“It sounded English,” said I. “Oh, she vhas goodt English. I like,” said he, broadly grinning, “dot my English vhas always as goodt. She vhas an English cock, maype, though schipped at Amsterdam. Had she been Dutch she vouldt hov spoke my language.” At this moment eight bells--midnight--were struck. I thought to see Yan Bol instantly trudge forward with the alacrity of a seaman whose watch below has come round, but he evinced a disposition to linger, as on a previous occasion. “I likes to findt a ship in a cave full of dollars, Mr. Fielding,” said he. “There is a very great deal that one would like,” said I. “Sixty-von tousand dollar,” he continued, “vhas a goodt deal of money. Dot money us men vill take oop. Und how much vill she leave, I vonder?” “Eh?” said I. “Yes, Bol, that will be a matter of counting, won’t it?” “I like to know, Mr. Fielding, vy she vhas sixty-one tousand dollar? Vy not a leedle more or a leedle less, or much more, or some tousands less? Dot’ll mean,” he continued after a pause, during which I remained silent, “dot dere vhas a large share ofer und aboove der sixty-one tousand dollar; but how vhas us men’s share arrived at I like to know?” “Why do you not ask the captain? Why do you ask me these questions? I am not the captain.” “No, dot vhas very right. But you hov der captain’s confidence; und vy do I ox, Mr. Fielding? Because der captain’s yarn is vonderful----” He broke off, looking at me very earnestly. “Do you distrust the story?” said I. “Hov I said so, hov I said so, Mr. Fielding? But she vhas vonderful all der same.” I was silent. He continued to look at me for some moments in a dull Dutch way, then, seeming to check some observation he was about to make, he exclaimed: “Veil, der coast vhas clear. I feel like sleeping. Good-night, Mr. Fielding.” CHAPTER XIV. I SEND MY LETTER. At sunrise nothing was to be seen of the schooner, though a seaman was sent on to the main royal yard with a telescope, where he swept the sea in all directions. We crossed the equator before noon and drove into the South Atlantic, with a pleasant breeze of wind out of the east. A day or two of such sailing would send us clear of the zone of calms and catspaws, and then, with the southeast trade wind strong on the larboard bow, the yards braced forward, the blue seas breaking in foam from the sides, we might hope for a smart run southwest, with weather enough to follow to bring that wonderful island of Greaves within reach of a few days of us; instead of a few months of us, as it had been and still was.