend of the pirate, and of
course ought to know all about his money.

The boatmen now rested their oars and proceeded to refresh themselves.
And while they were doing this, and wondering what this night expedition
really meant, Hanz smoked his pipe and nursed his courage. In his heart,
however, he wished himself out of the affair and in a more honest
occupation. As for Chapman, he told a number of stories tended to excite
the cupidity of the boatmen. After resting an hour or two the party
proceeded about five miles further up the river, and landed just at
daybreak on a point jutting into the west side of the river, and just
above which there was a dilapidated little cabin, inhabited by a
laboring man and his wife.

It would not do to disturb these poor people at so early an hour,
Chapman said, nor to tell them what sort of a mission we were on.
Thereupon Hanz and he proceeded up the bank of the river, to make, as he
said, a discovery. So the boatmen were left to take care of themselves.
The boatmen waited for nearly two hours, still neither Chapman nor Hanz
returned. Where they had gone was fast becoming a mystery. The men at
length became alarmed and disappointed, and proceeded towards the little
house to enquire the name of the place, and see what they could do to
get breakfast.