“A goose will dive after a herring, are not the treasures of the Carmilhan worth much more?”
“How much shall I succeed in obtaining?”
“More than you will ever be able to spend.”
The little yellow man grinned and the whole assembly burst out laughing.
“Have you finished your questioning?” asked the captain.
“I have, farewell!” replied Will.
“Farewell, until we meet again,” answered the Dutchman, and turned to go.
The musicians again led the procession, and they turned to depart in the same order in which they had come, singing the same solemn chant, which faded away in the distance until at length it became lost in the sound of the waves beating upon the shore.
Will now exerted all his strength to free himself from the hide that wrapped him round so tightly. He succeeded at last in freeing one arm and then commenced to loosen the cords that fastened him into the hide, until he had untied all the knots and rolled out of the hide. Without losing a moment he hastened home, where he found poor Caspar lying unconscious upon the floor of the hut. Having restored him to his senses with some trouble the good fellow wept tears of joy to see once again the friend of his youth, whom he believed to have lost for ever. But his joy was soon quenched when Will told him of the desperate undertaking he had now on hand.
“I could no longer endure the misery of this wretched place,” he said, “now that it is within my power to attain riches for us both. Follow me or not, as you will.”