's the best I've got, Mas'r Harry," said Tom. "I never was a good
one that way. You tell me what to do and I'll do it. And as for
sticking to you--There, Mas'r Landell, sir, haven't I stuck to Mas'r
Harry through thick and thin?"

"Most faithfully, Tom."

"Thanky, sir, thanky," cried Tom.

"Yes, yes, Tom, we know all about that," I said. "No one doubts your
fidelity, but it is not the question. We want to know what to do about
getting the treasure home safely."

"Oh! Ah! Yes, I see," said Tom, as if he had not understood before,
and it made me so vexed, what with being hot and nervous and bothered,
that I felt as if I should have liked to kick Master Tom.

"I have it," I exclaimed suddenly, and I gave the table a thump.

"He's got it," cried Tom, rubbing his hands. "Mas'r Harry's got it,
Mas'r Landell, sir. He's a wunner at hitting out things, he is."

"What is your idea, Harry?"

"It is rather a risky one, sir," I replied; "but it seems to me the only
likely one. We must put up with some inconvenience to get our treasure
safe. Once we are at a good British port, of course we need not mind,
and can do as we please."

"Well," he said, "what do you propose doing?"

"Find out some small vessel going to Jamaica, and arrange with the
captain to take us. If we pay him pretty well he will ask no questions
about what our luggage is."

"And you might make him think it was forsles and them
what-you-may-call-'em tights. He wouldn't be much cleverer than the
Injins," said Tom.

"We'll see about that, Tom," I said, and my uncle having approved of my
plan, we began at once to see if we could not set it in force.

It sounded very easy, but when I had to put it in practice I found it
extremely difficult, and to be hedged in with prickles of the sharpest
kind.

We wanted to go to Jamaica, as being a suitable port for our purpose,
and an easy one to obtain passage home in a mail steamer; but though I
could find small vessels, schooners, and brigs going everywhere else,
there did not seem to be one likely to sail for Kingston; and try how I
would, it appeared as if the very fact of our wanting to go otherwise
than by the regular mail route made our conduct suspicious.

In fact more than one of the skippers seemed to think so, and as a rule
they declined to take us, saying that it would get them into trouble,
while in one case, where the captain of a schooner eagerly agreed to
take us, merely stipulating to