“Why, because this lady and I have discovered your secret, don’t you see?”
“Oh, that be blowed!” exclaimed the young fellow. “That don’t make no matter; I ain’t afraid of you or the lidy stealin’ the stuff; I wasn’t hidin’ it from either of you.”
“No?” queried I. “From whom, then, were you hiding it?”
“Why, from the rest of ’em, of course. We’re all hidin’ our stuff from one another. We don’t tell each other so; but we’re doin’ it all the same.”
“I see,” said I. “You are unable to trust each other. Well, that is a pity. One would have thought that there was not a man among you who would not have felt abundantly satisfied with what he has secured.”
“Maybe we are; but maybe we ain’t,” answered the fellow. “Anyhow, when I sees the rest all distrustin’ one another, I thinks it’s time for me to distrust them. So I spent all day yesterday huntin’ for a good spot, and comed along this way, and thought I couldn’t do better than stow the stuff at the foot of this big tree.”
“Well,” said I, “if I were you I should choose some other place. How are you to know that one of the men you distrust is not even now watching you—and guessing your occupation—from some place of concealment among the bushes? Choose a spot that you can easily find again somewhere in the heart of the bush, and bury it there, where nobody can see what you are about.”
“Thank’ee sir; I will. I think I know a good place not far off,” said the fellow; and therewith, giving a sea-scrape with his foot, he turned away and left us. As for us, we resumed our walk, and were very careful not to turn round or otherwise behave in such a manner as to lead the man to suppose we desired to watch him.
During the period to which I am now referring, O’Gorman and his men did no work whatever, but—after each had succeeded in satisfactorily concealing his own share of treasure—spent their time in strolling aimlessly—sometimes alone, and sometimes in parties of two or three together—about the island, hunting for fruit, or climbing the cocoa-nut trees to get at the nuts. Then—I think it was about the sixteenth day after the unearthing of the treasure—without any previous warning or notice whatever to me—I saw them striking tents ashore, immediately after breakfast; and by noon everything had been brought off to the brig again, and the men had once more taken up their quarters in her forecastle. The remainder of that day was devoted to the task of rebending the canvas; but it was not until noon of the next day that the brig was again in a condition to go to sea. That afternoon, and the greater part of the following day, was devoted to the task of replenishing the brig’s stock of fresh water, collecting an abundant supply of fruit, and—presumably—recovering possession of their hidden treasure; and after breakfast next morning the crew went leisurely to work to get under way. It took us until noon to work our way out to sea; and as soon as we were fairly clear of the barrier reef, everybody went to dinner.