BARTLETT--Down to the reef with ye, Horne! [_Giving the prostrate_ CATES
_a kick_.] Up out o’ that, Cates! Go with Horne, and when ye see the
schooner hull up, wave to ’em, and yell like mad, d’ye hear?
HORNE--Aye, aye, sir!
BARTLETT--I’ll stay here and bury the gold. It’s best to be quick about
it! They may turn a spyglass on us when they raise the island from deck!
Off with ye! [_He gives_ CATES _another kick_.]
CATES--[_Groaning._] I’m sick! [_Incoherently._] Can’t--report for
duty--this watch. [_With a shout._] Water!
BARTLETT--[_Contemptuously._] Ye dog! Give him a hand, Horne.
HORNE--[_Putting a hand under his shoulder._] Up, man! We’re to signal
the schooner. There’ll be water on board o’ her--barrels of it!
CATES--[_Aroused, scrambles to his feet, violently shaking off Horne’s
hand._] Water aboard o’ her! [_His staring eyes catch the schooner’s
sails on the horizon. He breaks into a staggering run and disappears
down toward the beach, right rear, waving his arms wildly and
shouting._] Ahoy! Ahoy! Water! [HORNE _walks out quickly after him_.]
[_Left alone_, BARTLETT, _after a quick glance around, sinks on his
knees beside the chest and shoves both hands into it. From the chest
comes a metallic clink as he fingers the pieces in his hands
gloatingly._] Ye’re safe now! There’s none to tell left livin’! He’s
dead--damn him!--that lied about ye. And ye’ll rest safe here till I
come back for ye! [_In a dreaming tone, his eyes fixed before him in an
ecstatic vision._] No more whalin’ on the dirty seas! Rest to home!
Gold! I’ve been dreamin’ o’ it all my life! Aye--we’ll rest now, Sarah!
Your father be a rich man, Nat and Sue! [_Shaking himself--savagely._]
Ye fool! What drivel be ye talkin’? Loosin’ your senses, be ye? Time ye
was picked up! Lucky! [_He shoves down the lid and places the chest in
the hole. He pushes the sand in on top of it, whispering hoarsely._] Lay
safe, d’ye hear. For I’ll be back for ye! Aye--in spite of hell I’ll dig
ye up again! [_The voices of_ HORNE _and_ JIMMY _can be heard from the
distance shouting as_
[_The Curtain Falls_]