About ten yards from the hut I stopped and listened. Goody Hallett had a guest, and, judging by his expressions, one who was not of this neighborhood. I could now plainly hear all that was said and strange indeed was the impression conveyed to my mind by the fierce tones in which the man spoke to the old woman. “It is no use trying to fool me longer, Mother Hallett. I have been to many ports since that dread night, but I mind me well where the booty was secreted. You say you found but little; that it must have been found by these swinish lubbers who dwell on this God-forsaken sandbank. They thought they buried me with the rest of the gallant rovers when the old ship went to pieces under us, but they little knew who was the fellow-survivor of your relative, Indian Tom! We disappeared, they said. Truly, Mother Hallett, we did disappear, but not on that morning, as they thought. Indian Tom knew how to hide and to provide food, so we stayed for days unknown to the wreckers who were unable to think of anything but Sam Bellamy’s gold! They didn’t find it, the swine! Indian Tom knew his orders better than that. Give me some more rum, old hag!” Through the small window of the hut I saw the tall figure of Goody Hallett pass between me and the light. She soon returned, evidently with the liquor demanded by the man, as the clinking of glasses told me that he was helping himself to the generous fluid. Then I heard Goody Hallett say in her shrill voice: “I tell you, pirate, that I found only a small part of the gold and silver in the place where Indian Tom told me he had hidden the treasure. He died the night after he came home to his people. I was the last person that saw him alive. In his last moments he confided the secret to me.” “And you started post-haste to this place, I’ll be bound!” exclaimed the man fiercely. “Yes, old witch, I heard the story from the lips of your nephew when I sought traces of Indian Tom last month. It was also rumored that Tom died of poison!” The old woman laughed mockingly. “The fools! Why should anybody poison poor Tom when we were all glad to see him home again after his years of voyaging with you?” “Perhaps somebody had an interest in poisoning Tom? I should better know why if I knew whether he told you about the treasure before or after he fell sick?” “Dog of a pirate! Dare you insinuate that I had aught to do with the death of my uncle’s son?” Her voice was almost a shriek as she flung this at him. “Ho, softly, Mother Hallett, softly, I say!” The man was somewhat disconcerted by the old woman’s rage. “Come,” he continued, “let’s clink our glasses once again to pledge our friendship. We are the only ones who now can tell where the treasure was hidden and together we must find it. Let me sing you one of my old sea songs. Ah, that’s a better spirit, Mother Hallett! Now I’ll give you a stave.”