Then Captain Mansfield left them, and the boys set about obeying his orders by first wrapping the supposed guides to a large amount of wealth carefully in brown paper, after which the remainder of the work was quickly accomplished, for their minds were so filled by belief in their ability to unearth a pirate’s hoard, that many things were left behind, which, under less exciting circumstances, would have been thought absolutely indispensable.
An hour later the two were sitting in a snug corner of the yacht’s kitchen, talking with the old darky who was “de captin ob dis yere place,” and who rejoiced in the name of Andrew Jackson Washington Storts.
“De skipper am pow’ful fond ob loafin’ ’roun’ in de schooner,” Andy said, by way of opening the conversation.
“But this time it’s to be a regular cruise,” Gil replied. “We’re going for gold, and, unless a regular hurricane strikes us, there’ll be no shortening of sail until we make a harbor on the coast of Hayti.”
“Wha—wha—wha’s dat?” Andy asked, in mingled surprise and alarm, and turned suddenly to face the boy.
“It’s nothing to be frightened about; we’re only going to Hayti.”
“After pirates’ gold?”
“We shall make a try for it, although father don’t think the venture will be success——”
“Don’ do it, honey, don’ do it. Yo’ neber was dar, an’ yer ain’ got any call fur to go.”
“You’ll think we’ve had a call when you see what was found in the chest of a sailor who died aboard uncle’s ship,” Nelse said, laughingly.