winds leaned to the west and in all the white heat-shaken expanse to south and north not another tree showed, not a bush or blade of vegetation.
Certainly James was right; of all places in the world a better could not be imagined for the hiding of treasure. There was nothing here to attract ships or men, only the good anchorage.
The boat having been got out, Larry rowed them ashore, leaving Longley to keep ship. Then having hauled the boat above high-tide mark they walked to the palm trees, stood, and looked around them expectantly.
None of them spoke for a moment. There was something about the place that blanketed conversation, something that filled the mind with a sense of negation. It was Larry who broke silence.
“I've been thinkin', Miss Shaila,” said Larry, “and turnin' it over in me head that the best way to be doin' is tell Longley that you aren't aisy about the metal ballast. Tell him it's puttin' the compass wrong, or some thrash like that—he won't know the differ. Then you can say to him you want to shove it ashore and take sand on instead—at laste, I wouldn't be sayin' it to him but to me in his hearin'. Well, then, we can get the stuff ashore and dump it, then bring the bags off for the sand and fill them and bring them on board. That ought to be all done be to-morrow night. Then at night when Longley's aslape, and he slapes like a dead policeman, row off and bury the stuff, you and me and the gintleman here and Mr. Sebright.”
“I was thinking something like that myself,” said Sheila.
“That's a top-hole idea,” said James. “The only danger is he might wake up and find out what we are doing.”
“Well, unless you murther him, there's no other way out of it,” said Larry, picking up an empty crab shell, examining it, and throwing it away again.
“It's the only way,” said Sheila, “and we've got to run risks—not that there's much risk about Longley, even if he did know. He's too stupid. Well, are you agreed?”
“I am,” said Dicky. “Yes—we're all agreed. And now we're here, let's fix on the spot where we'll hide the stuff. Those trees seem to have been put up by Providence for a land mark; suppose we bury it midway between them. It's all soft sand, except those hillocks the trees grow from.”
James, who had brought the boat hook with them, as a protection against crabs should they eventuate, prodded it in the sand till Larry told him to give over.
“That chap's watchin' us from the ship,” said Larry. “I tould him to get on with the brass work and there he is hanging his sheep's head over the side. We'd better be gettin' back. You've fixed all you want to and if you want to be doin' any more talkin' you can do it aboard.”
“I don't see any crabs,” said Sheila as they turned to the boat.
“You'll see them soon enough,” said James, “unless they've deserted the place.”
CHAPTER XXVI.
THE RISING OF THE CRABS.
LONGLEY stood by as they came on board and helped to stream the boat on a line.
“Larry,” said Sheila, as the old man was going forward with the other after the conclusion of this business, “I've made up my mind to have the metal ballast out of her.”
“Come here,” said Larry to Longley, who was just about to plunge down into the fo'c's'le. “I'll be wantin' you in a minit—and what for do you want to get the ballast out of her, Miss Shaila?”
“I don't want to get all the ballast out,” replied Sheila in a sharp voice. “How stupid you are! I said the metal ballast. It's disturbing the compass; there's a variation that has put us miles out. I was going to have got rid of it at Teneriffe, that's why I got the sacks—then I forgot about it.”
“Well, I don't see how that bit of ould iron can be disturbin' the compass,” said Larry, “but sure if you're set on havin' it out—well there you are. And when do you want it shifted?”
“You'd better begin and get it on deck now,” replied the other, “so's to be ready for work in the morning.”
“I'll start on it wid Longley when we've had our supper, miss,” said Larry.
Supper was served in the cabin a few minutes later. It was a silent meal. The gold, as long as it was quiescent among the ballast, and part of the ship, so to speak, had not troubled them. It had always been at the back of their minds and not the pull
