“Where do you suppose they came from, Tom?” said Jack, after a while. He was sitting on the sand when he spoke, holding a lot of the coins in his hand and turning them over with his fingers. Tom shook his head. This was the same thought that had been puzzling him for some time past, and, as yet, he had not been able to answer it. After a while they went back to their hut, carrying their money with them. Jack was very talkative and excited, but Tom was as silent as the other was noisy, for he was pondering over the matter of Jack’s question—Where did they all come from? Where did they all come from? He thought and thought till his brain was muddled with his thinking. Could there have been a treasure buried here by the buccaneers in times past? It was a wild thought, but Tom was ready for any kind of wild thought at the time. But then the date of the coin that he had found—1792—that was long after the time of the buccaneers. He picked up another piece and looked at it; it also bore the same date, 1792, and so did another and another; they were all of the same mintage. He did not know what to think of it. Jack must have had a notion that Tom was puzzling his wits over this, for he sat beside the fire all of the evening without saying a word. Every now and then he arose and threw some more brushwood on the flames; beyond that he hardly moved, but sat in silence, watching Tom furtively. “Tom,” said he, at last. “Well, Jack.” “Do you suppose that it could _rain_ money?” “Stuff and nonsense!” “I don’t see any stuff and nonsense about it. I’ve heard of it raining stones, and why shouldn’t it rain money as well? We never found any before that hurricane came on us.” “That’s true enough, Jack,” said Tom, “I hadn’t thought of that.” For the finding of this money had driven all thought of the hurricane out of his head. “Then you think it might have rained money, after all?” “No; I don’t think that.” “Humph! Well, what do you think about it?” “I don’t know what to think about it; but you’ve put a new idea into my head.” It was later than usual when they went to rest that night. Tom laid awake hour after hour, his thoughts as busy as bees. Where had the money come from? This was the question that ran through his brain unceasingly, keeping him awake as the silent night moved along. And then, why should all the coins bear the same date of 1792? Suddenly the whole thing opened before him, and he saw it all as clearly as I see the hand before my face. He could hardly help shouting aloud, but he bethought him that Jack might be asleep, and that it would be a pity to awaken him. “Jack,” whispered he, in a low voice. “Helloa!” said the other, quickly, for he was wide awake. “I think I’ve found it out!” “Found out what?” “Found where the money came from.” “Well, where did it come from?” said Jack, and Tom could see in the gloom that he sat up in his excitement. “Did you notice that all the money bore the same date, 1792?” said Tom.