04 The sea-chest

Chapter 4 The sea-chest

On the floor close to the captains hand was a little round piece of paper, blackened on one side. I had no doubt that this was the black spot.

On the other side was some writing: You have till ten o'clock tonight. Our old clock reminded me it was now six.

Quickly, I told my mother everything, and we decided to run to the village to hide, before the blind man and his friends returned. But first, my mother said bravely, we have to get the key to the sea-chest.

Why shouldn't we take the money the captain owes us? His friends certainly won t give it to us!

The key was around his neck on a piece of string. I cut the string, and we hurried up to his room where the chest had stood since the day he came.

There was a letter B painted on the top of it. Inside were two very fine pistols, some silver, pipe-tobacco, and an old clock.

Underneath these things were some papers tied up inside a cloth, and a bag of gold coins. I'll show these scoundrels I'm an honest woman, said my mother.

I'll take what I'm owed and no more. She began counting the money.

There were all kinds of gold coins in the bag - big French gold coins, Spanish doubloons and pieces of eight. It was slow work to find the English gold guineas that we needed.