to stern of the Bridgwater Merchant and the Swallow, this wild will had
its way. Work went on until the last moment of sun. That night talk was
long and sleep short, and work was on again at sunrise. In three days
they took up thirty-two tons of bullion. In the afternoon of the third
day the store-room was cleared, and then they searched the hold. Here
they found, cunningly distributed among the ballast, a great many bags of
pieces-of-eight. These, having lain in the water so long, were crusted
with a strong substance, which they had to break with iron bars. It was
reserved for Phips himself to make the grand discovery. He donned a
diving-suit and went below to the sunken galleon. Silver and gold had
been found, but he was sure there were other treasures. After much
searching he found, in a secret place of the captain's cabin, a chest
which, on being raised and broken open, was found stocked with pearls,
diamonds, and other precious stones.

And now the work was complete, and on board the Bridgwater Merchant was
treasure to the sum of three hundred thousand pounds, and more. Joyfully
did Phips raise anchor. But first he sent to the handful of people in
the port a liberal gift of money and wine and provisions from the ship's
stores. With a favourable breeze he got away agreeably, and was clear of
the harbour and cleaving northwards before sunset--the Swallow leading
the treasure-ship like a pilot. All was joy and hilarity; but there
remained one small danger yet: they had raised their treasure unmolested,
but could they bring it to Boston and on to England? Phips would have
asked that question very seriously indeed had he known that the Maid of
Provence was bowling out of the nor'-east towards the port which he had
just left.

The Maid of Provence had had a perilous travel. Escaping the English
war-ships, she fell in with a pirate craft. She closed with it, plugged