the work? Don't I get----"

"You get out!" roared Edgar.

Slowly, disgustedly, with what dignity one can display in crawling out
of a sand-pit, I scrambled to the top.

"Go over there," commanded Edgar pointing, "and sit down."

In furious silence I seated myself beside Rupert. He was still
slumbering and snoring happily. From where I sat I could see nothing of
what was going forward in the pit, save once, when the head of Edgar,
his eyes aflame and his hair and eye-glasses sprinkled with sand,
appeared above it. Apparently he was fearful lest I had moved from
the spot where he had placed me. I had not; but had he known my inmost
feelings he would have taken the axe into the pit with him.

I must have sat so for half an hour. In the sky above me a fish-hawk
drifted lazily. From the beach sounded the steady beat of the waves, and
from the town across the marshes came the puffing of a locomotive and
the clanging bells of the freight trains. The breeze from the sea cooled
the sweat on my aching body; but it could not cool the rage in my heart.
If I had the courage of my feelings, I would have cracked Edgar over
head with the spade, buried him in the pit, bribed Rupert, and forever
after lived happily on my ill-gotten gains. That was how Kidd, or
Morgan, or Blackbeard would have acted. I cursed the effete civilization
which had taught me to want many pleasures but had left me with a
conscience that would not let me take human life to obtain them, not
even Edgar's life.

In half an hour a suit-case was lifted into view and dropped on the edge
of the pit. It was followed by the other, and then by Edgar. Without
asking me to help him, because he probably knew I would not, he
shovelled the sand into the hole, and then placed the suitcases in the
carriage. With increasing anger I observed that the contents of each
were so heavy that to lift it he used both hands.

"There is no use your asking any questions," he announced, "because I
won't answer them."

I gave him minute directions as to where he could go; but instead we
drove in black silence to the station. There Edgar rewarded Rupert with
a dime, and while we waited for the train to New York placed the two
suit-cases against the wall of the ticket office and sat upon them. When
the train arrived he warned me in a hoarse whisper that I had promised
to help him guard the treasure, and gave me one of the suit-cases. It
weighed a ton. Just to spite Edgar, I had a plan t