PIECES OF EIGHT

Being the Authentic Narrative of a Treasure Discovered in the BahamaIslands in the Year 1903—Now First Given to the Public

By RICHARD LE GALLIENNE

Frontispiece

"'YOU YOUNG FOOL!' EXCLAIMED CHARLIE, 'THEWATER ROUND HERE IS THICK WITH SHARKS!'"

A.L. BURT COMPANY
Publishers            New York

Published by arrangement with Doubleday, Page & Company

Copyright, 1918, by

Doubleday, Page & Company

All rights reserved, including that of translation into foreignlanguages, including the Scandinavian

COPYRIGHT, 1917, 1918, BY THE BUTTERICK PUBLISHING COMPANY

LIFE BEING OF THE NATURE BOTH OF A TREASURE-HUNT AND A PIRATICALEXPEDITION, I DEDICATE THIS NARRATIVE TO THE FOLLOWING SAILINGCOMPANIONS OF MINE ON THIS ENTERTAINING OLD PIRATE CRAFT WE CALL THEEARTH, IN THE HOPE THAT EACH MAY FIND HIS TREASURE, AND, AT LEAST,ESCAPE HANGING AT THE END OF THE TRIP—TO WIT: HARRY DASH JOHNSON, SAMNICHOLSON, BERT WILLSIE AND CHARLEY BETHEL, ALL ENGAGED IN ONE ORANOTHER OF THE PIRATICAL PROFESSIONS.

[Pg vii]

PROLOGUE

(The following MS., the authorship of which I am not at liberty todivulge, came to me in a curious way. Being recently present at aperformance of "Treasure Island" at The Punch and Judy Theatre in NewYork City, and, seated at the extreme right-hand end of the front row ofthe stalls—so near to the ground-floor box that its occupants werewithin but a yard or two of me, and, therefore, very clearly to beseen—I, in common with my immediate neighbours, could not fail toremark the very striking and beautiful woman who was the companion of adistinguished military-looking man on the youthful side of middle age.

[Pg viii]Still young, a little past thirty, maybe, she was unusually tall andstately of figure, and from her curious golden skin and massive blackhair, one judged her to be a Creole, possibly a Jamaican. Her face,which was rather heavily but finely moulded, wore an expression ofsomewhat poetic melancholy, a little like that of a beautiful animal,but readily lit up with a charming smile now and again at some sally ofher companion, with whom she seemed to be on affectionate terms, andwith whom, as the play proceeded, she exchanged gl