Thesunofthemorrowhadnotclearedthemorningbank：thelakeofthelagoon，theislets，andthewallofbreakersnowbeginningtosubside，stilllayclearlypicturedintheflushedobscurityofearlyday，whenwesteppedagainuponthedeckoftheFlyingScud：Nares，myself，themate，twoofthehands，andonedozenbright，virginaxes，inwaragainstthatmassivestructure。Ithinkwealldrewpleasurablebreath；soprofoundinmanistheinstinctofdestruction，soengagingistheinterestofthechase。Forwewerenowabouttotaste，inasupremedegree，thedoublejoysofdemolishingatoyandplaying“Hidethehandkerchief“：sportsfromwhichwehadallperhapsdesistedsincethedaysofinfancy。Andthetoyweweretoburstinpieceswasadeep-seaship；andthehiddengoodforwhichweweretohuntwasaprodigiousfortune。
Thedeckswerewasheddown，themainhatchremoved，andagun-tacklepurchaseriggedbeforetheboatarrivedwithbreakfast。Ihadgrownsosuspiciousofthewreck，thatitwasapositiverelieftometolookdownintothehold，andseeitfull，ornearlyfull，ofundeniablericepackedintheChinesefashioninbolusesofmatting。Breakfastover，Johnsonandthehandsturnedtouponthecargo；whileNaresandI，havingsmashedopentheskylightandriggedupawindsailondeck，begantheworkofrummagingthecabins。
Imustnotbeexpectedtodescribeourfirstday’swork，or(forthatmatter)anyoftherest，inorderanddetailasitoccurred。
Suchparticularitymighthavebeenpossibleforseveralofficersandadraftofmenfromashipofwar，accompaniedbyanexperiencedsecretarywithaknowledgeofshorthand。Fortwoplainhumanbeings，unaccustomedtotheuseofthebroad-axeandconsumedwithanimpatientgreedoftheresult，thewholebusinessmelts，intheretrospect，intoanightmareofexertion，heat，hurry，andbewilderment；sweatpouringfromthefacelikerain，thescurryofrats，thechokingexhalationsofthebilge，andthethrobsandsplinteringsofthetoilingaxes。Ishallcontentmyselfwithgivingthecreamofourdiscoveriesinalogicalratherthanatemporalorder；thoughthetwoindeedpracticallycoincided，andwehadfinishedourexplorationofthecabin，beforewecouldbecertainofthenatureofthecargo。
NaresandIbeganoperationsbytossinguppell-mellthroughthecompanion，andpilinginasqualidheapaboutthewheel，allclothes，personaleffects，thecrockery，thecarpet，stalevictuals，tinsofmeat，andinaword，allmovablesfromthemaincabin。Thence，wetransferredourattentiontothecaptain’squartersonthestarboardside。Usingtheblanketsforabasket，wesentupthebooks，instruments，andclothestoswellourgrowingmiddenonthedeck；andthenNares，goingonhandsandknees，begantoforageunderneaththebed。BoxafterboxofManillacigarsrewardedhissearch。Itookoccasiontosmashsomeoftheseboxesopen，andeventoguillotinethebundlesofcigars；butquiteinvain——nosecretcacheofopiumencouragedmetocontinue。
“IguessI’vegotholdofthedickynow！”exclaimedNares，andturningroundfrommyperquisitions，Ifoundhehaddrawnforthaheavyironbox，securedtothebulkheadbychainandpadlock。Onthishewasnowgazing，notwiththetriumphthatinstantlyinflamedmyownbosom，butwithasomewhatfoolishappearanceofsurprise。
“ByGeorge，wehaveitnow！”Icried，andwouldhaveshakenhandswithmycompanion；buthedidnotsee，orwouldnotaccept，thesalutation。
“Let’sseewhat’sinitfirst。”heremarkeddryly。Andheadjustedtheboxuponitsside，andwithsomeblowsofanaxeburstthelockopen。Ithrewmyselfbesidehim，ashereplacedtheboxonitsbottomandremovedthelid。IcannottellwhatI
expected；amillion’sworthofdiamondsmightperhapshavepleasedme；mycheeksburned，myheartthrobbedtobursting；
andlo！therewasdisclosedbutatrayfulofpapers，neatlytaped，andacheque-bookofthecustomarypattern。Imadeasnatchatthetraytoseewhatwasbeneath；butthecaptain’shandfellonmine，heavyandhard。
“Now，boss！”hecried，notunkindly，“isthistoberunshipshape？orisitaDutchgrab-racket？”
Andheproceededtountieandrunoverthecontentsofthepapers，withaseriousfaceandwhatseemedanostentationofdelay。Meandmyimpatienceitwouldappearhehadforgotten；forwhenhewasquitedone，hesatawhilethinking，whistledabarortwo，refoldedthepapers，tiedthemupagain；
andthen，andnotbefore，deliberatelyraisedthetray。
Isawacigar-box，tiedwithapieceoffishing-line，andfourfatcanvas-bags。Nareswhippedouthisknife，cuttheline，andopenedthebox。Itwasabouthalffullofsovereigns。
“Andthebags？”Iwhispered。
Thecaptainrippedthemopenonebyone，andafloodofmixedsilvercoinburstforthandrattledintherustybottomofthebox。
Withoutaword，hesettoworktocountthegold。
“Whatisthis？”Iasked。
“It’stheship’smoney。”hereturned，doggedlycontinuinghiswork。
“Theship’smoney？”Irepeated。“That’sthemoneyTrenttrampedandtradedwith？Andthere’shischeque-booktodrawuponhisowners？Andhehasleftit？”
“Iguesshehas。”saidNares，austerely，jottingdownanoteofthegold；andIwasabashedintosilencetillhistaskshouldbecompleted。
Itcame，Ithink，tothreehundredandseventy-eightpoundssterling；somenineteenpoundsofitinsilver：allofwhichweturnedagainintothechest。
“Andwhatdoyouthinkofthat？”Iasked。
“Mr。Dodd。”hereplied，“youseesomethingoftherumnessofthisjob，butnotthewhole。Thespeciebothersyou，butwhatgetsmeisthepapers。Areyouawarethatthemasterofashiphaschargeofallthecashinhand，paysthemenadvances，receivesfreightandpassagemoney，andrunsupbillsineveryport？Allthishedoesastheowner’sconfidentialagent，andhisintegrityisprovedbyhisreceiptedbills。Itellyou，thecaptainofashipismorelikelytoforgethispantsthanthesebillswhichguaranteehischaracter。I’veknownmendrowntosavethem：badmen，too；butthisistheshipmaster’shonour。
AndherethisCaptainTrent——nothurried，notthreatenedwithanythingbutafreepassageinaBritishman-of-war——hasleftthemallbehind！Idon’twanttoexpressmyselftoostrongly，becausethefactsappearagainstme，butthethingisimpossible。”
Dinnercametousnotlongafter，andweateitondeck，inagrimsilence，eachprivatelyrackinghisbrainforsomesolutionofthemysteries。Iwasindeedsoswallowedupintheseconsiderations，thatthewreck，thelagoon，theislets，andthestridentsea-fowl，thestrongsunthenbeatingonmyhead，andeventhegloomycountenanceofthecaptainatmyelbow，allvanishedfromthefieldofconsciousness。Mymindwasablackboard，onwhichIscrawledandblottedouthypotheses；
comparingeachwiththepictorialrecordsinmymemory：
cypheringwithpictures。InthecourseofthistensementalexerciseIrecalledandstudiedthefacesofonememorialmasterpiece，thesceneofthesaloon；andhereIfoundmyself，onasudden，lookingintheeyesoftheKanaka。
“There’sonethingIcanputbeyonddoubt，atallevents。”I
cried，relinquishingmydinnerandgettingbrisklyafoot。
“TherewasthatKanakaIsawinthebarwithCaptainTrent，thefellowthenewspapersandship’sarticlesmadeouttobeaChinaman。Imeantorouthisquartersoutandsettlethat。”
“Allright。”saidNares。“I’lllazyoffabitlonger，Mr。Dodd；I
feelprettyrockyandmean。”
Wehadthoroughlyclearedoutthethreeafter-compartmentsoftheship：allthestufffromthemaincabinandthemate’sandcaptain’squarterslaypiledaboutthewheel；butintheforwardstateroomwiththetwobunks，whereNareshadsaidthemateandcookmostlikelyberthed，wehadasyetdonenothing。
ThitherIwent。Itwasverybare；afewphotographsweretackedonthebulkhead，oneofthemindecent；asinglecheststoodopen，and，likeallwehadyetfound，ithadbeenpartlyrifled。Anarmfuloftwo-shillingnovelsprovedtomebeyondadoubtitwasaEuropean’s；noChinamanwouldhavepossessedany，andthemostliterateKanakaconceivableinaship’sgalleywasnotlikelytohavegonebeyondone。Itwasplain，then，thatthecookhadnotberthedaft，andImustlookelsewhere。
Themenhadstampeddownthenestsanddriventhebirdsfromthegalley，sothatIcouldnowenterwithoutcontest。Onedoorhadbeenalreadyblockedwithrice；theplacewasinpartdarkness，fullofafoulstalesmell，andacloudofnastyflies；ithadbeenleft，besides，insomedisorder，orelsethebirds，duringtheirtimeoftenancy，hadknockedthethingsabout；andthefloor，likethedeckbeforewewashedit，wasspreadwithpastyfilth。Againstthewall，inthefarcorner，Ifoundahandsomechestofcamphor-woodboundwithbrass，suchasChinamenandsailorslove，andindeedallofmankindthatpliesinthePacific。FromitsoutsideviewIcouldthusmakenodeduction；and，strangetosay，theinteriorwasconcealed。Alltheotherchests，asIhavesaidalready，wehadfoundgapingopen，andtheircontentsscatteredabroad；thesameremarkwefoundtoapplyafterwardsinthequartersoftheseamen；onlythiscamphor-woodchest，asingularexception，wasbothclosedandlocked。
Itookanaxetoit，readilyforcedthepaltryChinesefastening，and，likeaCustom-Houseofficer，plungedmyhandsamongthecontents。ForsomewhileIgropedamonglinenandcotton。
Thenmyteethweresetonedgewithsilk，ofwhichIdrewforthseveralstripscoveredwithmysteriouscharacters。Andthesesettledthebusiness，forIrecognisedthemasakindofbed-
hangingpopularwiththecommonerclassoftheChinese。Norwerefurtherevidenceswanting，suchasnight-clothesofanextraordinarydesign，athree-stringedChinesefiddle，asilkhandkerchieffullofrootsandherbs，andaneatapparatusforsmokingopium，withaliberalprovisionofthedrug。Plainly，then，thecookhadbeenaChinaman；and，ifso，whowasJos。
Amalu？OrhadJos。stolenthechestbeforeheproceededtoshipunderafalsenameanddomicile？Itwaspossible，asanythingwaspossibleinsuchawelter；but，regardedasasolution，itonlyledandleftmedeeperinthebog。Forwhyshouldthischesthavebeendesertedandneglected，whentheotherswererummagedorremoved？andwherehadJos。comebythatsecondchest，withwhich(accordingtotheclerkattheWhatCheer)hehadstartedforHonolulu？
“AndhowhaveYOUfared？”inquiredthecaptain，whomI
foundluxuriouslyreclininginourmoundoflitter。Andtheaccentonthepronoun，theheightenedcolourofthespeaker’sface，andthecontainedexcitementinhistones，advertisedmeatoncethatIhadnotbeenalonetomakediscoveries。
“IhavefoundaChinaman’schestinthegalley。”saidI，“andJohn(iftherewasanyJohn)wasnotsomuchasatthepainstotakehisopium。”
Naresseemedtotakeitmightyquietly。“Thatso？”saidhe。
“Now，castyoureyesonthatandownyou’rebeaten！”Andwithaformidableclapofhisopenhandheflattenedoutbeforeme，onthedeck，apairofnewspapers。
Igazeduponthemdully，beinginnomoodforfreshdiscoveries。
“Lookatthem，Mr。Dodd。”criedthecaptainsharply。“Can’tyoulookatthem？”Andheranadirtythumbalongthetitle。
“’_SydneyMorningHerald，November26th，’can’tyoumakethatout？”hecried，withrisingenergy。“Anddon’tyouknow，sir，thatnotthirteendaysafterthispaperappearedinNewSouthPole，thisshipwe’restandinginheavedherblessedanchorsoutofChina？Howdidthe_SydneyMorningHerald_
gettoHongKonginthirteendays？Trentmadenoland，hespokenoship，tillhegothere。ThenheeithergotithereorinHongKong。Igiveyouyourchoice，myson！”hecried，andfellbackamongtheclotheslikeamanwearyoflife。
“Wheredidyoufindthem？”Iasked。“Inthatblackbag？”
“Guessso。”hesaid。“Youneedn’tfoolwithit。There’snothingelsebutalead-pencilandakindofworked-outknife。”
Ilookedinthebag，however，andwaswellrewarded。
“Everymantohistrade，captain。”saidI。“You’reasailor，andyou’vegivenmeplentyofpoints；butIamanartist，andallowmetoinformyouthisisquiteasstrangeasalltherest。Theknifeisapalette-knife；thepencilaWinsorandNewton，andaBBBatthat。Apalette-knifeandaBBBonatrampbrig！It’sagainstthelawsofnature。”
“Itwouldsickenadog，wouldn’tit？”saidNares。
“Yes。”Icontinued，“it’sbeenusedbyanartist，too：seehowit’ssharpened——notforwriting——nomancouldwritewiththat。Anartist，andstraightfromSydney？Howcanhecomein？”
“O，that’snaturalenough。”sneeredNares。“Theycabledhimtocomeupandillustratethisdimenovel。”
Wefellawhilesilent。
“Captain。”Isaidatlast，“thereissomethingdeucedunderhandaboutthisbrig。Youtellmeyou’vebeentoseaagoodpartofyourlife。Youmusthaveseenshadythingsdoneonships，andheardofmore。Well，whatisthis？isitinsurance？isitpiracy？
whatisitABOUT？whatcanitbefor？”
