“You all go away and leave me with Colonel Gid Ward,” bawled Bodge.  “He’s the only friend I’ve got in the world.  He’ll be good to me.”

“It’s pretty bad business,” commented Hiram, peering down into the pit with much apprehension.

“It’s apt to be worse before it’s over with,” returned the Colonel.

And, catching a look in Hiram’s eyes that seemed to hint at something, he called the showman aside.

“I can’t talk with my brother-in-law,” he began.  “He seems to get very impatient with me when we try to talk business.  But I’ve got a proposition to make, and perhaps I can make it through you.”

Then, seeing that the Cap’n was bending malevolent gaze on them, he drew Hiram farther away, and they entered into spirited colloquy.

“It’s this way,” reported the showman, returning at last to the Cap’n, and holding him firmly by the coat lapel.  “As you and I have talked it, you’ve sort of got cold feet on this treasure proposition.”  This was news to the Cap’n, but his eyelids did not so much as quiver.  “Here you are now up against a man that’s gone crazy and that’s threatenin’ to kill you, and may do so if you try to do more business with him.  Colonel Ward says he’s known him a good many years, and pities him in his present state, and, more than that, has got sort of interested in this Cap Kidd treasure business himself, and has a little money he’d like to spend on it—­and to help Mr. Bodge.  Proposition by Colonel Ward is that if you’ll step out and turn over Mr. Bodge and this hole to him just as it stands he’ll hand you his check now for fifteen thousand dollars, and”—­the showman hastened to stop the Cap’n’s amazed gasping by adding decisively—­“as your friend and general manager of this expedition, and knowin’ your feelin’s pretty well, I’ve accepted and herewith hand you check.  Members of Hecla fire company will please take notice of trade.  Do I state it right, Colonel Ward?”

The Colonel, with high color mantling his thin cheeks, affirmed hoarsely.

“And, bein’ induced to do this mostly out of regard for Mr. Bodge, he thinks it’s best for us to sail away so that Mr. Bodge can calm himself.  We’ll send a packet from Portland to take ’em off.  They would like to stay here and prospect for a few days.  Right, Colonel Ward?”

The Colonel affirmed once more.

Casting one more look into the hole, another at his inexplicable brother-in-law, and almost incredulous gaze at the check in his hand, Cap’n Sproul turned and marched off down the hill.  He promptly went on board, eager to get that check as far away from its maker as possible.

It was an hour later before he had opportunity of a word with Hiram, who had just finished the embarkation of Imogene.

“My Gawd, Hiram!” he gasped, “how did you skin this out of him?”

“I could have got twenty-five thousand just as quick,” replied the showman.  “You take a complicated plot like that, and when it does get ripe it’s easy pickin’.  When old Dot-and-carry got to pokin’ around in that hole this mornin’ and come upon the chist bound with iron, after scrapin’ away about a foot of dirt, he jest naturally concluded he’d rather be equal partners with Colonel Gid Ward than be with you what I explained he was to the Colonel.”