She heard that whining sound next to her again, but it suddenly crescendoed, as if a cart-wheel were rolling over that leaky bagpipe and forcing the last bit of air through its drones. Then it broke open into a croaking, hacking laugh. That humpbacked boer had taken up a spot on the kaag 's rail not far from Eliza, and was watching the salvagers. 'The Duke of Monmouth's rebellion has made lead a valuable commodity again,' he said (Eliza could understand that much Dutch, anyway). 'It's as valuable as gold.'