education had been neglected, so he was fain to confess that he could
not make it out.

"Let _me_ see't," said Swankie. "What hae we here? 'The sloop is hard
an--an--'" ("'fast,' maybe," suggested Spink). "Ay, so 'tis. I canna
make out the next word, but here's something about the jewel-case."

The man paused and gazed earnestly at the paper for a few minutes,
with a look of perplexity on his rugged visage.

"Weel, man, what is't?" enquired Davy.

"Hoot! I canna mak' it oot," said the other, testily, as if annoyed
at being unable to read it. He refolded the paper, and thrust it into
his bosom, saying, "Come, we're wastin' time. Let's get on wi' our
wark."

"Toss for the jewels and the siller," said Spink, suggestively.

"Very weel," replied the other, producing a copper. "Heeds, you win
the siller; tails, I win the box;--heeds it is, so the kickshaws is
mine. Weel, I'm content," he added, as he handed the bag of gold to
his comrade, and received the jewel-case in exchange.

In another hour the sea began to encroach on the rock, and the
fishermen, having collected as much as time would permit of the
wrecked materials, returned to their boat.

They had secured altogether above two hundredweight of old
metal,--namely, a large piece of a ship's caboose, a hinge, a lock of