Yetitwashimselfwhorousedthemfromtheirlethargy。
Grudginglytheyobeyed，drewtheboatbeyondtidemark，andfollowedhimtothetopofthemiserableislet，whenceaviewwascommandedofthewholewheelofthehorizon，thenpartdarkenedunderthecomingnight，partdyedwiththehuesofthesunsetandpopulouswiththesunsetclouds。Herethecampwaspitchedandatentrunupwiththeoars，sails，andmast。
AndhereAmalu，atnoman’sbidding，fromthemereinstinctofhabitualservice，builtafireandcookedameal。Nightwascome，andthestarsandthesilversickleofnewmoonbeamedoverhead，beforethemealwasready。Thecoldseashoneaboutthem，andthefireglowedintheirfaces，astheyate。Tommyhadopenedhiscase，andthebrownsherrywenttheround；butitwaslongbeforetheycametoconversation。
“Well，isittobeKauaiafterall？”askedMacsuddenly。
“Thisisbadenoughforme。”saidTommy。“Let’sstickitoutwhereweare。”
“Well，Icantellyeonething。”saidMac，“ifyecaretohearit。
WhenIwasintheChinamail，weoncemadethisisland。It’sinthecoursefromHonolulu。”
“Deuceitis！”criedCarthew。“Thatsettlesit，then。Let’sstay。
Wemustkeepgoodfiresgoing；andthere’splentywreck。”
“Lashingsofwreck！”saidtheIrishman。“There’snothingherebutwreckandcoffinboards。”
“Butwe’llhavetomakeaproperblyze。”objectedHemstead。
“Youcan’tseeafirelikethis，notanywyeawye，Imean。”
“Can’tyou？”saidCarthew。“Lookround。”
Theydid，andsawthehollowofthenight，thebare，brightfaceofthesea，andthestarsregardingthem；andthevoicesdiedintheirbosomsatthespectacle。Inthathugeisolation，itseemedtheymustbevisiblefromChinaontheonehandandCaliforniaontheother。
“MyGod，it’sdreary！”whisperedHemstead。
“Dreary？”criedMac，andfellsuddenlysilent。
“It’sbetterthanaboat，anyway。”saidHadden。“I’vehadmybellyfulofboat。”
“Whatkillsmeisthatspecie！”thecaptainbrokeout。“Thinkofallthatriches，——fourthousandingold，badsilver，andshortbills——allfoundmoney，too！——andnomoreusethanthatmuchdung！”
“I’lltellyouonething。”saidTommy。“Idon’tlikeitbeingintheboat——Idon’tcaretohaveitsofaraway。”
“Why，who’stotakeit？”criedMac，withaguffawofevillaughter。
Butthiswasnotatallthefeelingofthepartners，whorose，clambereddowntheisle，broughtbacktheinestimabletreasure-chestslungupontwooars，andsetitconspicuousintheshiningofthefire。
“There’smybeauty！”criedWicks，viewingitwithacockedhead。“That’sbetterthanabonfire。What！wehaveachesthere，andbillsforcloseupontwothousandpounds；there’snoshowtothat，——itwouldgoinyourvest-pocket，——buttherest！
upwardsoffortypoundsavoirdupoisofcoinedgold，andcloseontwohundredweightofChilesilver！What！ain’tthatgoodenoughtofetchafleet？Doyoumeantosaythatwon’taffectaship’scompass？Doyoumeantotellmethatthelookoutwon’tturntoandSMELLit？”hecried。
Mac，whohadnopartnorlotinthebills，thefortypoundsofgold，orthetwohundredweightofsilver，heardthiswithimpatience，andfellintoabitter，chokinglaughter。“You’llsee！”hesaidharshly。“You’llbegladtofeedthembillsintothefirebeforeyou’rethroughwithut！”Andheturned，passedbyhimselfoutoftheringofthefirelight，andstoodgazingseaward。
Hisspeechandhisdepartureextinguishedinstantlythosesparksofbetterhumourkindledbythedinnerandthechest。
Thegroupfellagaintoanill-favouredsilence，andHemsteadbegantotouchthebanjo，aswashishabitofanevening。Hisrepertorywassmall：thechordsof_Home，SweetHome_fellunderhisfingers；andwhenhehadplayedthesymphony，heinstinctivelyraiseduphisvoice。“Beitneverso’umble，there’snoplycelike’ome。”hesang。Thelastwordwasstilluponhislips，whentheinstrumentwassnatchedfromhimanddashedintothefire；andheturnedwithacrytolookintothefuriouscountenanceofMac。
“I’llbedamnedifIstandthis！”criedthecaptain，leapingupbelligerent。
“ItoldyeIwasavoilentman。”saidMac，withamovementofdeprecationverysurprisinginoneofhischaracter。“Whydon’thegivemeachancethen？Haven’tweenoughtobearthewayweare？”Andtothewonderanddismayofall，themanchokeduponasob。“It’sashamedofmeselfIam。”hesaidpresently，hisIrishaccenttwenty-foldincreased。“Iaskallyourpardonsformevoilence；andespeciallythelittleman’s，whoisaharmlesscrayture，andhere’smehandto’m，ifhe’llcondescindtotakemeby’t。”
Sothissceneofbarbarityandsentimentalismpassedoff，leavingbehindstrangeandincongruousimpressions。True，everyonewasperhapsgladwhensilencesucceededthatalltooappropriatemusic；true，Mac’sapologyandsubsequentbehaviourratherraisedhimintheopinionofhisfellow-
castaways。Butthediscordantnotehadbeenstruck，anditsharmonicstingledinthebrain。Inthatsavage，houselessisle，thepassionsofmanhadsounded，ifonlyforthemoment，andallmentrembledatthepossibilitiesofhorror。
Itwasdeterminedtostandwatchandwatchincaseofpassingvessels；andTommy，onfirewithanidea，volunteeredtostandthefirst。Therestcrawledunderthetent，andweresoonenjoyingthatcomfortablegiftofsleep，whichcomeseverywhereandtoallmen，quenchinganxietiesandspeedingtime。Andnosoonerwereallsettled，nosoonerhadthedroneofmanysnorersbeguntominglewithandovercomethesurf，thanTommystolefromhispostwiththecaseofsherry，anddroppeditinaquietcoveinafathomofwater。ButthestormyinconstancyofMac’sbehaviourhadnoconnectionwithagillortwoofwine；hispassions，angryandotherwise，wereonadifferentsailplanfromhisneighbours’；andtherewerepossibilitiesofgoodandevilinthathybridCeltbeyondtheirprophecy。
Abouttwointhemorning，thestarrysky——orsoitseemed，forthedrowsywatchmanhadnotobservedtheapproachofanycloud——brimmedoverinadeluge；andforthreedaysitrainedwithoutremission。Theisletwasasponge，thecastawayssops；
theviewallgone，eventhereefconcealedbehindthecurtainofthefallingwater。Thefirewassoondrownedout；afteracoupleofboxesofmatcheshadbeenscratchedinvain，itwasdecidedtowaitforbetterweather；andthepartylivedinwretchednessonrawtinsandarationofhardbread。
Bythe2ndFebruary，inthedarkhoursofthemorningwatch，thecloudswereallblownby；thesunroseglorious；andoncemorethecastawayssatbyaquickfire，anddrankhotcoffeewiththegreedofbrutesandsufferers。Thenceforwardtheiraffairsmovedinaroutine。Afirewasconstantlymaintained；
andthisoccupiedonehandcontinuously，andtheothersforanhourorsointheday。Twiceaday，allhandsbathedinthelagoon，theirchief，almosttheironlypleasure。Oftentheyfishedinthelagoonwithgoodsuccess。Andtherestwaspassedinlolling，strolling，yarns，anddisputation。ThetimeoftheChinasteamerswascalculatedtoanicety；whichdone，thethoughtwasrejectedandignored。Itwasonethatwouldnotbearconsideration。Theboatvoyagehavingbeentacitlysetaside，thedesperatepartchosentowaitthereforthecomingofhelporofstarvation，nomanhadcouragelefttolookhisbargainintheface，farlesstodiscussitwithhisneighbours。
Buttheunutteredterrorhauntedthem；ineveryhourofidleness，ateverymomentofsilence，itreturned，andbreathedachillaboutthecircle，andcarriedmen’seyestothehorizon。
Then，inapanicofself-defence，theywouldrallytosomeothersubject。And，inthatlonespot，whatelsewastobefoundtospeakofbutthetreasure？
Thatwasindeedthechiefsingularity，theonethingconspicuousintheirislandlife；thepresenceofthatchestofbillsandspeciedominatedthemindlikeacathedral；andtherewerebesidesconnectedwithit，certainirkingproblemswellfittedtooccupytheidle。TwothousandpoundswereduetotheSydneyfirm：twothousandpoundswereclearprofit，andfelltobedividedinvaryingproportionsamongsix。Ithadbeenagreedhowthepartnersweretorange；everypoundofcapitalsubscribed，everypoundthatfelldueinwages，wastocountforone“lay。”Ofthese，Tommycouldclaimfivehundredandten，Carthewonehundredandseventy，Wicksonehundredandforty，andHemsteadandAmalutenapiece：eighthundredandforty“lays“inall。Whatwasthevalueofalay？ThiswasatfirstdebatedintheairandchieflybythestrengthofTommy’slungs。Thenfollowedaseriesofincorrectcalculations；fromwhichtheyissued，arithmeticallyfoiled，butagreedfromwearinessuponanapproximatevalueof2pounds，7shillings71/4pence。Thefigureswereadmittedlyincorrect；thesumofthesharescamenotto2000pounds，butto1996pounds，6
shillings：3pounds，14shillingsbeingthusleftunclaimed。
Butitwasthenearesttheyhadyetfound，andthehighestaswell，sothatthepartnersweremadethelesscriticalbythecontemplationoftheirsplendiddividends。Wicksputin100
poundsandstoodtodrawcaptain’swagesfortwomonths；histakingwas333pounds3shillings61/2pence。Carthewhadputin150pounds：hewastotakeout401pounds，18shillings61/2pence。Tommy’s500poundshadgrowntobe1213
pounds12shillings93/4pence；andAmaluandHemstead，rankingforwagesonly，had22pounds，16shillings1/2pence，each。
Fromtalkingandbroodingonthesefigures，itwasbutasteptoopeningthechest；andoncethechestopen，theglamourofthecashwasirresistible。Eachfeltthathemustseehistreasureseparatewiththeeyeofflesh，handleitinthehardcoin，markitforhisown，andstandforthtohimselftheapprovedowner。
Andhereaninsurmountabledifficultybarredtheway。ThereweresomeseventeenshillingsinEnglishsilver：therestwasChile；andtheChiledollar，whichhadbeentakenattherateofsixtothepoundsterling，waspracticallytheirsmallestcoin。Itwasdecided，therefore，todividethepoundsonly，andtothrowtheshillings，pence，andfractionsinacommonfund。This，withthethreepoundfourteenalreadyintheheel，madeatotalofsevenpoundsoneshilling。
“I’lltellyou。”saidWicks。“LetCarthewandTommyandmetakeonepoundapiece，andHemsteadandAmalusplittheotherfour，andtossupfortheoddbob。”
“O，rot！”saidCarthew。“TommyandIareburstingalready。
Wecantakehalfasov’each，andlettheotherthreehavefortyshillings。”
“I’lltellyounow——it’snotworthsplitting。”brokeinMac。“I’vecardsinmychest。Whydon’tyouplayfortheslumpsum？”
Inthatidleplace，theproposalwasacceptedwithdelight。
Mac，astheownerofthecards，wasgivenastake；thesumwasplayedforinfivegamesofcribbage；andwhenAmalu，thelastsurvivorinthetournament，wasbeatenbyMac，itwasfoundthedinnerhourwaspast。Afterahastymeal，theyfellagainimmediatelytocards，thistimeonCarthew’sproposaltoVanJohn。ItwasthenprobablytwoP。M。ofthe9thFebruary；andtheyplayedwithvaryingchancesfortwelvehours，sleptheavily，androselateonthemorrowtoresumethegame。Alldayofthe10th，withgrudgingintervalsforfood，andwithonelongabsenceonthepartofTommyfromwhichhereturneddrippingwiththecaseofsherry，theycontinuedtodealandstake。Nightfell：theydrewtheclosertothefire。Itwasmaybetwointhemorning，andTommywassellinghisdealbyauction，asusualwiththattimidplayer；whenCarthew，whodidn’tintendtobid，hadamomentofleisureandlookedroundhim。Hebeheldthemoonlightonthesea，themoneypiledandscatteredinthatincongruousplace，theperturbedfacesoftheplayers；hefeltinhisownbreastthefamiliartumult；anditseemedasifthereroseinhisearsasoundofmusic，andthemoonseemedstilltoshineuponasea，buttheseawaschanged，andtheCasinotoweredfromamonglamplitgardens，andthemoneyclinkedonthegreenboard。“GoodGod！”hethought，“amIgamblingagain？”Helookedthemorecuriouslyaboutthesandytable。HeandMachadplayedandwonlikegamblers；themingledgoldandsilverlaybytheirplacesintheheap。AmaluandHemsteadhadeachmorethanheldtheirown，butTommywascruelfartoleeward，andthecaptainwasreducedtoperhapsfiftypounds。
“Isay，let’sknockoff。”saidCarthew。
“GivethatmanaglassofBuckle。”saidsomeone，andafreshbottlewasopened，andthegamewentinexorablyon。
Carthewwashimselftooheavyawinnertowithdrawortosaymore；andalltherestofthenighthemustlookonattheprogressofthisfolly，andmakegallantattemptstolosewiththenotuncommonconsequenceofwinningmore。Thefirstdawnofthe11thFebruaryfoundhimwell-nighdesperate。Itchancedhewasthendealer，andstillwinning。Hehadjustdealtaroundofmanytens；everyonehadstakedheavily；thecaptainhadputupallthatremainedtohim，twelvepoundsingoldandafewdollars；andCarthew，lookingprivatelyathiscardsbeforeheshowedthem，foundheheldanatural。
“Seehere，youfellows。”hebrokeout，“thisisasickeningbusiness，andI’mdonewithitforone。”Sosaying，heshowedhiscards，torethemacross，androsefromtheground。