There was once an old pirate by the name of Flood. This Flood was feared and hated by all, for he was known as a cruel and heartless beast. And hardly a day would go by when some unfortunate goodbeasts would find themselves under his iron grasp. Flood's crew would loot their captives' ship, bringing anything of value on board the Mosquito. They would then divide the plunder among themselves and put to death any prisoners who were not willing to join the crew.
One can imagine that after some time at sea, Flood and his pirates would collect a vast quantity of valuables. In fact, after one sea-going adventure, they found themselves with so much treasure that the weight of it started to slow the Mosquito down. Captain Flood had noticed this, and it worried him. A pirate ship depended on it's fast speed to catch and escape other ships. At present state they were highly vulnerable to any enemies, and indeed, Flood and his motley band had many enemies.
So after due consideration between Flood and his first mate Caesar, they decided to anchor at a nearby island where the crew could bury their treasure. When first presented to the crew, there was much reluctance, as pirates are notorious for wanting and waisting away wealth. But their captain explained to them that later on, when they were especially in need of money, the could return to unearth the valuables. This, combined with the threat of what would happen to those who would not go along, convinced the crew that Captain Flood was right after all. And so it was that the ship Mosquito set sail for the island.

Now, the night before the Mosquito reached this particular island, Captain Flood called the first mate Caesar to his cabin. Flood shut the heavy, wooden door, locked it and lit a lantern. The two sat down at a table, and Caesar started speaking in a hoarse whisper.
"Ah don't reckin you make it a habit to meet with one of your crew this late at night, so let's have out with it," said he.
"My thoughts exactly." Captain Flood stood up and walked over to his bunk, lantern in paw. The lanter swung back and forth, sending off weird and eerie shadows on the walls. Reaching beneath it, he slowly pulled out a wooden chest and beckoned to Caesar. As the mate came over, Flood lifted the top of the chest slowly. Caesar stared, eyes widening.
Gold!
His captain gave an evil chuckle. "Suprised, no? Let me show you others." And he pulled out two more chests, each containing more precious metals and jewels. Noting Caesar's greedy stare, Flood lifted a pawful of the coins, slowly letting them fall back into the chest. They made a delightful tinkle hitting each other.
Abruptly, he closed all three of them, and with great effort, shoved them back under his trunk. He returned to his chair, Caesar following.
"Let me get to point. The crew knows nothing about chests, and I intend to keep it that way. But I need your help. Together, we hide these on island, and when we return, keep them for ourselves. Are you willing?"
Caesar needed no second bidding.

The next day, Flood and his crew rowed ashore carrying some treasure, and buried it. They had to make several trips, but finally it was done. When they returned to the Mosquito, several of the crew started sing and dance and drink rum. Soon the others joined in, and it wasn't too long after that the entire crew was disgustingly drunk. All but two.
Captain Flood and Caesar.
The two pirates waited until it was very dark. Then, slipping by the crew, they put the three chests into a little boat and quietly rowed to the island.
Flood had been to this island many a time before, and knew of a cave that was positioned on the cliff. He and Caesar carried each chest up a steep hill. It was slow going, and they had to make three trips, but finally they made it to the top of the cliff, and stood there.
Caesar peered down at the distant rocks below.
"Ah sure do feel sorry fer the critter that lands down thar!" he remarked.
Flood ignored the comment, and pulled out a piece of rope from one of his many coat pockets. After looking around, the pirate found a suitable tree, and tied one end of the rope around it. The other he tied around the nearest chest.
"Now," said Captain Flood. "we lower this here chest over cliff. Halfway down there be a boulder stcking out; that be the entrace to the cave."
Together, they lowered the first chest onto the ledge. Then Caesar climbed down the rope and untied it. Flood would haul the rope and Caesar up, and then the two pirates repeated the processs. Finally, the three chests were all on the ledge. Captain Flood climbed down on the rope and pulled the treasure chests into the cave. Then up he climbed again.
And now the captain did a strange thing. He stood at the edge of the cliff and stared out at sea. His face paled, and he beckoned frantically for Caesar, shouting.
"Caesar, the ship! Look at the ship!"
Caesar came running to the edge of the cliff.
"Whar? I don' see noth-"
His words turned into a scream as he hurtled over the edge. Flood had givem him a push that sent the mate over the cliff, to the rocky depths below.
The captain allowed himself a grim smile. He had needed Caesar's help to hide the chests, but now that the work was done, Flood wasn't about to share his treasure with anyone!
Later that night, Flood made his way back to the Mosquito. Most of the crew were asleep, and those who weren't were too drunk to take notice of a figure scooting by in the shadows.

The next morning, angry shouts could be heard. Captain Flood was stamping about, cursing and roaring.
"Blood'n thunder!" he raged. "Where in tarnation did that nitwit go?"
The one named Skarfield spoke up. "Who, Cap'n?"
"Caesar, the devil take him! 'Pon me seaboots, I'll have him flogged if he shows his miserable flea-ridden hide again."
The pirate Blueskin had been peering out to sea. He shook his head.
"I don' think you'll be seein' 'im, Cap'n. Loo there! 'Is cap."
And sure enough, floating in the waters nearby the Mosquito, a red cap could be seen.
Captain Flood sighed, his face grim. "He must have drank too much rum last night and fallen overboard," said he.
The crew nodded in agreement. Yes, that must be it. The poor drunkard!
Flood turned away. "Lift anchor," he ordered. "We be leaving here. We can't help Caesar now." Then he smiled to himself and added. "Besides--our work here done."
And so the ship Mosquito, under the dreaded pirate Flood, sailed from the seas.

Several seasons had passed when the Mosquito was seen in those waters again. Since leaving the island, Flood and his crew had fallen on hard times, and had to return to unearth their treasure. When the ship came near, the captain and his band rowed to shore and dug up the treasure, taking it back to the Mosquito.
The crew had finished their work. But the captain's had just begun.
Late that night, Flood left his cabin and slipped past the sentries, who were snoozing.
"Fools!" he muttered to himself.
The pirate slowly rowed to the island, carrying with him an empty sack. He climbed to the top of the cliff, tied a rope to the tree and slid down to the ledge. And there the precious treasure chests lay, just waiting for him to open them!
Opening one of them, Flood greedily begain to fill the sack with gold coins. When the bag was stuffed to bursting point, he smiled. That should be enough for this trip! He reached for the rope, and couldn't find it. He grabbed again, and caught thin air. Where was that blasted rope?
Shouldering the sack, Flood turned to face the entrance of the cave. And froze.
The rope was not there!
The captain crept out on the ledge, and looked around. Where could that rope be?
Then Flood heard a crazy laugh in the night. The laugh faded away, and all was quiet.
"Are you a ghost?" Flood finally whispered. But he knew that this was no ghost. This was--
Caesar's ugly head popped over the edge of the cliff.
"Caesar!" Flood turned deathly pale. "You're alive!"
Caesar laughed again, the eerie sound echoing off the rocks.
"Ah'm alive, all right. Ah, no need to hide it, ah can tell you be wondering how ah survived that little fall off this here cliff.
"Weel, ah don' want to bore you any, so ah'll keep it short. When you pushed me off the cliff, a tree broke mah fall. A stroke of luck, ah'll allus say, but a passing ship came by, and finds mah body. Ach, ah wuz in bad shape, but them folks took good care of me. The pain wuz bad, ah tell you! But ah wuz kept alive knowing that ah could come back to this island and wait for you. Mebbe even meet you! Ach Flood, I knows you. I knows you better then you know yourself! You're a greedy miser, and allus wuz!
"Ands now that ah have you, what should ah do with you? Ach now, Flood, don' you worry! Ah won't leave you there to die. I ain't no scum like you are. Nay, ah'll give you a chance to live! Tell you what: Ah'll lower yonder rope ah happened to find"--Caesar smirked, holding out Flood's rope--"and you go and tie it to the first chest, and ah'll pull it up. You tie it to the second and third ones too, and when ah have them safe with me, ah'll even pull you up!"
Captain Flood smiled to himself. It was a miserable trick. After Caesar had pulled up the three chests, he would leave Flood to die on the ledge. But he had a trick of his own!
"Fine then," called Flood.
The rope came down. The captain tied the rope around the first chest. Then he yelled to Caesar to pull it up. When they got to the last chest, Flood watched the chest ever so slowly rise off the ledge. When it was a little ways off the ground, Flood jumped up and grabbed hold of it. The chest continued to rise slowly up the side of the cliff, with Flood helping along with any extra paws.
He was catching a free ride to freedom!
Up, up went the chest. Then it bumped against the top of the cliff. Just a moment more, and the captain would be there! And then Caesar saw him.
The former mate let the chest go with a yell, and the chest plunged to the rocky depths below.
But not Captain Flood! The ferret jumped off the chest, and grabbed the edge of the cliff. He held on tight, swinging back and forth in the air.
Caesar roared with fury, and stamped on Flood's paws, almost crushing them. But Flood held on. With one free paw he grabbed onto Caesar's leg, and started heaving. Caesarr was forced to back up, or he would fall over the cliff with Flood.
This allowed the captain the space he needed, and he scrambled over the edge. At once the two pirates begain to fight. Suddenly, Caesar punched the captain square in the jaw. Flood saw stars circling overhead. He staggared backwards in a daze, trying to find firm footing. He found thin air!
The cruel pirate toppled over the cliff, never to rob again.

Many seasons later, when Caesar was quite old, he would sit around a warm fire, and tell this story to any who would listen. And when the story was finished, the question would always come:
What happened to the two other treasure chests?
But Caesar would always just smile and wink.
And say nothing.

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