In 1757 Moonfleet is a small village near the sea in the south of England. It gets its name
from a formerly prominent local family the Mohunes whose coat of arms includes a symbol
shaped like a capital 'Y'. John Trenchard is an orphan who lives with his aunt Miss Arnold.
Village legend tells of the notorious Colonel John Blackbeard Mohune who is buried in the
family crypt under the church. He is reputed to have stolen a diamond from King Charles I and
hidden it. His ghost is said to wander at night looking for it and the mysterious lights in the
churchyard are attributed to his activities. One Sunday while attending the service at church
John hears strange sounds from the crypt below. He thinks it is the sound of the coffins of the
Mohune family. The next day he finds Elzevir and Ratsey against the south wall of the church.
They claim to be checking for damage from the storm but John suspects they are searching for
Blackbeard's ghost.
