“With all my heart, señor, if it is to be found. I think I could take
you within a cable's length of the place, though hunger, and thirst, and
sharks, and the fear of drowning, will keep a fellow from having a very
bright look-out for such a matter.”
“In what water do you suppose the craft to lie, Jack?” demanded the
captain.
“You know as much of that as I do myself, sir. She went down about a
cable's length from the reef, toward which she was a settin' at the
time; and had she kept afloat an hour longer, she might have grounded on
the rocks.”
“She 's better where she is, if we can only find her by sweeping. On the
rocks we could do nothing with her but break her up, and ten to one the
doubloons would be lost. By the way, Jack, do you happen to know where
that scoundrel of a mate of mine stowed the money?”
“When we left the island, I carried it down to the boat myself--and a
good lift I had of it. As sure as you are there, señor, I was obliged to
take it on a shoulder. When it came out of the boat, Mr. Mulford carried
it below; and I heard him tell Miss Rose, a'terwards that he had thrown
it into a bread-locker.”
“Where we shall find it, Don Wan, notwithstanding all this veering and
hauling. The old brig has luck when, doubloons are in question, and ever
has had since I've commanded her. Jack, we shall have to call on the
cook and stewards for an anchor-watch to-night. The people are a good
deal fagged with boxing about this reef so much, and I shall want 'em
all as fresh to-morrow as they can be got. You idlers had better take
the middle watches, which will give the fore-castle chaps longer naps.”
“Ay, ay, sir; we'll manage that for 'em. Josh and Simon can go on at
twelve, and I will take the watch at two, which will give the men all
the rest they want, as I can hold out for four hours full. I'm as good
for an anchor-watch as any man in the brig, Captain Spike.”
“That you are, Jack, and better than some on 'em. Take you all round,
and round it is, you 're a rum 'un, my lad--the queerest little jigger
that ever lay out on a royal-yard.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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