"Regular Tom Tiddler's ground then," remarked Jack. "When we left England silver was soaring. Wonder what it's worth now?" "At any rate, we won't fly in the face of Providence," declared Harborough. "A few days more won't matter very much. When we've finished with the _Fusi Yama_, we'll lift some of this stuff." "There's enough to sink the _Titania_," declared Villiers. "The hold of that ship must have been chock-full of silver. Rum sort of ballast." "Probably a Spanish treasure-ship or a buccaneering craft that sunk with her booty," suggested Claverhouse. "They did that sort of thing once, I believe." "Then that's settled," declared Harborough briskly. "Finish with the _Fusi Yama_, and then carry on with the silver that friend von Giespert, by the hand of pal Strauss, kindly discovered for us. How's the glass, by the by? I forgot to look this morning." "It rose a point and a half after eight," reported Villiers, "and now it is dropping rather too rapidly." "H'm!" exclaimed Harborough. "That's bad. It may interfere with our work, and we can't afford to lose much more plant. We'll work double shifts, and keep our weather-eye lifting." By sunset the task of clearing the _Fusi Yama's_ strong-room was accomplished, and an hour later the last of the gold was safely on board the _Titania_--an event that was signalized by three hearty cheers and splicing the "mainbrace" with discreet tots of champagne. The while the glass was falling rapidly, although not so low as on the occasion of the devastating hurricane. Nevertheless, every possible precaution was taken. The boats were hoisted in and lashed down, awnings and side-curtains stowed, and additional cable veered out. The engine-room stood by ready to start the heavy oil-engines, and thus ease the strain on the anchor-chains should occasion arise. All hands were on board, preferring to face the storm in a staunch craft anchored in a fairly-sheltered lagoon to risking a wet and uncomfortable, if not dangerous, night ashore. At midnight it was blowing a gale, but, in contrast to the preceding storm, there was no preliminary rain--simply a terrific blast of wind that heralded an almost uninterrupted blow. It started from the nor'-nor'-east, or obliquely to the coast-line off which the _Titania_ lay at anchor. Although the noise of the breakers on the reef was like that of a continual roar of thunder, the lagoon itself was only slightly agitated. But when, at about 3 a.m., the wind veered four points to the east'ard, the beach became a dead lee shore. Huge billows, crashing madly upon the coral reef, swept in masses of white foam across the lagoon and churned themselves upon the beach, until in the pale moonlight the palm groves appeared to be growing from an undulating field of white water.