The black fellows soon carried everything ashore that they could lay their hands on, and the result of their labours made quite a respectable pile on the beach. They then returned to strip every single nail, bolt, and bit of ironwork and lead from the wreck; from the way they went about this, it was evident that it was not the first time they had been so engaged.
On further examination it was seen that most of the chests were smashed and empty. Mat threw these aside, looking, however, first carefully at their marks; on scraping away the sea-weed and sand from one at the bottom of the pile, and turning it over, there, oh! joy! stood out plainly the two letters M. S., burnt into it with the Forest print, which Tim had brought to the docks on leaving home.
The chest was full and locked.
“Hurrah!” shouted Mat.
“Hurrah!” joined in Tim, when he found what had caused Mat’s joy, exclamations which so startled the blacks that they came crowding up and wanted to knock the chest to pieces at once, but Mat gently prevented them, and showed them where to prise the lock open. Then out came the greater part of his outfit and that of Tim, not much the worse for wear, but drenched into many colours. Mat promptly put on a shirt and a pair of moleskin trousers. Tim arrayed himself in a light coat and pair of drawers, and the black fellows observing this, a most ludicrous scene ensued.
One tall black drew his legs through a pair of trousers, holding the garment upside down, the consequence was that when he tried to walk he waddled a few steps and fell prone; another slipped on a pair of canvas ducks hind part before. One young “buck” pulled the sleeve of a shirt on, the balance of the garment, to his great delight, fluttering in the wind: whilst yet another sat down into Tim’s best felt hat, thinking that article could only be meant for a seat.
All these antics were accompanied with shouts of laughter, the dark men chasing each other about like so many children. This festive scene much relieved the owners of the property, pleased as they were to find their comrades in such good-humour.
As suddenly tired with this buffoonery as they had been ready to commence it, the natives pulled off their eccentric-fitting garments, and signed to the white men to come along the shore. These wanted to examine further into the chests and casks, but were not allowed any further delay.
“What can they want down there?” cried Tim.
“Why, I expect that chap they sent down the coast found another chest,” suggested Mat.