| Eleven English sovereigns | $ 53.35 |
| Two Peruvian piastres | .96 |
| Three louis-d’or | 25.00 |
| Twenty-three U. S. gold eagles | 230.00 |
| 450 French five-franc pieces | 450.00 |
| ———— | |
| $759.31 |
Even Captain Joe forgot the waning hours. Even to the last scrap of silk and crumbled lace, the full contents of the cypress chest was carried to the camp. Hal was inclined to think that some one should stand guard, but Captain Joe ridiculed the idea. Faint traces of dawn were already in the east when, piling the new found treasure in the middle of the tent and covering it with a blanket, the first full day in camp came to a glorious end.
The boys had planned a week of lazy fishing, daily flights in the aeroplane and “slathers of sleep” as Mac put it. But the camp the next morning was more like the office of some hotel. It did not seem possible to crowd in even the necessary things. There was to have been an early morning excursion in the Anclote; then a noon rest and a long afternoon of tarpon fishing.
These plans were upset. Tom, Hal, Jerry and Captain Joe decided to sail to Tarpon Springs with the valuables; to pack them securely and forward them by express to Pensacola in care of Mrs. Allen. A strong new trunk was to be bought for this purpose, and Mrs. Allen notified by special letter to look out for the coming fortune.
The following week, when the grand appraisement and division took place in Mrs. Allen’s little parlor, a jeweler estimated the value of the silver and jewelry—attaching no value to the thirty crystal pendants, which had undoubtedly once ornamented a chandelier in some spacious plantation home—at two thousand and sixty-two dollars. Jerry’s share of that and one-third of the money was nine hundred and forty dollars. The colored boy still stuck to the tiara, valued at five hundred dollars, but his more practical mother dismissed Jerry’s fancy and voted for money—as far as that would go.
Mrs. Blossom and her son were, therefore, given seven hundred and fifty-nine dollars in gold; the two dozen dessert spoons, estimated at thirty dollars; the crystal and silver epergne and the crystal compote dish at forty dollars; the pearl brooch, said to be worth one hundred dollars for Mrs. Blossom and the gold waistcoat buttons for Jerry at twenty dollars. The crystal pendants were thrown in for good measure for Mrs. Blossom, and the cane was voted to Jerry.
Of that which remained, Captain Joe was persuaded to accept the silver fruit knives and forks, worth forty dollars, and then the four members of the club divided the balance, estimated to be worth eighteen hundred and forty-one dollars, in four portions. The chief prize, of course, was the diamond and ruby tiara for the hair, put down by the appraiser as worth five hundred dollars. When there was some hesitation about who should take this, Mrs. Balfour offered to accept it as Bob’s share, which was four hundred and sixty dollars, and to pay the difference.
Mac came out of the division with the three-carat diamond ring, Hal drew the belt buckle with the six diamonds and Tom’s prize was the ring with the single diamond and six rubies, the three boys dividing between them, the various small articles remaining. Mrs. Allen was given the scraps of lace and other relics.
But all this came later. No sooner had the “treasure fleet” departed on its way to the mainland than Bob and Mac hurried to the long idle aeroplane. Readjusting the plane coverings and cleaning and oiling the engine, the two boys prepared for an excursion. When the light framework had been lifted on the starting wheels once more, Mac began to rub his chin.
“I kin shin up a mast all right,” he said, a little doubtfully, “but I ain’t never been much of a hand fur steeples an’ sich like.”