"But it hasn't, sir, so that is something to be thankful for. However, it would be well to finish unloading the ballast from the yacht, but not to take the silver aboard till we have blown up the rock and made a clear passage through." "For what reason, Mr. Wilkins?" "Simply because we don't know what depth the new cutting will be. It might be twelve feet, it might be only six; so the lighter we can make the vessel the less draught she'll draw, and the greater chance she'll have of slipping through." "But there will be greater difficulty in loading up outside the reef." "Granted, sir; but we must take the risk, unless, of course, the blasting-powder cuts a deep and unobstructed channel." So, directly we returned to the "Fortuna," message was sent to the wreck to defer the removal of the pigs of silver for the present. On my uncle's return he reported that the twenty sows were correct in number, but only ten chests full of pieces-of-eight were to be found, so it was assumed that the remaining five chests had been broken open and their contents shared out by Humphrey Trevena immediately after the capture of the "San Philipo" by the "Anne." Nearly five tons of ballast had been removed from the "Fortuna," more than sufficient to compensate for the additional weight of the specie; but, in view of the probable difficulty of taking the yacht between the reefs to the open sea, it was decided to proceed with the unloading of the iron ballast, till the "Fortuna's" draught would be reduced to the least margin of safety. "We've done very well this forenoon," remarked my father, "so we can reasonably take a spell off till the sun is low down." "As you like, but, personally speaking, I have a perfect craving for hard work," replied Uncle Herbert, "so I'll beat up volunteers and recover the blasting powder." "You won't bring it aboard?" "No, I will take it off to the reef, close to the channel you mentioned." "I'll go, too," I exclaimed, "for I want very much to have a look at the great cave that we can see from here." "I don't think so," objected my uncle. "A boatload of explosives, powerful enough to blow, us to infinitesimal particles, is hardly a safe cargo, so you will be safer on board the 'Fortuna.'" "I know, but you can take the stuff off to the reef and come back for me. It's only a ten minutes' pull, you know. Don't be hard on a fellow, uncle. It's the first time I've had a chance to go ashore in that part of the bay, and I want to explore the cave." "Very well, then," replied my uncle ungraciously. "But mind, no monkey-tricks, and don't run into mischief." I ran below to the bos'n's locker, where I abstracted a ball of seaming-twine and a couple of candles, and, putting these articles into my coat pocket in company with a box of matches, I went on deck and clambered into the gig.