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diff --git a/30950.txt b/30950.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..76dd3dc --- /dev/null +++ b/30950.txt @@ -0,0 +1,7259 @@ +Project Gutenberg's The Go Ahead Boys and the Treasure Cave, by Ross Kay + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Go Ahead Boys and the Treasure Cave + +Author: Ross Kay + +Release Date: January 13, 2010 [EBook #30950] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GO AHEAD BOYS AND TREASURE CAVE *** + + + + +Produced by Roger Frank, D Alexander and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + +THE GO AHEAD BOYS AND THE TREASURE CAVE + +BY + +ROSS KAY + +Author of "Dodging the North Sea Mines," "With Joffre on the Battle +Line," "The Air Scout," "The Go Ahead Boys on Smugglers' Island," etc., +etc. + +The GOLDSMITH Publishing Co. + +New York N.Y. + +MADE IN U.S.A. + + + + +Copyright, 1916 by BARSE & HOPKINS + + + + +PREFACE + +The love of adventure is inborn in all normal boys. Action is almost a +supreme demand in the stories they read with most pleasure. Recognizing +this primary demand, in this tale I have endeavored to keep in mind this +requisite and at the same time to avoid sensational appeals. The unusual +is not always the improbable. The Go Ahead Boys are striving to be +active without being unduly precocious or preternaturally endowed. + +ROSS KAY. + + + + +CONTENTS + CHAPTER PAGE + I THE VOYAGE IS BEGUN 11 + II A PLUCKY FEAT 20 + III A SUPERSTITIOUS COOK 29 + IV A CODE 37 + V A TROPICAL STORM 46 + VI ADRIFT 54 + VII A DESPERATE STRUGGLE 64 + VIII A SORRY PLIGHT 71 + IX IN SEARCH OF LAND 81 + X ASHORE 89 + XI A SERIOUS MISHAP 98 + XII A NEW HOME 107 + XIII AN IRON CHEST 116 + XIV AN ODD DISCOVERY 124 + XV SAM REMEMBERS SOMETHING 133 + XVI THE RIDDLE 143 + XVII UNDERGROUND WORK 151 + XVIII IN THE WATER 159 + XIX SHARK 167 + XX TALKING IT OVER 176 + XXI A NEW MEMBER 184 + XXII A CLUE 193 + XXIII Progress 201 + XXIV Solved 211 + XXV On the Beach 220 + XXVI The Spot Is Marked 230 + XXVII Conclusion 240 + + + + +THE GO AHEAD BOYS AND THE TREASURE CAVE + + + + +CHAPTER I + +THE VOYAGE IS BEGUN + + +"A-a-ll ha-a-ands! Up anchor! A-ho-oy!" + +Instantly all was bustle and action on board the brig _Josephine_. +The sailors ran hither and thither, the sails were loosed and the yards +braced. The clanking of the windlass soon told that the anchor was being +raised. + +"Whew! I never saw so much excitement and hurry in all my life," +exclaimed a boy, who with three companions stood on the deck of the brig +and looked on at these activities without actually taking part in them +themselves. The speaker was Fred Button. He was a tiny little fellow, +known affectionately among his friends as Stub, or Peewee or Pygmy. This +last name was frequently shortened into Pyg, much to Fred's disgust, +though he had learned better than to lose his temper because of teasing +or little things that did not just suit him. He had given up such +foolishness long ago. + +With his three companions he had embarked on the _Josephine_ for a +voyage to Buenos Aires in South America. The lure of the sea had +attracted these four boys and the desire to see something of foreign +lands had spurred them on. They were on board in the capacity of +passengers though it was also their desire to help the crew in whatever +way they were able. + +Standing beside Fred Button was John Clemens, a boy who was as unusually +tall as Fred was short. He was extremely thin, however, and with his six +feet three inches of height he looked like a string, according to his +friends. In fact that was what they usually called him. + +Next to him was Grant Jones. Grant was about eighteen, the same age as +the other three boys though he was their leader in a great many ways. No +matter what he attempted he always did it well. In school work he +usually led his class and on the athletic field he far outshone the +others. His talents had won him the nickname of Socrates which, however, +was usually shortened to Soc. "Old Soc Jones" was always a favorite. + +The fourth member of the group was George Washington Sanders. He was +always good natured and his witty remarks had made him intensely popular +with all who knew him. In honor of the name he bore he sometimes had +been referred to as the father of his country, which appellation, +however, had finally been corrupted to Pop. + +"It certainly is busy around here, isn't it?" exclaimed Grant Jones in +response to Fred Button's remarks previously referred to. + +"And it's all mystery to me," added John Clemens. "These orders being +shouted and the strange things the men are doing are getting me +bewildered." + +"I've been standing here expecting some one of the sailors to mistake +you for a mast and hang a sail on you any minute, String," said Pop +Sanders slyly, at the same time nudging Fred Button. + +"Is that so?" exclaimed John Clemens quickly. "At any rate, I'd rather +be the shape of a mast than a bag of ballast." + +"That's the way, String," said Grant Jones encouragingly. "Don't let him +get the better of you." + +"He never has and he never will," said John complacently. + +"Stop arguing," exclaimed Fred Button, "and tell me what kind of a boat +this is that we are on." + +"It's a sailing boat," said Pop Sanders. "Did you think it was a +steamer?" + +"I mean what kind of a sailing boat is it. Is it a schooner or a bark, +or what?" + +"It's a brig," said Socrates Jones. "You can always tell a brig from the +way she is rigged. She has two masts and is square rigged." + +"I thought that was a brigantine," protested Fred. + +"No," said Grant. "A brigantine is very much the same though. She has +two masts and is square rigged on the foremast, but schooner rigged on +the other." + +"Which is called the mainmast," said Fred. + +"Quite right," agreed Grant. "I'll make a sailor of you yet." + +The _Josephine_ was now sliding through the waters of New York Bay. +The Statue of Liberty was just ahead on her right (or rather her +starboard side) while on the port side was Governor's Island, with its +old fort and parade ground plainly to be seen. Two big ocean liners +loomed up a short distance away. One was just completing her voyage from +Europe while the other was only starting. Saucy little tugs rushed +hither and thither. Ferryboats passed, bearing their precious burdens of +human freight. Great barges loaded to the water's edge were towed slowly +along. Ahead could be seen many steamers lying at anchor in the lower +bay off the quarantine station, while now and again a sailing vessel +similar to the one on which the Go Ahead boys were embarked could also +be seen. They were not very numerous, however. + +"Well, what do you think of it, boys?" demanded a bluff, hearty voice +behind them. It was Captain Roger Dodge, the commander of the +_Josephine_, who spoke to them. His face was bronzed by the sun and +wind and his drooping mustache was faded to a straw color. His gray eyes +were the features that struck any one who observed him closely, however. +A merry twinkle could be seen in them, but at the same time their +expression denoted that their owner was a man who would never be afraid +of anything on land or sea. + +"We think it's fine," exclaimed Fred Button speaking for the others. + +"It's a wonderful harbor all right," said Captain Dodge. "I think it's +just about the finest in the world and I've seen most of them too." + +"What one do you like next to this, captain?" inquired Grant. Old Soc +Jones was always eager to learn something. + +"Well," said the captain slowly, "I guess the harbor at Sydney, +Australia, next to this. Still San Francisco has a wonderful harbor, +too. That golden gate out there is a sight worth seeing." + +"I wish I could see it," said Grant, wistfully. "Some day I hope to do +it, too. Still, there are so many wonderful places in the world it's +hard to say which ones you'd rather see first." + +"That's very true," agreed the captain. "I've seen a good many, but I +always want to see more. I've knocked around the world so long that I +don't believe I could settle down and be happy now. I guess I've got the +wanderlust all right." + +"It's easy to get," exclaimed Pop Sanders, serious for once. "We've all +got it ourselves." + +"How long have you been a sailor, captain?" asked John Clemens. + +"Thirty years. I started in as a cabin boy when I was fourteen years old +and I've been at it ever since." + +"You ought to know about all there is to know about it, I should think," +said Fred. + +"Without boasting at all, I can safely say that I do know a lot about +the business," said Captain Dodge, smilingly. "I've done about all there +is to do on a ship, I guess." + +"And you've had some wonderful experiences," suggested Grant. + +"Yes, I have," said the captain smilingly. + +"Will you tell us about them sometime?" + +"I should be glad to," said the captain readily. "Not now, though, for, +as you can see, I am pretty busy," and the bluff sailor hurried away, +shouting orders to his men, who all seemed to like him and take delight +in carrying out his commands as quickly as possible. + +"Captain Dodge isn't much like the sea captains we used to read about in +the old story books, is he?" remarked Grant Jones. + +"Why not?" demanded Pop Sanders. "He certainly looks like a sailor." + +"I know that," agreed Grant, "but I meant the kind of a man the crew all +hated and feared and who used to give them the rope's end every time +they did anything he didn't like." + +"That day has passed, I guess," laughed John Clemens. "Perhaps it's +lucky for us, too, for we might get it ourselves." + +"Any one would have to be a pretty good shot to hit you with anything, +String," said Pop Sanders teasingly. + +"Huh," snorted John, but he made no other reply. + +At this moment Captain Dodge approached. + +"We've got to anchor, boys," he said. "The wind is dead ahead of us here +in the narrows and I think I'll wait till it shifts." + +"We might all go to Coney Island then," exclaimed Fred Button eagerly. + +"And the wind might change almost any minute and we'd sail off and leave +you behind," laughed Captain Dodge. "Coney Island is just around that +point, though, and you could row there in a little while." + +"I guess we'll stay aboard if you're thinking of leaving us," said Fred. +"I'd rather go to Buenos Aires than Coney Island." + +"That's what I say," exclaimed John Clemens. + +"Can't we do something to help around here?" asked Grant. "We're only +amateur sailors, but we're anxious to do what we can." + +"I know you are," said Captain Dodge. "I expect you to take your regular +turns on watch with the rest of the crew. Just now I want the sails +taken in, though. Do you suppose one of you could go up that foremast?" + +"I could," cried Fred quickly. "Let me go." + +"Think you can take in that topsail?" + +"I can help." + +"That's all I want, of course. There'll be a sailor up there with you to +tell you what to do and perhaps you can be of assistance to him." + +"I'd like to try it, anyway," said Fred eagerly. + +"All right," said the captain. "Mr. Johnson," he called to the first +mate, who was a big blonde-haired Swede, "this young man wants to go +aloft. Will you let him help your man take in that fore-topsail?" + +"Yes, sir," came the quick reply, and Fred ran to the foot of the mast, +where Mr. Johnson, the mate, and a sailor named Petersen were standing. + +"Follow me," said Petersen, and he began to climb. Up the rigging he +went, with Fred close behind him. It was hard work for the inexperienced +boy to keep pace with the hardy sailor, and he was well-nigh exhausted +when at last they stood upon the yards. + +"That's hard work," panted Fred. + +"You'll get used to it," smiled the sailor. "There's a knack about it." + +"What do we do now?" demanded Fred. + +"Wait till we get our orders. The captain will bring 'er up into the +wind in a minute and that's when we get to work." + +"What shall I do?" + +"You grab all the loose sail you can, right in your arms, and try to +hold it there. They'll let go below." + +Fred felt dizzy, standing so high above the decks, and he clung to the +ropes which were all about him, for dear life. He heartily wished that +he was once more with his comrades, but it was too late now. He must go +through with it, and he was determined, if possible, not to betray his +nervousness. + +"Stand by!" came the faint call from below. + +"Hang on now," cautioned Petersen. "They're going to bring 'er 'round." + +The steersman put the helm hard over and the _Josephine_ swung +rapidly around with her bow into the wind. In spite of the warning Fred +did not hold on as tightly as he should. He felt himself slipping. He +clutched madly at the maze of ropes which entirely surrounded him. He +tried to call out, but no sound came. Desperately he strove to save +himself, but his efforts were unavailing. + + + + +CHAPTER II + +A PLUCKY FEAT + + +Fred's three companions on the deck below watched their friend with +horrified eyes. They had felt envious of his good fortune until now, and +every one of them had wished that he was in Fred's place. + +"It must be great up there," Grant exclaimed as he looked at Fred +standing up against the topmast, far above the decks. + +"That's the place to be, all right," said String enthusiastically. + +"If you were up there it would look like two masts instead of one," said +Pop Sanders. + +"Say," said John in disgust. "You got off that same joke just a few +minutes ago. It was all right the first time, but it's a pretty poor one +now." + +The three boys had stood below bantering one another and envying Fred +until the _Josephine_ came about and they saw that their comrade +was dizzy and in danger of falling. + +He swayed dangerously for a while that seemed a century long. He waved +his arms wildly in the air and then clutched frantically for some rope +or brace to save himself. He seemed to grab hold of plenty of ropes but +to hang on to none. Moreover, a rope was the cause of his fall, for one +swung violently around and catching the unfortunate boy around the +ankles tripped him up and pulled him from the precarious spot on which +he stood. + +He toppled backward and fell. His three companions with one accord +uttered a groan of horror and shut their eyes to keep out the awful +sight of what was about to happen. To think that their wonderful trip +was to be spoiled at the very start in this way! They turned their backs +to the scene, afraid to look. Every boy expected to hear a thud on the +deck and see the mangled body of their companion at their feet. + +To them it seemed as if they waited hours and yet they did not hear the +expected sound. Instead of that they heard a shout. + +"Hold him!" some one cried, and opening their eyes and daring to look +about them, the three boys on the deck saw something that was as +unexpected as it was welcome. + +Fred hung head downward from the yard, a rope twisted tightly around his +feet. The same rope that had thrown him from his position was now +holding him suspended in the air. But how securely did it hold him? +Could it support him until help could come? That was the question. + +"Go to him, somebody!" cried Grant in an agonized voice. Even as he +spoke a sailor ran swiftly along the deck to the base of the foremast +and began to climb rapidly. To those who watched him, however, it seemed +as if he progressed at a snail's pace. + +"He's going to drop!" groaned String. + +"Maybe not," said Pop Sanders, trying to appear cheerful. + +"What can he do if he does reach him?" demanded Grant. + +"Wait and see," cautioned Pop. + +Higher and higher climbed the sailor. From above Petersen, the man who +had accompanied Fred to the top, leaned down and took hold of the rope +which was all that kept the unfortunate boy from falling. + +"Don't pull on that," begged Grant. "It'll surely come loose." + +The sailor had now approached within a few feet of Fred. A moment later +and he was by his side. He made no move to help the boy who hung so +perilously out into space. Instead he shouted something to Petersen +which could not be heard on the deck below. + +"What's the matter with him?" demanded Pop angrily. "Why doesn't he do +something?" + +"Let him alone," cautioned Grant. "I guess he knows his business." + +"But Fred'll fall." + +"I guess not. That sailor can see how firm a hold that rope has on his +ankles. He won't take any chances." + +"He called for a rope," exclaimed John Clemens. "See, that sailor who +went up with Fred is letting one down." + +"And he's making the other one fast to the yard," added Grant. + +"They're going to haul him up, I guess," said Pop. + +"That's right," exclaimed Grant. "See, he's tying the other end around +Fred's chest. They'll have him fixed all right in a minute." + +"If he doesn't fall before," String reminded them. + +"You're certainly a pessimist, String," exclaimed Pop. "Don't you ever +have a cheerful thought?" + +"Of course I do, but I'm worried." + +"So am I. I try to be cheerful now and then, though." + +"He's all right now," exclaimed Grant as the sailor finished tying the +rope around Fred's body. "He couldn't fall now to save his life." + +The sailor scrambled quickly up the mast until he stood alongside +Petersen. Then the two men bent low, and hauling in hand over hand, soon +pulled Fred up to the yard on which they stood. They did not untie the +rope from around his waist, however, but rather made the loose end of it +fast around the mast so that the accident could not be repeated. A great +cheer from those who had assembled below greeted the result of this +work. + +"I guess Fred's awfully dizzy just now," remarked Grant. "I don't +believe it's much fun hanging by your heels way up there." + +"And now how are they going to get him down?" demanded Pop. "He +certainly can't do it by himself. He'd be sure to fall." + +At this moment Captain Dodge joined the three boys. "A pretty close call +for our sailor friend," he remarked grimly. + +"Yes," agreed Grant, "it certainly was. I don't suppose he'll want to do +much climbing for quite a while now." + +"I hope not," said the captain heartily. + +"How are you going to get him down?" asked Pop. + +"That's easy," said the captain, smiling. "We'll take a very long rope, +one that will reach all the way from the deck up to where he is and back +again. We'll tie one end around your friend and we'll hang on to the +other down here on the deck. The rope will go over the yard and he will +be on one end and we will be on the other. Then we'll lower away slowly +and the first thing you know he'll be right down here with us again." + +"And mighty glad to get here, I guess," exclaimed Grant. + +"I'll send a man up with the rope now," said the captain, and he started +to walk away. + +"Wait," cried Grant suddenly. "What's Fred trying to do?" + +"He's untying the ropes," exclaimed String. "Is he crazy?" + +"I guess he is," said Pop. "It looks as if he was getting ready to climb +down the way he went up." + +"Yell at him," exclaimed String excitedly. + +"Don't you do it," cautioned Captain Dodge quickly. "Don't distract his +attention from what he is doing for a second. It's too late now, +anyway." + +Fred now stood free and clear of the ropes. It was evident that the two +men with him were arguing with him not to attempt the descent, but +apparently their efforts made no impression on the daring youth, for he +could be seen to shake his head. Then he gingerly lowered himself from +the yard and began the perilous journey to the deck. + +"Pretty nervy," muttered Captain Dodge under his breath, and murmurs of +admiration could be heard from all the members of the crew gathered +nearby. No one spoke, however, for all eyes and all interest were +focused on the feat Fred was performing. + +Slowly and carefully he proceeded at first, but as he gained in +confidence he increased the speed of his descent. Before he had covered +half of the distance he was swinging along as freely and apparently as +carelessly as any sailor. A moment later and he reached the deck. + +"Good boy," cried Captain Dodge, springing forward to shake hands with +Fred, and at the same time a hearty cheer was given by the crew. + +As soon as Fred touched foot on the deck, however, a change came over +him. His face became deathly pale and he swayed dizzily. He put out his +hand to save himself, but before Captain Dodge could reach him he +collapsed and sank to the deck in a limp heap. + +"Fainted," remarked Grant simply. + +"Well, I don't blame him," exclaimed Pop Sanders. "It's the reaction +from the strain probably." + +The three boys rushed to the side of their comrade and found that +Grant's surmise had been correct. Fred had fainted. + +"Bring some water," directed Captain Dodge. "He'll be around presently." + +Fred soon opened his eyes after a few treatments of cold water, splashed +directly in his face. He looked about him and smiled weakly. + +"How do you feel?" asked Captain Dodge. + +"Fine," said Fred, but he didn't look so. + +"You better get in your bunk for a while," said the captain. "That's all +you need just now. I'll tell the cook to bring you a little hot soup." + +Leaning on Grant and George Washington Sanders, Fred made his way below. +He was very weak after his ordeal and it was with a great sigh of relief +that he sank into his bunk. + +"What made you climb down?" demanded Pop. + +"Well," said Fred, "I just had to. I knew that if I didn't do it then I +never would have the nerve to try again. I felt so foolish to have +caused all the trouble I did and I knew they'd all think me an awful +landlubber. I felt as if I ought to square myself." + +"You did that all right," said Grant heartily. "The whole crew is crazy +about you now, and String and Pop and I are certainly in the shade." + +"I don't mind that part of it," said Pop. "All I say is, don't do it +again. I couldn't stand another ten minutes like those." + +"And I tell you one thing," said Grant. "It's lucky for you that the +_Josephine_ had been brought up into the wind. If we had been +tacking or beating or something like that you'd never had hung so +quietly as you did." + +"Are we anchored now?" asked Fred. + +"Yes," said Grant. "We're going to stay here until the wind changes." + +"When do you suppose that will be?" + +"The captain says it'll probably swing around to the west to-night. As +soon as it does we will get under way again." + +"They can't do it too soon to suit me," exclaimed String. "I want to be +out on the ocean, where you can't see a bit of land in any direction." + +"That'll happen soon enough, once we get started," said Grant. "Then +we'll probably wish we were on shore again." + +At this moment the cook appeared with a bowl of smoking hot soup for +Fred. The cook was named Sam and was as black as ebony. + +"Wh'ars dat high diver?" he demanded as he entered the cabin. + +"You mean me?" smiled Fred. + +"I sho' do," said Sam. "You suttinly is some acrobat." + +"Not again, I hope," said Fred fervently. "I hope my troubles are over." + +As a matter of fact his troubles and his companions' had scarcely begun. + + + + +CHAPTER III + +A SUPERSTITIOUS COOK + + +"Ah's afraid ob dis heah boat," said Sam as he handed the soup to Fred +and settled himself on the side of the bunk opposite. + +"Afraid of it?" exclaimed Fred. "Why?" + +"She's got de hoodoo," said Sam decidedly. + +"Why, Sam," said Fred. "What do you mean by that?" + +"She's got de hoodoo, dat's all." + +"What makes you think so?" + +"Because Ah feels dat way." + +"But why do you feel that way?" + +"Dey's a Jonah on board." + +"You think so?" + +"Ah sho' do," said Sam, nodding his ebony head violently up and down. +"Ah seen him come abo'd and Ah knowed right away dat we was gwine ter +hab hard luck dis cruise." + +"You know who the Jonah is, then, do you?" inquired Grant, somewhat +amused by the black man's superstitions. + +"Ah done tol' you all Ah seen him come abo'd," said Sam. + +"Who is he?" + +"Dat Finn." + +"What Finn?" demanded Fred. "What is his name?" + +"Ah doan' know his name, but he am de Jonah all right." + +"What does he look like?" asked Fred. + +"Like all de Finns," said Sam. "Big, wid light hair." + +"You don't mean Mr. Johnson, the mate, do you?" said Grant. + +"Suttinly not. Mr. Johnson am a Swede." + +"Who can it be, do you suppose?" asked Grant of Fred and String and Pop. +The four friends were much interested in what Sam had to say. + +"Dey calls him Pete," said Sam. + +"Not Petersen?" exclaimed Fred. "The man who went up the mast with me?" + +"Dat's de one," said Sam with great conviction. "He am a Jonah. Jus' so +long as he is on dis boat we is boun' to hab hard luck. He was de one +who was responsible fo' you all doin' dat dive." + +"How silly," laughed Fred. "You don't think he pushed me, do you?" + +"Ah ain't sayin' as how he done actually pushed you," said Sam +mysteriously. "All de same he was 'sponsible." + +"Why do you suspect him, Sam?" asked String curiously. + +"Because he am a Finn," said Sam. + +"Is that the only reason?" + +"Ain't dat enuff?" exclaimed Sam. "He's a Finn, ain't he? Well, doan' +you all know dat Finns is hard luck?" + +"I never knew it," said Fred. + +"Well it's de truth jus' de same," said Sam. + +"Why is that?" asked Fred. + +"Ah doan' know nothin' about why it is," said Sam. "All Ah knows is dat +Finns is hard luck on boats an' always has been." + +"What can they do?" + +"Dey say," whispered Sam in a low voice and leaning forward after a +glance around the cabin, "dat dey can make de wind blow or dey can make +it stop blowin'. Dey can make de storms come and if dey tries real hard +dey can wreck de whole ship." + +"By doing what?" asked Grant. + +"By doin' nothin'," replied Sam confidently. "Dey jus' sits in de cabin +and thinks and thinks and wha'soever dey thinks about is boun' to +happen." + +"It wouldn't do to get one of them mad at you then, would it?" remarked +Pop. + +"Ah should say not," exclaimed Sam with great conviction. + +"Haven't you ever sailed with Finns before?" asked Grant. + +"Once, an' dat time we had nothin' but head winds an' calms all de +blessed time. Dat proves what Ah say about dem Finns, doan' it?" + +"You think the Finn was responsible, do you?" + +"Ah is sho' of it." + +"We'll hope you're wrong, Sam," laughed Pop. "Certainly we're not +looking for hard luck. We're out for fun." + +"Ah hopes yo' all has it," said Sam, but he shook his head doubtfully +and muttered to himself as he took the empty soup bowl from Fred's hands +and carried it off into the galley. + +"He's a queer one," said Pop laughing as he watched the cook's +disappearing figure. "Imagine accusing all Finns of being hard luck." + +"It's pretty tough on the race, I should say," said String. + +"Yes," laughed Pop, "and just imagine what would happen if we were over +in Finland. There certainly must be a lot of hard luck there." + +"Oh, Sam doesn't know any better," said Grant. "He's ignorant and like +all darkies is superstitious. Sailors are too, and as Sam is a +combination of both he is worse than usual." + +"He's made me feel sort of queer though," said Fred. "Of course it's +silly and I suppose it's partly because I'm nervous after fainting but I +feel as if something was hanging over us." + +"Don't be foolish, Fred," exclaimed Grant. + +"I'll get over it all right," said Fred lightly. "At the same time Sam's +talk has gotten me stirred up some." + +"Forget it," urged Pop briefly. "Come on up on deck and see what's going +on." + +"I think I'll stay here in my bunk a little while," said Fred. "I +haven't quite recovered my nerve yet. You fellows go on up." + +"All right," said Grant. "We'll see you later." + +They made their way up on deck and found that the _Josephine_ was +still at anchor and that the wind instead of changing was blowing in the +same direction and seemed fresher than formerly. + +"The Finn's giving us head winds," said Pop in a low voice to his +companions. + +"There's Petersen over there now," remarked String. "He certainly looks +harmless enough." + +"And I guess he is," added Grant. + +"Fred isn't sure of it any more." + +"He'll feel differently about it when he has recovered from the shock he +had," said Grant confidently. + +"Perhaps," String admitted doubtfully. "Fred gets queer notions though." + +"Let's ask Captain Dodge about it," exclaimed Grant. "There he is now." + +"How's the patient?" asked the captain cheerily as the boys approached. + +"All right," said Grant. "He finished all the soup that Sam brought him, +I noticed. We were talking to Sam down in the cabin and he has gotten +Fred excited." + +"What about?" demanded the captain curiously. + +"He says there is a Jonah on board and that we're going to have hard +luck all through the voyage." + +"Sounds just like Sam," laughed the captain. "Who did he say the Jonah +is?" + +"Petersen, the man who went up the mast with Fred." + +"Because he's a Finn?" asked Captain Dodge. + +"Yes," said Grant. "What's the matter with Finns anyway?" + +"Why," said Captain Dodge, "there's an old superstition among sailors +that they bring bad luck. I had almost forgotten it, but as soon as you +said that Sam suspected Petersen I remembered that he is a Finn and that +Sam would probably believe in the old story." + +"I hope it's not true," said John Clemens. + +"I guess we needn't worry about it," said the captain, smiling. "It +doesn't bother me any but if you boys want to go ashore it isn't too +late yet." + +"We don't feel as bad about it as that," laughed Grant. "I guess we'll +risk it." + +"I'm all right anyway," exclaimed Pop Sanders. "I've got my compass." + +"What do you think of him, captain?" exclaimed John. "He always carries +a compass on a string around his neck." + +"That's all right," said Captain Dodge. "In case he is shipwrecked he +can tell in which direction he is going anyway. Not that that knowledge +would do him very much good." + +"And my diary," added Pop. "Don't forget that. I always carry a diary in +my hip pocket with a little pencil in it so that I can jot things down +just as soon as they happen or rather when I think to do it. You see +when you have it with you you are more apt to keep it up to date." + +"A good idea," said the captain warmly. "I see that you are a very +methodical young man and probably I shall get you to keep the log for +me." + +"I guess you wouldn't want me to do that," laughed Pop. "I'm afraid it +wouldn't be done very well." + +All day long the boys lolled about on the deck. Fred had joined his +companions and the four friends discussed what they should do when they +arrived at Buenos Aires, the beautiful South American city of which they +had heard so much. They talked of a sailor's life and all its hardships +and its pleasures. Like everything else it is a mixture of good and bad +and too much of either is harmful anyway. + +After supper that evening the wind died down. The water became almost as +quiet as a mill pond and more than one of the four friends whispered to +his comrades that the Finn was at the bottom of it all. George Sanders +mentioned this to Captain Dodge in a joking way but the captain only +laughed and said, "Wait. Unless I am very much mistaken we'll have a +fine favoring wind inside of two hours." + +His prophecy was soon fulfilled too, for in a short time a damp +night-breeze sprang up out of the west. Up came the anchor, the sails +were set, and the _Josephine_ slid ghost-like down through the +narrows, around Sandy Hook and out into the open sea. + +"We're off, String," exclaimed George Sanders joyously. The two boys +were standing near the forward hatchway looking out across the black +water. If Pop had known what awaited them perhaps he would not have been +quite so light hearted. + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +A CODE + + +The breeze held strongly and the _Josephine_ made splendid +progress. The life on shipboard had endless attractions for the four +young boys. They learned the parts of the ship, the names of the sails +and how to navigate. Sailors taught them to splice ropes and how to tie +the hundred and one knots familiar to those who follow the sea. The +weather was ideal and as everything went well, all on board were in +excellent spirits. + +"I guess Sam was wrong about this hard luck business," remarked John +Clemens one day to Grant Jones. The two boys were standing near the bow +of the brig, watching two of Mother Carey's chickens, those friendly +little birds that follow and play around boats even out in the middle of +the ocean. + +"It certainly looks so, String," said Grant. "We can't hold much against +the Finn so far, can we?" + +"I should say not. Let's hope it keeps up." + +"I don't see how it can," said Grant. "So far it has been almost too +good to be true, and I don't see how it can last." + +"I think it will though." + +"Sam says not. He says that maybe we have escaped so far but he still +insists we're going to have something happen to us before we're +through." + +"He's cheerful, isn't he?" laughed John. "I'm not worrying though." + +"Mr. Johnson says that we're almost bound to strike bad weather when we +get into the gulf-stream." + +"Why's that?" + +"I don't know except for what he said. He says that sometimes you can +see the low banks of clouds over the gulf-stream and that you may run +from a clear sky and light wind, with all sail, into a heavy sea and +cloudy sky where you'll need double reefs." + +"Isn't that queer," exclaimed John. "I wonder when we'll reach it." + +"Fairly soon, I should say," said Grant. "We must be getting pretty far +south by now." + +"We are. Captain Dodge told me we'd be in the West Indies before long." + +"I wish we could stop." + +"You want to see everything," laughed John. "We're going to South +America, aren't we? What more do you want?" + +At that moment Fred and George Sanders approached the two boys. + +"We ought to be Sons of Neptune in a few days," exclaimed George gayly +as he and Fred came up to the place where their two friends were +standing. + +"What do you mean by that, Pop?" asked John curiously. + +"Just what I say, String, my boy," said George. "You don't mean to tell +me that you don't know what a Son of Neptune is! Every man that sails +any of the seven seas ought to know that." + +"Don't be funny, Pop," warned John, assuming a threatening attitude. +"Tell me what it means and be quick about it." + +"You swear you don't know?" + +"You heard what I said, didn't you?" + +"Yes," grinned Pop, "but you know I don't believe half what you say." + +"Throw him overboard, String," urged Fred. "Don't fool with him any +longer." + +"That's just about what I had decided to do," said John. + +"Wait," cried Pop, stepping forward and holding up his hand +dramatically. "Spare my life and I will tell all." + +"Be quick about it then," warned John. "I shan't fool with you much +longer." + +"I know it," said Pop, pretending to be greatly alarmed. "I know it, +String, and I must say I am awfully frightened." + +John stepped forward and raised his hands as if he was about to seize +George W. Sanders by the neck. He had no opportunity to do so, however. + +"I'll tell. I'll tell," cried Pop quickly. + +"I'll give you till I count three," said John. "One, two--" + +"A man becomes a Son of Neptune," said George, "when he has crossed the +equator on a boat. Now will you promise not to hurt me? Not that you +could do it if you tried," he added, but he muttered the words so softly +to himself that no one else heard him. + +"Is that what a Son of Neptune is?" exclaimed John. + +"Yes, String, that's what a Son of Neptune is," said George, imitating +as nearly as possible his friend's tone of voice. + +"Who told you?" demanded Grant. + +"What has that got to do with it?" + +"Who told you?" repeated Grant sharply. "We'll have to take some of this +freshness out of him pretty soon, String," he added. + +"We surely will," agreed John readily. "I'm ready at any time." + +The four friends loved to tease and banter one another and oftentimes an +outsider might have thought from their conversation that they had lost +their tempers. Such, however, was never the case. They knew one another +too well and all had too much sense for any such foolishness. In +particular they all liked to tease and threaten Pop Sanders, though in +any contest of wits he usually held his own and the threats of his +comrades had no effect upon him whatever. + +"For the third and last time, who told you?" demanded Grant. + +"Petersen told me." + +"You've been talking to the Finn, have you?" exclaimed Fred. + +"Yes, and he's a nice fellow, too." + +"Maybe you'll get his hard luck away from him," laughed Grant. + +"I guess he's had hard luck himself all right," said Pop seriously. +"That doesn't mean he'll give it to others though." + +"What hard luck has he had?" asked John. + +"Well, his father died when he was a baby and he was left with a big +family of children to be brought up by his mother. She had no money and +of course had an awfully hard time of it. Two of his sisters died of +scarlet fever, a younger brother was drowned and finally his mother got +pneumonia and she died. I call that pretty tough luck myself." + +"So do I," agreed Grant readily. + +"If Sam heard all those things he'd surely say it was because it was a +family of Finns," said Fred. "He'd say they brought hard luck to one +another." + +"He probably would," laughed Pop. "Still I feel sorry for a fellow who +has had all that trouble." + +"What did his father do?" asked John. + +"He was a bad character principally, I guess," said Pop. "He was also a +sailor at times." + +"You must have had quite a long talk with Petersen, Pop," said Grant. +"How did he happen to get so confidential?" + +"I don't know. We just got talking, that's all, and the first thing I +knew he began to tell me the story of his life." + +"His father left the family no money, I imagine," said Fred. + +"Certainly not. He left debts. The only thing he left was a bad +reputation and this thing which Petersen gave to me," and as he spoke +Pop reached in his hip pocket and brought out what appeared to be a +dirty piece of old paper, folded up. + +"What's that?" demanded Grant quickly. + +"I don't know," said George. "See for yourself." + +He handed the object in question to Grant who straightway unfolded it +and glanced at it eagerly. + +"It's nothing but a lot of numbers," he exclaimed disappointedly. + +"I know it," said George. "Just a lot of old faded numbers written on a +piece of parchment." + +"What's it supposed to be?" asked John curiously. + +"Petersen thinks it's some sort of a code. Maybe it is but I think +myself it is nothing at all, and that it might as well be thrown +overboard." + +"What makes him think it's a code?" said Grant. + +"Nothing much that I know of," replied Pop. "He said it was found sewed +inside the lining of a coat his father used to have and so he thought it +must be valuable. He said that the neighbors used to tell some kind of +weird stories about his father having been connected with buried +treasure or something like that, and he is sure this has something to do +with it. Personally I think he is mistaken about it." + +"If he thinks it so valuable why did he give it to you?" demanded Fred. + +"He didn't really give it to me to keep. He wanted me to try and +decipher the code and tell him what it says." + +"Did you do it?" laughed John. + +"No, you Son of Neptune," exclaimed George. "I did not. I offered to +read the numbers to him, but he said he could do that much himself." + +"Where's this treasure buried?" asked Fred. + +"That's just what Petersen wants to find out," said Pop. "That certainly +was an awfully smart question to ask, Fred." + +"I thought he might know the island or whatever it is where the stuff is +supposed to be buried, but not the exact location of the jewels on the +island." + +"How do you know it's jewels?" + +"It always is, isn't it?" + +"I don't know anything about it," said Pop. "For all we know Petersen +may be playing a joke on us. We're all landlubbers of course and the +crew might have decided to initiate us a little." + +"Perhaps," agreed John. "The parchment looks old though." + +"What are the numbers, Grant?" asked Fred. "Read them out." + +"Twenty," began Grant when he was interrupted. + +"Add 'em up, you fellows," laughed George. "The total tells how old Anne +is." + +"Let him read them, Pop," urged John. "Give him a chance." + +"Twenty, one, eleven, five, one, three, fifteen, twenty-one, eighteen, +nineteen, five." Grant paused. "That's a funny thing" he said. "Every +number is distinctly separated from the next one. It certainly seems as +if it must mean something." + +"All right, I'll tell Petersen that you are going to solve the mystery, +Socrates, my boy," laughed Pop. "Shall I?" + +Before Grant could answer there was a shout. A few sharp orders were +given and immediately everything on board the _Josephine_ was +bustle and hurry. The crew came rushing out on deck, and scattered +hither and thither all over the brig in obedience to the orders that +were being given so rapidly. An anxious look was on the faces of all the +men. + + + + +CHAPTER V + +A TROPICAL STORM + + +"What's all this?" exclaimed Grant, startled by the sudden change that +had come over the boat. + +The four boys looked about them in surprise, unable to account for the +transformation. Petersen was forgotten; jewels and treasure were +forgotten; even the strange code was forgotten and Grant absent-mindedly +thrust it into his trouser's pocket. + +"What is it, do you suppose?" he exclaimed again. + +"Look over there and you'll see," said Fred. + +He pointed to the westward and as his three friends gazed in the +direction he had indicated they soon saw the cause of all the commotion. +Far off on the western horizon appeared a cloud. That in itself was no +special reason for alarm, but it was a very peculiar looking cloud. It +was grayish-black in color and shaped like a funnel. Long ragged strips +had separated themselves from the main body and hung like long wisps +from the sky. + +"Do you think it's a tornado?" exclaimed John, in a low voice. + +"I don't know, String," said Pop. "It looks bad though, doesn't it?" + +"It does to me all right," said Fred grimly. "The captain must think it +is pretty serious too from all the preparations that are being made." + +"They're taking in some of the sails," remarked Grant. + +"I'm glad of that," exclaimed Fred. "When that storm hits us I don't +want any more canvas spread than is necessary." + +"Perhaps it won't hit us," said George hopefully. + +"You're an optimist, Pop, I'm afraid," said Fred. "I think it'll hit us +all right." + +"The breeze is going down," said John suddenly. + +"It surely is," agreed Grant. "The lull before the storm." + +"Look at that cloud now," exclaimed Fred. "It's spreading all over the +sky and see how fast it is going. It'll be dark in a few minutes." + +"Why don't they take the rest of the sails in?" demanded John nervously. +"I must say I don't like this." + +"They've taken in the topsails and the mizzen," said Grant. "That's a +big part." + +A lull had now come over the crew and the four young friends were +unconsciously affected by it. Now there was not a breath of air +stirring; the sails hung heavy and motionless from the yards. Blacker +and blacker grew the sky; the stillness all about became appalling. No +one spoke a word, but every one stood around as though waiting for +something serious to happen. The crew was gathered about the forward +hatchway silently watching the approach of the storm. + +Mr. Johnson, the mate, went forward and gave some order in a low tone. +More sails were taken in, all in a solemn and quiet manner. The brig now +lay motionless on the water while an uneasy expectation of something +threatening seemed to hang overhead. The suspense was terrible. Captain +Dodge paced silently up and down the deck but he spoke to no one and no +one spoke to him. It was now so dark it was almost impossible to see the +length of the ship. + +Again Mr. Johnson came forward and gave another low-voiced command. Two +sailors, one of whom was Petersen, started up the mast to clew down the +main top-gallant sail. They had just reached the fore-top-gallant yard +when a strange thing happened. + +"Look," cried John, in an awe struck voice. + +"What is that?" demanded Fred in a frightened whisper. + +"A corposant," said Grant. "I've read about them." + +Over and directly above the heads of the two sailors appeared a light. +It was in the shape of a ball and hung to the very top of the mast. + +"What's a corposant?" whispered John. + +"I don't know," replied Grant, "except that that's what they call a ball +of light like that one. If it goes up it's supposed to be good luck, but +if it comes down it's bad." + +"I wish Petersen wasn't up there," muttered Fred. + +"Don't be silly, Fred," exclaimed Grant sharply. The tension was +affecting every one's nerves. It was almost pitch dark on the +_Josephine_ now. + +"I can't help it," insisted Fred. "I wish it was some one else up +there." + +"It's gone," remarked John suddenly. + +"No, it isn't," George corrected. "There it is, down on the yard." + +"It came down then," said Fred. "I knew it would." + +"Don't blame Petersen," exclaimed Grant. "It's not his fault." + +The two sailors had climbed down quickly after their task was completed +and now joined the rest of the crew. All together they stood and watched +the strange light until after playing about the mast for some ten +minutes or so it disappeared as suddenly as it had come. + +Somebody passed the spot where the four boys stood. It was too dark to +make out who it was but the young sailors could hear him moaning and +groaning to himself. "Dat Finn," he groaned. "Oh, Lawdy, dat Finn. Ah +knowed it all de time. We sho' is goners now." + +"There goes Sam," whispered Fred. + +"Let him go," said Grant shortly. + +"Here comes the rain," exclaimed John suddenly. + +A few huge drops fell upon the deck and at the same time the darkness +seemed to grow even deeper than before. + +"There's thunder too," said George. A few low rumbles were heard, while +off to the southwest appeared some random flashes of lightning. + +"Where's the storm?" demanded Fred. "So far nothing has happened. This +stillness and darkness are getting on my nerves." + +"Wait," counseled Grant, and scarcely had he spoken when there was a +blinding flash of light. Almost at the same instant came a deafening +peal of thunder. The sky directly overhead seemed to open up and down +came the water in torrents. + +Unconsciously the four boys drew closer together, so startled were they +by this unexpected happening. It seemed as if the brig must have been +struck but evidently it had escaped, for a second later there was +another flash and report and the bare masts could be seen outlined +against the inky sky. + +Flash followed flash in quick succession. The whole ocean was lighted up +by the constant blaze of light. Peal after peal rattled overhead with a +noise so violent that it seemed as if the whole earth must be shaken. +After a few moments the deluge of rain abated but the thunder and the +lightning continued incessantly. So far there had not been a breath of +air stirring; the _Josephine_ lay motionless on the surface of the +ocean and seemed to the people on board of her an excellent and easy +target for the fury of the elements. + +Several times one of the boys started to speak but his words were lost +in the roar of the storm. They were almost blinded by the lightning but +no one thought of going below. This was their first experience in a +tropical storm and they were frightened. They would not have been +ashamed to admit it either. They did not care to go to their bunks, for +every one wanted to be on deck where he could see what was going on. + +The lightning played all about the ship and it seemed a miracle that she +was not hit. It seemed to run up and down the masts, across the yards +and over the anchors, but thus far the _Josephine_ had escaped. All +this time there had been no wind; the brig lay motionless and powerless +to move. + +Suddenly there was a blinding flash and a ripping, tearing sound +accompanied by the smell of burnt wood. So severe had been the blaze of +light that every one was temporarily blinded by it and for a few seconds +everything looked red. A moment later, however, when the crew had +recovered somewhat from the shock a great shouting and running to and +fro began. + +"We're hit," cried Grant, the first to regain his senses. + +"The ship's on fire," shouted Fred excitedly. + +As he spoke a few red tongues of flame appeared from the hatch. Orders +were instantly given and a brigade to fight the fire was formed almost +at once. It was difficult work, however, for the night was so dark that +it was nearly impossible to see one's way around the deck. The flashes +of lightning were about the only help afforded to the emergency firemen. + +The four young friends were among the first to join in this work. +Buckets were passed from hand to hand and the men worked feverishly. No +one shirked for an instant and in fact no one dared to do so, for +without their ship the men were nearly helpless, left to the mercy of +the ocean. + +"The wind's coming up," exclaimed Grant suddenly. + +What he said was true. It was also raining hard once more, though the +thunder and lightning had somewhat abated. + +"The wind means our finish," said Fred grimly. "We'll never stop this +fire now." + +"We must," cried John doggedly. "We're lost if we don't." + +Every one redoubled his efforts but the fire gained steadily. Higher and +higher leaped the flames and farther and farther astern they crept. The +crew worked like demons but their task was hopeless. The fire was too +mighty for them and it was soon evident to every one on board that the +_Josephine_ was a doomed ship. + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +ADRIFT + + +Captain Dodge stood near by urging on his men. Nor did he shirk any of +the work himself. He fought the flames with all the fury of a determined +man, but it soon became plain that it was an unequal struggle and that +the _Josephine_ would never reach Buenos Aires or any other port +for that matter. + +"Man the boats!" shouted the captain. + +The lifeboats were loosened on the davits and made ready to launch. A +stock of provisions was placed on board of every one of them and +preparations were made to embark. The four Go Ahead boys were assigned +to one boat, together with Sam the cook and Petersen the Finn sailor. + +"That'll never do," said John in a low voice to Grant. "Sam and Petersen +in the same boat are bound to have trouble." + +"I'm afraid so myself, String," said Grant, "but what can we do? Captain +Dodge gave the orders and we must do as he says." + +"Wouldn't he change them?" + +"He might, of course, but I'm not going to ask him to." + +"No," said John ruefully, "I don't suppose we could do that. I guess +we'll have to put up with it." + +The wind had been steadily increasing in violence since the fire started +and now was blowing almost a gale. It whipped the waves into foam and +whistled and shrieked through the rigging. The fire, fanned by the +breeze, now roared menacingly while its volume increased steadily. It +was only too evident that it would be impossible to remain on board the +_Josephine_ many moments more. + +"We'd better get away from here," said Fred nervously, as he watched the +mass of flame and smoke which now enveloped the whole forward part of +the ship. + +"When we do leave we won't be much better off," said Pop gloomily. + +"Just the same I'd rather take my chances with the ocean than with this +fire," exclaimed Grant. + +"Where are we going!" demanded John. + +"How do I know!" said Grant. "We must leave, that's sure. What we are to +do after we leave is another matter." + +"Stand by to lower away!" came the order. + +The four boys sprang to their positions. Petersen and Sam joined them a +moment later. The negro cook was half-crazed with fear and still kept +mumbling to himself, "Dat Finn, dat Finn." Undoubtedly he did not +understand that Petersen was to go on the same boat with him or he would +not have consented to step aboard. Now, in the darkness it was almost +impossible to recognize anybody and Sam probably had no idea who any of +his companions were to be. + +"Lower away." + +The boats descended rapidly and soon rested upon the water where they +danced and bobbed about like corks on the angry waves. + +"Get aboard, Sam," urged Grant. + +Making no objection, the negro quickly lowered himself into the waiting +boat. Fred, John, Grant and George followed in order, leaving only +Petersen on board the brig. He stood with the painter in his hand, +awaiting the word to leave. + +"Unship your oars," he called. + +"All right," answered Grant. + +There were two pairs of oars in the boat and every one of the four boys +took charge of one of them. Sam cowered in the bow of the boat +shuddering and still murmuring over and over again, "Dat Finn, dat +Finn." + +At the sound of Petersen's voice from the deck above, however, he half +raised himself. "Who dat talkin'?" he demanded. + +"One of the sailors," said Grant carelessly, knowing what was passing in +the black man's mind. + +"Dat Petersen," said Sam. "Am he comin' on dis heah boat?" + +"I don't know," Grant answered evasively. + +"He bettah not. He bettah not," said Sam fiercely. "We's had enough hard +luck on account ob dat man already." + +"It wasn't his fault," said Grant trying to quiet the excited negro. + +"It was! It was!" Sam fairly shouted, at the same time trying to stand +up in the skiff. + +"Sit down, Sam," ordered Fred sharply. + +"Ah won't sit down," the cook cried menacingly. "Ah won't do nothin' if +dat Finn am gwine git in dis heah boat. Ah tells yo' all we's had enough +hard luck on account of dat man." + +"You'll sit down or get out of the boat," said Grant threateningly. "We +won't take any fooling here either." + +Sam subsided, but he still mumbled to himself incessantly. + +"All right, get aboard," John called to Petersen, though he took care +not to call him by name. + +Petersen threw the painter and jumped into the stern of the life-boat. +The four oarsmen dug their blades into the water and the little craft +shot forward. The other boats had also left and the _Josephine_ was +now a blazing mass of wood. Sparks shot high into the air and in all +directions only to fall with a hiss into the angry waters of the sea. +The roar of the flames could be heard even above the noise of the storm +which seemed to be increasing in intensity. + +The four boys rowed a couple of hundred yards away from the burning brig +and then rested on their oars and watched the destruction of the ship on +which they had expected to go to South America. She was entirely +enveloped in flames now and presented a wonderful but terrible sight as +she was rapidly being devoured by the hungry fire. + +All the occupants but one of the boat watched the fire. That one was +Sam. He still remained huddled in the bow and never once did he look +back. He moaned and groaned and raved until the rest of the party began +to think that perhaps he was losing his mind. + +Farther and farther from the burning ship drifted the tiny boat. All +that the crew of it could do was to keep the stern straight into the +waves and straighten her out when a great roller sent them flying. Lower +and lower appeared the hull of the _Josephine_, when an occasional +glimpse could be had of her from the crest of some huge wave. At length +she disappeared, entirely burned to the water's edge, and thus came the +end of another brave ship. One more was added to the great ocean +graveyard, already thick with the bones of many a gallant merchantman. + +"She's gone," said George soberly. + +"Yes," said John, "and what's going to happen to us?" + +"We may be picked up," exclaimed Fred hopefully. + +"And we may not," added Grant. + +"Do you know where we are?" he asked of Petersen. + +"I've no idea," was the answer. "Somewhere near the West Indies, or +maybe we're right in them now for all I know." + +"Then we'll soon find land," said Fred as cheerfully as was possible +under the circumstances. + +"I hope it isn't the land that's at the bottom of the ocean," said +George. + +"Don't be so pessimistic, Pop," urged Fred. "What's the matter with you +lately?" + +"Nothing. We're in a bad fix, that's all." + +"Look out for this wave!" warned Grant suddenly as a great mountain of +water loomed up behind them. + +The little boat was driven along at the speed of a race horse for many, +many yards, but fortunately she remained right side up. The four boys +managed their oars skillfully and Petersen steered marvelously. Now and +then some water was shipped but aside from that no harm came to them. + +Gradually the wind died down and the storm abated. Night had now come +upon them, however, and they were in a sorry plight. + +"Where are the other boats?" asked Grant when an hour of silence had +elapsed. + +"I've no idea," said Fred. "Has any one seen them?" + +No one had. At least every one denied it but Sam, and as he had not once +looked around him there was no chance that he had seen anything. Now he +was asleep. He had made no move to help in any way and seemed to take it +for granted that the others would look after him. His last words before +he had closed his eyes were, "Dat Finn." + +"We've got some provisions, anyway," said John. + +"Yes," agreed George, "but how long do you think they'll last?" + +"Plenty long enough to keep us going until we are picked up." + +"Don't be so sure of that," George advised. "At any rate, we have no +water, and that's even more important than food." + +"Yes, we have, too, Pop," corrected Fred. "It's right under my feet." + +"Yes, salt water, though," grumbled George. + +"Not at all. There's a cask of fresh water right here in the bottom of +the boat." + +"Give me some, then," exclaimed George eagerly. "I'm half dead with +thirst as it is now." + +"Don't drink it now, Pop," urged Grant. "We may be hard pressed for +water, as you say, and I think we'd all better wait till morning. Then +we can take stock of just what we have here." + +"That's right, Grant," agreed John heartily. "Don't you think so, too, +Petersen?" + +"I do. We can surely get along without food and water until light comes, +but in a day or so we may need it very badly." + +"You think we'll be out here that long?" demanded Fred. + +"I don't know. Still you never can tell, and it's always well to be +prepared." + +"You're right," acknowledged George. "At any rate, I don't want any +water." + +It was a characteristic of these four boys that they were usually +cheerful under any and all conditions. No matter how hard a thing might +be, they bore it willingly if it was necessary. They made complaints if +they thought it was unnecessary, but when they knew it was the only +thing to be done they never raised a murmur. No sportsman ever complains +of a thing that is fair, and what is best for the most people is always +fair. + +Hour after hour dragged by. To the little band on board the life-boat it +seemed as if morning would never come. The storm had passed, but the +water was still rough and the night still inky dark. Now and again the +boys dozed off and caught a few winks of sleep. No attempt to row had +been made for several hours. Petersen steered the boat and was the only +one who did not rest. Incessantly through the long night he guided the +little craft and watched over the safety of those on board. + +At last morning came. The first faint streaks of light thrust their rosy +fingers up over the eastern horizon and soon the whole sky was covered +with an orange glow. Little by little the faint outlines of the +occupants of the life boat became visible. What a sorry looking crew it +was, too. Disheveled, dirty and unkempt, they plainly showed the effects +of their harrowing experience. + +As the light crept over the ocean it showed some of the party asleep. +The others were haggard and worn looking and seemed to have but small +concern as to what happened to them. They lolled on the cross seats in a +listless way, not at all interested in the beautiful sunrise. They were +more concerned in their own welfare than in the beauties of Nature. + +"Oh, hum," yawned Sam, raising himself from the position in which he had +lain all night. "We sho' has had a powerful lot of hard--" + +He caught sight of Petersen and suddenly ceased talking. A change came +over his face as he recognized the man to whom he charged the hard luck +that had overtaken them. Hate spread itself over the features of the +superstitious negro and his breath came in short gasps as if some one +was choking him. + +"Dar yo' are!" he exclaimed fiercely. "Dar yo' are, yo' hard luck Finn. +I'll fix yo'," and he started to make his way towards the stern of the +boat to the spot where his enemy was seated. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +A DESPERATE STRUGGLE + + +"Sit down, Sam! Sit down!" cried Fred, who was placed nearest him. +"What's the matter with you? Are you crazy?" + +Sam, however, made no answer. He strode forward toward the object of his +hatred, paying no attention to Fred's words and showing an absolute +disregard of the danger of falling overboard. Fortunately in this peril +the boat was heavy and very steady. + +"Get back there!" cried Fred in alarm, trying to grab Sam's arm. + +"Lemme go," said Sam roughly, knocking Fred's hand aside. + +"Grab him, John. Grab him," shouted Fred as the excited negro made his +way past the seat where he was located. + +"Lemme go," said Sam darkly, and seeing the look on his face John drew +back instinctively. + +"Hold him, Grant! Grab him, Pop!" shrieked Fred, at the same time rising +to his feet and attempting to catch Sam from behind. + +He was too late, however. Sam, seeing that he might be balked in his +purpose, took no more chances. He made one flying leap almost over the +heads of Grant and George, who were waiting to seize him. This was done +so unexpectedly that the two boys were taken by surprise, and though +they tried to do as Fred had begged them, they were unsuccessful. Sam +tripped and fell forward, but when he landed he fell squarely on top of +his enemy. + +The boat rocked dangerously. Fred was thrown from his feet and fell +headlong to the bottom of the boat. In falling his head struck one of +the thwarts, so stunning him that he was unable to move. + +"Separate 'em, Grant!" cried John. "Stop that fight!" + +Grant threw himself upon the contestants and tried to pinion Sam's arms +behind his back. The negro and the sailor were both powerful men, +however, and Grant was thrown violently backward as though he had been a +mere fly. George caught him just in time to prevent his going overboard. + +"I can't stop them," he gasped. + +"Hit him on the head," cried John. "Do anything. Make 'em stop. Here, +let me get down there," he begged. + +"Sit down," shouted George. "Sit down, John, or you'll have us all +upset." + +"No, I won't, either. Let me get by." + +"Sit down, String," begged Grant. "Keep your seat." + +"Take this oar, then," cried John. "Hit that coon on the head with it." + +"It's too big," exclaimed Grant. "Give me something smaller and I'll hit +him all right." + +The two men in the stern of the boat were locked in each other's +embrace. Sam had had the advantage, for he had landed on top of his +adversary. Petersen, however, had muscles of steel, hardened by years of +service and labor on shipboard. He tried to grab the black man by the +throat. The two slipped to the bottom of the boat, where they struggled +for the mastery until the veins stood out on their temples and the sweat +rolled from them in streams. Their breath came in gasps. It was a +strange sight that the early tropical sun looked down upon. + +They wrestled and writhed about on the bottom of the boat, first one on +top and then the other. It seemed miraculous that they did not go +overboard. The space in which they struggled was so limited that it was +next to impossible for any one of the boys to get himself in a position +to separate the fighters. Several times Grant tried, but he was always +driven back, and after several narrow escapes from falling into the +water he gave up the attempt. Fred still lay quietly in the bow, too +dazed to be of assistance. + +"We must stop this," cried John. "They'll kill each other." + +"I know it, String," agreed Grant, "but what can we do?" + +"Hit Sam over the head. He's the one that started it." + +"I can't get to his head. His feet are pointed this way and every time I +try I get a few swift kicks and nothing more." + +"But we must do something to stop them," urged George. + +"All right, Pop," said Grant grimly. "You suggest something." + +"Isn't there a club in the boat?" + +"I don't see any." + +"Throw water on them." + +"We might do that," exclaimed Grant. "Hand me that canvas bucket, +String." + +Grant filled it to the brim with water and then soused it as nearly as +he could into the faces of the fighters. The only effect it seemed to +have was to revive them both and the struggle was continued with renewed +fury. + +"That won't do," cried Grant. + +"It seems to be a question of who will weaken first," remarked John, +grimly. "I guess we'll have to sit and watch until that time." + +"Not at all," exclaimed George. "I say we all pile on and make them +quit." + +"And all go overboard if we try that," said Grant. "You forget that +we're in a boat, Pop." + +"Let me up there, then," urged George. "I'm sure I can end the fight." + +Grant gave way to his comrade, only too willing to let some one else try +his hand at the problem. They changed places carefully and George +prepared to put his plan into execution. + +"You better stay here beside me, Grant," he exclaimed suddenly. + +"What for?" + +"We'll each grab a foot and pull for all we're worth." + +"What good will that do?" + +"If we can pull one of them away it ought to stop the fight, oughtn't +it? A man can't fight with himself." + +"All right," agreed Grant. "We'll see what we can do, anyway." + +"Be careful now," advised George as Grant took his place beside him. +"This is pretty ticklish business." + +The two boys knelt side by side on one of the seats. They leaned +forward, eagerly waiting for a chance to seize the infuriated negro by +his feet. This was no easy task, however, for his feet flew in all +directions and kicked viciously backward, so that a few bruises were the +sole results of the first attempts of the two boys. + +"Hit him on the shins," advised John. "That'll fix him." + +"We'll try this first," said Grant doggedly. His knuckles were bleeding +and his forearms were sore from the treatment he had received from Sam's +boots. The pain made him angry and more determined than ever to +accomplish his purpose. + +The fight was now desperate, even more so than before. No human beings +could continue at such a killing pace for long, however. Sam still had +the advantage which he had held from the beginning. His great powerful +hands were now feeling for Petersen's throat, and from the expression in +the Finn's eyes it was evident that he could not hold out much longer. +Help must come to him and come quickly. + +"I've got him," cried Grant suddenly as he caught hold of one of Sam's +feet. "Grab the other one, Pop. Quick." + +George grabbed all right, and held on, too. He received a blow over an +eye which opened up an ugly cut, but still he hung on desperately. + +"Now, pull!" shouted John. "Pull with all your might!" + +Both boys exerted themselves to the utmost. They braced themselves and +pulled with all the strength that was in them. It was difficult for them +even to hang on, however, for Sam struggled desperately and the two boys +were thrown all about. Still they retained their hold. + +"You've got him," encouraged John. "Hold him." + +Suddenly Sam doubled up his legs, drawing both Grant and George forward, +almost on their faces. Then quick as a flash he shot out with both feet, +striking the two boys each full in the chest. Their grip was torn loose +and they were sent sprawling backward, over the seat onto John, who too +was bowled over so that all four boys lay in a heap on the bottom of the +boat. + +Grant was the first to regain his senses, and a strange sight greeted +his eyes. Sam and Petersen were now on their feet, still locked in each +other's arms. Suddenly the Finn wrenched an arm free and drawing back +struck the negro a stunning blow squarely between the eyes. Sam's arms +half dropped to his sides and he reeled drunkenly. Then quick as a flash +he once more seized his enemy in his embrace and a moment later the two +men went overboard. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +A SORRY PLIGHT + + +There was a great splash. The sturdy life-boat rocked dangerously and +then all was still. + +John and George had now lifted themselves from their fallen position and +all three boys peered eagerly about. + +"Where are they? What happened?" demanded John. + +"They went overboard," exclaimed Grant. + +"But where are they?" + +"There they are, over there," cried George. "Get out the oars." + +A dark head appeared for an instant and then sank beneath the surface of +the water once more. + +"That's Sam," cried John excitedly. "Swing the boat around." + +"I'm doing my best," panted George as he dipped one oar deep into the +water and pulled with all his might. In response to his efforts the boat +came around until it was directly over the spot where Sam's head had +appeared. John and Grant hung over the sides ready to seize the negro +the moment he was seen again. + +"There he is," cried Grant suddenly, and he made a lunge at Sam, who had +come to the surface for the second time. + +"Get him?" demanded John. + +"Yes. Help me, somebody!" + +John sprang to his assistance and a moment later the two boys dragged +the half-drowned negro over the side into the boat. + +"Where's Petersen?" demanded Grant, loosing his hold on Sam and allowing +him to sink to the bottom of the boat. "Have you seen him, Pop?" + +"No," said George, "I haven't. I've looked everywhere for him, too." + +Fred had now recovered somewhat from the blow he had received and he +joined the others in their search for the missing sailor. The four boys +stood up in the boat and peered about them anxiously in every direction. + +"Are you sure he didn't come up, Pop?" asked Grant. + +"I told you I've been looking for him," said George. "I haven't seen him +at all." + +"But he must have come up," protested John. + +"Maybe he did," acknowledged George. "I don't believe it, though, for +I've certainly been on the lookout." + +"What shall we do?" demanded John in dismay. + +"What can we do?" said George. + +"But he'll drown." + +"He probably has already," said Grant. "Think how long he's been under." + +"And you mean to say we'll never even find his body?" said John, almost +unnerved by the sudden catastrophe. + +"We're going to look, anyway," said Grant decidedly. + +"Suppose we row around in a circle for a while," Fred suggested. + +"We can try at least," said Grant, and fitting the oars into the +oarlocks the four boys rowed slowly about, all the time keeping a sharp +lookout in all directions. Meanwhile Sam lay motionless on the bottom of +the boat. For at least half an hour the search was continued, but not +one glimpse of the missing Petersen did they secure. + +"I'm afraid it's no use," exclaimed Grant at last. + +"I guess not," agreed John. "It wouldn't do us any good if we did find +him now. He's surely drowned by this time." + +"No doubt of it," said Grant. + +"And there's the fellow who did it," exclaimed George, pointing to Sam, +who still lay huddled in a heap in the stern. No one had paid the +slightest attention to the negro since he had been hauled aboard. He was +exhausted, but in no danger, as could be plainly seen from his regular +and heavy breathing. + +"We ought to throw him overboard, too," said John. + +"He's not entirely to blame," said Grant. "He's ignorant and +superstitious and doesn't know any better, but we do, and we must act +accordingly." + +"He committed a crime, though," said John, "and we ought to hand him +over to the authorities." + +"What authorities?" said Grant with a grim smile. "Just look around you. +There isn't even a boat or a bit of land in sight, let alone +authorities." + +"Then we ought to punish him ourselves," insisted John. + +"Who are we to do a thing like that!" said George. "We've no right to +take the law into our own hands." + +At this moment Sam stirred and finally sat up. He was soaking wet still +and very weak. He blinked at the sun, which was now shining brightly, +and looked dazedly about him. The four boys watched him in silence. + +"Where is I?" demanded Sam at length. + +"Where do you think you are?" exclaimed John. "You're in a boat." + +"De _Josephine_," muttered Sam. "Where am de _Josephine_?" + +"As though you didn't know," said John scornfully. "You needn't try to +bluff us." + +"What dat?" said Sam in a puzzled way. "What dat you say?" + +"I said you knew just as well as we do where the _Josephine_ is," +said John, "and that you needn't try to bluff us, either." + +The black man looked straight at John as though he did not understand a +word that was said to him. His face was an absolute blank and if he was +acting, he certainly did it well. He glanced down at his clothes. + +"Ah's all wet," he murmured to himself. + +"I suppose you don't remember jumping into this boat and being out here +all night," exclaimed John skeptically, though he was nettled by Sam's +appearance of innocence. + +Sam merely looked at him and shook his head. + +"How about your fight with--" + +"Keep quiet, John," said Grant sharply. "Don't mention that yet." + +"What dat?" asked Sam, looking curiously from one boy to the other. + +"Nothing, Sam," said Grant quickly. "Don't you remember the fire?" + +"De fire?" said Sam, completely mystified. "Wha' fire?" + +"On the _Josephine_," exclaimed John. "Don't you know that she +burned to the water's edge?" + +"Ah does remember dat fire now," said Sam eagerly, a gleam of +understanding showing in his face. "She done come out ob de hatchway, +didn't she?" + +"It did," agreed Grant. "After that don't you remember how we all jumped +into the boats and rowed away? Don't you remember that?" + +"'Deed Ah don't," said Sam. "Ah don't remembah a thing about dat ar." + +"Are you sure?" demanded John sharply. + +"Sho' Ah is," exclaimed Sam sincerely. It did not seem to the four boys +that he could be fooling, his manner seemed so earnest. + +For some moments no one on the little boat spoke a word. The boys sat +and looked at Sam, and he sat and looked at them and at the boat and the +boundless ocean stretching on every side as far as the eye could see. +Not a sign of life could be seen on it anywhere. There was no trace of +the other boats that had set out from the burning brig and it was +impossible to conjecture what had happened to them. + +Finally Sam sighed deeply and he sank back against the stern of the boat +as though he was exhausted. His eyes half closed and he yawned sleepily. + +"Ah's tired," he murmured, and straightway fell asleep once more. + +"What do you think of it?" demanded John a moment later. + +"Think of what?" asked Fred. + +"Do you think that Sam really doesn't remember all that happened?" + +"It's possible, all right," said Grant. + +"But how could it be?" John insisted. + +"Well, I'll tell you," explained Grant. "Sam was scared to death in that +storm; you all know that. He was moaning and groaning around the boat +and when the fire started he might easily have gone out of his head. +Perhaps he was even stunned by the lightning. Since that time he has +been in a state of unconsciousness, and now he doesn't remember a thing +that he did. Oh, I think it's perfectly possible." + +"It's certainly strange," mused George. + +"It surely is," exclaimed John. "Still if he wasn't telling the truth he +certainly is a fine actor." + +"I've heard of such things happening before," remarked Fred. + +"What do you mean?" said John. + +"Why, people being in sort of a blank state when they do things that +they don't remember at all later." + +"What made Sam that way?" said John. + +"I told you," exclaimed Grant. "He was so frightened it probably drove +him temporarily out of his head. Unconsciously he blamed it all on poor +Petersen so that when he saw him right here in the same boat, his one +idea was to get revenge." + +"Can we blame him then?" said Fred. "If a man doesn't know what he is +doing, is he responsible?" + +"I'd hate to decide that," said Grant. "At the same time I don't see how +we can hold it against him, especially when he doesn't know what it +was." + +"When we get back to civilization we may have to tell on him though," +remarked John. "Don't you think we'll have to do that?" + +"Wait till we get there," advised Grant. "From the look of things right +now, it doesn't seem that we are going to get there very soon." + +"It's funny we don't see any boats," said George. + +"Or land," added John. + +"How about some food?" exclaimed Fred. "We haven't eaten in a long time +you know." + +"That's right," Grant agreed. "We can eat something anyway. Somebody +open up the food, and the water too." + +Ample provisions for several days were found to have been placed aboard +and the taste of food worked wonders with the unfortunate boys. They +were sparing of it, however, and even more careful of their water +supply. While in all probability they would be picked up before long by +some passing steamer, it was deemed advisable to go slowly. The rations +apportioned were divided into five equal parts, the four boys quickly +consuming their shares while Sam's was kept out for him until he should +awaken. + +"Don't a good many steamers pass this way?" said Fred. + +"I don't know," said Grant grimly. "Where are we?" + +"Somewhere near the West Indies, I suppose," said Fred. + +"Perhaps we are," Grant agreed. "Personally I don't know." + +"Shall we row?" suggested John. + +"What's the use?" exclaimed Fred. "We don't know which way to go." + +"I've a compass, you know," said George. + +"That won't help us now, I'm afraid," said Grant. "If we knew where we +were, it might." + +"We're in the tropics all right from the feeling of that sun," said +John. + +All day long the little party drifted idly about on the ocean. The water +was almost still, as there was hardly a breath of air stirring. Not a +sail appeared to break the monotony of the scene and the boys began to +feel worried. The sun was scorching and they had no protection at all. +Finally, night came with a welcome fall in temperature, but otherwise +they were not one whit better off. They seemed just as far from rescue +as ever. + + + + +CHAPTER IX + +IN SEARCH OF LAND + + +When next the sun rose it shone upon a very disconsolate and discouraged +little band. The four boys and their negro companion were becoming very +downhearted. Thus far they had not seen a sign of a boat. It almost +seemed as if they were on a desert ocean, for in these days of +world-wide commerce there are few nooks and crannies of the seven seas +not visited by the merchant fleets. + +Sam was the most cheerful person on board. Food and sleep had restored +his spirits wonderfully and with the characteristic trait of his race, +he was almost satisfied as long as he had those two things. No one had +mentioned his fight with Petersen to him. If he did not remember it, +there was no use in telling him about it. The four boys decided to watch +him closely, however, in case he was acting a part. If such was the case +he would surely betray himself sooner or later. + +The sun was just a little way above the horizon and a scanty breakfast +was being served on board the boat. John had just arisen from his seat +to help himself to a big sailor-cracker. He turned and glanced at the +newly risen sun and suddenly stopped short, the cracker half way to his +mouth. + +"What's the matter, String?" demanded Fred, noticing his friend's +action. + +"Land!" cried John, excitedly. + +"Where?" exclaimed the others in one breath, at the same time springing +to their feet utterly regardless of whether the boat upset or not. + +"Right over there," said John, pointing. "I see hills and palm trees." + +"Well, I don't," exclaimed George a moment later. "You're dreaming, +String." + +"I am not," said John insistently. "Don't any of you fellows see it?" + +"It's a mirage," said Grant. "You don't see anything, String." + +"Mirage, nothing!" cried John hotly. "I see land and if you all weren't +so stupid you'd see it too." + +"Maybe you can see it because you are so much taller than we are," +suggested Fred. + +"Stand up on one of the seats then," said John. "That'll make you as +tall as I." + +George quickly followed this advice, but he could see no land. Grant, +too, tried it but he was no more successful. They all began to make fun +of John. + +"Something has gone to your head, String," teased George. "You're seeing +things." + +John, however, was so angry by this time that he would not pay the +slightest attention to such remarks. His face was flushed and he still +stared sullenly out across the water in the direction of the rising sun. +Suddenly his jaw dropped, and a look of amazement spread itself over his +features. His eyes were round with surprise. + +"It's gone," he exclaimed in consternation. + +"Ha, ha," laughed George, derisively. "I told you it was a mirage." + +"Perhaps, the wind blew it away," suggested Fred. + +"You all think you're pretty smart," said John, a half-foolish grin on +his face. "I swear I thought I saw land over there." + +"Well, I tell you what we do," suggested Grant. "String thought he saw +land over in that direction, but it's gone now. Just the same I say we +row that way and see what we can see." + +"What's the point in that?" demanded Fred. "You don't really think he +saw anything, do you?" + +"No, I don't. At the same time we can't be any worse off than we are +now, and String's seeing the mirage may have been an omen. Perhaps there +is land somewhere over there after all." + +"I'm willing," agreed George. "What do you say?" + +"Let's try it," exclaimed Fred. "As Grant says we can't be any worse off +than we are now. Perhaps we'll be better." + +"Ah think dat's a fine idea," said Sam enthusiastically. "Ah can row, +too." + +"No, you steer," directed Grant. "Give me your compass, Pop, and set a +course for him. You follow it exactly, Sam." + +"Ah sho' will," agreed Sam, delighted at the idea of having no work to +do and the responsibility of steering the boat. + +"I guess I'm not a pretty handy sort of a fellow to have around," George +remarked with a grin as he took the compass from around his neck and +handed it to Sam. "I haven't written in my diary lately, though." + +"Have you still got that with you, Pop?" exclaimed John. + +"Surely. You don't think I'd lose that, do you?" + +"I thought you might in all this mixup." + +"No, indeed," said George warmly. "I wouldn't lose my diary for +anything." + +"Give Sam the course to steer," exclaimed Grant. "You all talk so much." + +"All right," laughed George, and setting the compass on the bottom of +the boat between the negro's feet he directed him to steer a little +south of east. This was the direction in which John had seen his phantom +island. + +"I have a plan," said Fred. "I say we all row steadily for an hour +without looking around. At the end of that time we'll all stand up and I +feel sure we'll see land not far away." + +"How are you going to tell when the hour is up?" inquired John. "There +isn't a watch in the whole crowd that will run. I'm afraid it's too warm +for even the sun to be on time." + +"Then we'll have to guess at it. Is everybody agreeable?" + +"Suppose a boat appears ahead of us," suggested George. "We might never +see it." + +"Sam is facing that way," said Fred. "He will see it and can tell us. +Unless he sees a boat, though, he is not to say a word." + +"That's a go," said Grant. "Is everybody ready?" + +The word was given and the life-boat shot forward on its course. The +game being played served to cheer up the members of the little party and +as a matter of fact no one had remained greatly worried about their +condition for any length of time. Youth is always hopeful and every one +on board had always had the feeling deep in his heart that they would be +rescued before long. Lack of food and water had not assailed them as +yet. + +"The hour must be nearly up," remarked George at last. + +"Huh," snorted Fred. "I don't believe we've been going over twenty +minutes." + +"Certainly not an hour," agreed Grant. "Stick to it a while longer, +Pop." + +"All right," sighed George, "but I know we've been working at least an +hour." + +"You never worked an hour in your life," said John. "How do you know how +long it is?" + +"I warn you not to talk like that," said George, pretending to be angry. +"I am sitting right behind you, you know, and it would be no trouble at +all for me to give you a good, swift punch in the middle of the spine." + +"Oh, Pop," exclaimed Fred. "How bloodthirsty you're getting." + +"I'm thirsty for a drink of water, that's sure," exclaimed George. + +"You'll have to wait until the hour is up," said Grant. + +"I say it's up now." + +"The rest of us say not, though," reminded Grant. "Besides that, we're +three to your one, so we can make you do pretty much as we please." + +"Is that so?" exclaimed George haughtily. "Well, if I want to turn my +head around I don't know who could stop me." + +"Don't try it," warned Fred, who pulled the bow oar. "You'll be sorry." + +"How about Fred up there?" demanded John. + +"We've all got our backs turned to him and he may look around every +minute for all we know." + +"Sam can see him," exclaimed Grant. "Has he looked around yet, Sam?" + +"Ah ain't seen him if he has," replied Sam, grinning from ear to ear and +showing a double row of ivory teeth. + +"If he does, you just tell us," said Grant, "and we'll fix him." + +"Yas, sah," grinned Sam. "Ah'll report all right." + +"Seen any boats yet, Sam?" demanded George. + +"No," said Sam before Grant could stop him. + +"Look here, Pop," exclaimed Grant hotly, "you ought not to have asked +him that question. We made an agreement not to look around, but what's +the use if you aren't going to live up to it?" + +"Did I look around?" demanded George. + +"No, but--" + +"Well, that's all I agreed to." + +"I know, but--" + +"Seen any land, Sam?" asked George. He knew how angry he was making +Grant, but one of his main objects in life was to tease people. + +"Ah ain't sayin'," said Sam warily. "Yo' all ain't gwine to ketch me +nappin' again." + +"That's right, Sam," exclaimed Grant; "don't you answer a single +question that any one asks you." + +"Oh, Grant," mocked George, at the same time pitching his voice like a +girl's. "I think you're just horrid." + +"Hit him, somebody!" exclaimed Fred laughingly. "Don't let him live." + +At this moment, however, George, who had been paying more attention to +the conversation than the rowing, caught a crab. He lost his balance +completely and toppled over backward, sprawling at full length on the +bottom of the boat. As a consequence the whole crew was disorganized. +The agreement not to look around was entirely forgotten and all heads +were turned to look at George. + +Suddenly John stood up in the boat and cheered at the top of his voice. + +"Look there!" he cried. "There's land this time, all right!" + + + + +CHAPTER X + +ASHORE + + +All eyes were immediately turned in the direction in which John pointed. +Sure enough, and every one saw it this time, land appeared far off on +the distant horizon. It could be seen only faintly, but there was no +mistaking it. The low-lying shore and the outline of a few hills were +plainly visible. + +"What do you think of that?" exclaimed Grant joyously. "It certainly +looks as if our luck had turned." + +"Sho' it has," said Sam readily. "Soon as we lef' dat hard luck Finn Ah +knowed we'd be all right. Ah suttinly is glad Ah is not in de same boat +wid him." + +These words of Sam threw a sudden damper upon every one in the boat. The +four boys looked at one another in consternation and much of their joy +at the sight of land was taken away by the recollection of the tragic +end of their shipmate Petersen. Sam, however, seemed entirely +unconscious of having said anything out of the way. His face was +wreathed in smiles and showed nothing but satisfaction, now that he was +separated from Petersen. If any doubt had still lingered in the boys' +minds as to Sam's sincerity that doubt was now dispelled. There was no +question at all that the negro recalled nothing of his tragic deed. + +"What's de mattah wid you gentlemen?" demanded Sam, noticing the strange +behavior of the four young sailors. + +"Nothing at all," said Grant quickly. + +"Let's row for shore," exclaimed John, doing his best to change the +subject. + +"That's what I say," agreed George, who had now picked himself up and +had taken hold of his oar once again. "I want to feel some good old +earth under my feet for a change." + +"That's right," said Grant. "Let's not waste any time." + +They dug their oars into the water and with renewed energy set out for +the distant shore. Now and again they turned around and looked ahead in +an effort to discover the character of the land they were approaching. +It was still far away, however, and not much idea could be had of it. + +"It's an island all right," said John confidently. + +"Probably," agreed Grant. "I don't think we were very near the mainland +when the _Josephine_ burned." + +"Look there," cried Fred all at once. "Look back of the boat there." + +Every one immediately stopped rowing and craned his neck to see what +Fred was pointing out. + +"What is it, Fred?" demanded George. "What do you see?" + +"Don't you see that fin?" + +"Dat Finn!" exclaimed Sam. "Where dat Finn?" + +"Not the one you mean," said Fred, smiling in spite of his evident +excitement. "I mean the fin of a fish." + +"I see it," cried John suddenly. "What is it?" + +"What is it," repeated Fred. "Don't you know?" + +"A shark?" + +"Of course it is," said Fred. "It must be a whopper, too." + +Every one else saw the fin now and involuntarily a shiver passed over +most of those on the little boat. The great black fin sailed easily and +steadily along, just cutting the top of the water. Gruesome and +forbidding it looked and straightway recalled to the minds of the four +boys the stories they had so often heard of the hordes of man-eating +sharks that infested the waters of the West Indies. + +"There's another," cried Grant suddenly. + +Sure enough another fin joined the first and one ahead of the other the +sharks cruised around the waters near the life-boat. + +"Zowie!" exclaimed George. "I guess I'm glad I'm not in the water just +now." + +"Same here," said Fred thankfully. "I wonder what they'd do to you." + +"Well, I'm not curious enough to find out," said George grimly. "They +can't touch us here in the boat, anyway." + +"That's true enough," said Grant. "I say we don't waste any more time +looking at them, either. Personally, I'd rather be ashore." + +Once more the oars were dipped into the water and the voyage was +continued. The sharks also came along and their fins could be seen first +on one side of the boat and then on the other; sometimes they appeared +in front and sometimes astern. Relentlessly they followed, however, all +the way to the shore. + +As the boat came nearer the land the boys got more of an idea of the +place they were approaching. + +"I don't see any houses," remarked John. + +"Nor I," agreed Fred. "It doesn't look as if there was a human being on +the island. It looks fertile enough, though." + +"Well, we'll know all about it before long," said Grant. "Where shall we +land?" + +"What's the matter with that little harbor straight ahead?" said Fred. + +"All right," exclaimed Grant. "Steer us in there, Sam." + +"No matter what kind of a place it is I'll certainly be glad to get on +shore again," said George eagerly. "I've had about all I want of boats +for a while." + +"I agree with you, Pop," said Fred. "I've had enough, too." + +"I wish we'd see a steamer," sighed John. + +"I wish a steamer would see us," said Grant. "I think that would be more +to the point." + +"We've simply got to be picked up soon," said John. "Our food won't last +a great many days longer." + +"It's good for a week, anyway," said Fred. "Some one will surely find us +by that time. We can hoist a flag on top of that hill up there. A +passing steamer would be sure to see it." + +"There may be people on the island for all we know," said Grant. "We +can't see it all from here and it must be at least a mile long." + +"We'll know soon, anyway," exclaimed John. "Don't run us onto any rocks +on the way in, Sam." + +"No, sah," grinned Sam. "Jes' leave dat to me." + +The shore of the island was low and sandy. Wide white beaches ran down +to the water's edge, while a short distance back were many palms and +other trees of which the boys did not know the names. As Fred remarked, +the island certainly looked fertile. Great excitement filled the breasts +of every member of the party as they neared the shore. + +"The sharks have gone," exclaimed John suddenly. + +"Sure enough," said George. "I had forgotten all about them." + +"There they are out there," said Grant indicating a spot some fifty +yards astern of the boat. "They're not alone, either." + +Ten or a dozen great fins could be seen weaving in and out in the place +Grant had indicated. + +"It must be shallow in here," remarked Fred. "That's probably why they +don't come in any closer. Look out for going aground, Sam." + +"Not de leas' dangah of dat," replied Sam confidently and whether he +knew what he was talking about or not, the fact remains that a few +moments later the bow of the boat grounded softly on the white sand, +only a few feet from the shore. + +"First ashore," cried George leaping overboard and dashing up on the +beach. + +"Hey, there! Wait a minute," shouted Grant. "We've got to pull this boat +up and we'll need everyone's help." + +"We'd better take the provisions out," said Fred a moment later when +they had hauled the boat some distance up on the shore. + +"What for?" demanded George who was always opposed to doing any more +work than was absolutely necessary. + +"Put them somewhere in the shade I say," exclaimed Fred. "Take out that +cask of water, too. Those things have been broiling in the sun too long +already." + +"Let's take everything out except the oars," said Grant. "We'll probably +be here for a couple of days and we might as well do it now as any time. +I don't believe we'll be picked up before then; at least there is a good +chance that we won't." + +"All right," agreed George. "Take everything out then. As soon as that's +done though, I'm going to see what the other side of this island looks +like." + +"We all will," said John. "Let's do this first though." + +They all fell to work with a will and soon had the the boat unloaded. +The contents were placed under a sheltering grove of mangrove trees a +short distance away. The boat was hauled a little farther up on shore +and then the boys prepared to start on their tour of inspection. Sam +followed as a matter of course. + +"Say, this is a pretty fine island," exclaimed George as they started +out. + +"Pineapples," cried Grant, excitedly. "What do you think of that?" + +"Are they ripe?" demanded George as the little band swooped down upon +the cluster of plants. + +"They certainly are," said Grant, who quickly produced his jackknife and +cut off the top of one of the pineapples. "Watch me eat it," and he +began to eat the juicy fruit with great relish. He was not far ahead of +the others, however, for soon they were all busily engaged in the same +way. + +At last they had their fill of pineapples and moved on. Banana trees +were discovered, standing in rows as if they had been planted. + +"Somebody lives on this island, or used to anyway," remarked Grant. +"Those trees never grew wild like that." + +"Of course not," said John. "It doesn't look as though they'd been +cultivated lately though." + +"We'll find out before long anyway," said Fred. "If there are people +here all I hope is that they're not cannibals." + +"Dey no cannibals heah," said Sam so seriously that every one laughed. + +"I hope not, Sam," said Fred, smiling. "I'd hate to be eaten." + +They crossed the island which was not more than a half-mile wide at this +point, and that seemed to be the average most of the way. The view was +the same as on the opposite side; not a thing to be seen but the +boundless ocean with not a speck of a sail or a bit of land within +sight. It was a little kingdom all of its own. A quarter of a mile from +shore the low rollers broke ceaselessly on a coral reef, while overhead, +the gulls swept around and around, their plaintive whistle being very +distinct at times. + +In silence the boys stood and gazed at the ocean. + +"Looks as if we were alone in the world, doesn't it?" said Fred at last. + +"It surely does," said George. "I somehow feel as if there ought to be +some sort of a big black king sitting under one of these palm trees with +about twenty slaves standing around fanning him." + +"Speaking of black," remarked John. "What has happened to Sam?" + +"He went back to the boat," said Fred, but as he spoke Sam suddenly +appeared, running towards the little group at full speed. That he was +greatly excited about something could be plainly seen from his manner. + +"What is it, Sam?" demanded Grant as the erstwhile cook came puffing and +blowing up to the spot where the four boys stood. "What's the matter?" + +"De boat," gasped Sam. "De boat am gone." + + + + +CHAPTER XI + +A SERIOUS MISHAP + + +"The boat gone!" exclaimed Grant in amazement. "What do you mean?" + +"What Ah say is dat de boat am gone, dat's all," said Sam. + +"How could it get away though?" demanded John excitedly. "Who is there +to take it?" + +"Ah don't know, sah," said Sam. "It sho' is gone though." + +"There must be some one on the island then," exclaimed John. "I don't +see how it could disappear any other way." + +"Maybe," admitted Grant. "It certainly is queer." + +The four boys stood amazed, too surprised by this sudden catastrophe at +first to do anything. It seemed almost impossible to think that such a +thing could be. + +"Are you sure you went to the right place, Sam?" demanded Fred. + +"Sho' Ah is," said Sam. "Dey is no doubt ob it." + +"Let's all go and have a look," George suggested. + +"The first sensible idea yet, Pop," exclaimed Grant. "Come on, +everybody." + +Helter skelter and making as fast time as they could, the little party +set out to retrace their steps to their landing place. Fear filled their +hearts, not only on account of the disappearance of their boat, but also +because there was the chance that some one else was on the island who +might have stolen it. Not that the boys would not have been glad to see +other people, but because they feared that the strangers might turn out +to be enemies. Certainly, if they were friends, it seemed queer they +should steal the boat. + +It was not long before they came to the little harbor. Grant was the +first to reach the water's edge and he looked about him eagerly, for +traces of the missing boat. + +"Here's where it was," exclaimed Fred. + +"There isn't even a mark on the beach where it was pulled up," said +John. "That's a queer thing it seems to me." + +"You're sure this is the spot?" said Grant. + +"I know it is," said George, confidently. "There is no doubt of it." + +"See any footprints around?" asked Fred. + +"None at all," replied John. "What do you think of it all?" + +"What do you think, Grant?" inquired George. Grant was always the one to +whom the other boys turned when there was any question to be settled. + +Grant stood on the beach and gazed fixedly out to sea. + +"What are you looking at?" demanded John. + +"I'm looking at our boat," replied Grant quietly. + +"What!" exclaimed Fred. "Where is it?" + +"Right out there," said Grant, pointing to a white speck that could be +faintly seen far out on the water. + +"But how did it get there?" insisted Fred. + +"It floated," said Grant quietly, "and I'll tell you how. You know we +pulled it up on the shore, but I'm afraid we didn't pull it far enough. +While we were away, the tide must have come in and floated it off. There +it goes, and here we stay, I guess." + +"Don't be so sure of that," exclaimed George, and he began to divest +himself of his few remaining clothes as rapidly as possible. + +"What do you think you're going to do, Pop?" demanded Grant. + +"I'm going after that boat." + +"By swimming?" + +"Of course. How else could I reach it?" and by this time George was +almost stripped to his skin. + +"Don't be silly, Pop," exclaimed Fred. "That boat is at least a +half-mile from shore and you couldn't possibly catch it. It's getting +farther away all the time." + +"It's worth a try, isn't it?" demanded George. "You don't want to stay +here the rest of your life, do you?" He was a splendid swimmer and had +won many prizes in this line of sport. At the same time what he proposed +to attempt now was most ambitious. + +"You're crazy, Pop," said Grant earnestly. "You can't possibly make it." + +"I'll tell you that later," said George doggedly, and he made as if to +start down the beach. John, however, seized him and held him firmly. + +"Please don't try it," he begged. "You'll only drown." + +"Let me go," exclaimed George. + +"Think ob dem sha'ks," said Sam. "Dey's millions ob dem out dar." + +"That's right, Pop," cried Grant. "Think of those sharks. Even if you +could swim that far the sharks would get you." + +"Put your clothes on again," said Fred. "We need you worse than we do +the boat." + +The argument about the sharks had more influence on George than anything +else. He did not mind the ocean, but the thought of its hungry +inhabitants was too much for him. He yielded to the pleas of his +comrades and slowly began to put on his clothes. + +"What'll we do?" he said dazedly. "It looks as if we were stranded." + +"I guess we are," agreed Grant grimly. "We'll have to sit here and wait +until some steamer happens by and picks us up." + +"But how will any one know we're here?" said George. + +"We'll hoist a flag." + +"That's all right, but where are we going to get a flag?" + +"I'll show you," exclaimed Grant, and he made his way to the spot where +their stores and provisions were piled. A moment later he returned with +the canvas tarpaulin that had been used as a cover. "Here's our flag," +he said, waving the heavy piece of canvas around his head. + +"It's too heavy," objected John. "It would take a gale to make that +stand out." + +"It is heavy," admitted Grant. "I don't know of anything else we can use +though." + +"Except my shirt," said George quickly. "That'll make a real flag." + +"But what will you wear?" said John. + +"Nothing maybe," replied George, cheerfully. "In this climate I don't +believe any one would suffer much from lack of clothes." + +"Probably not," Grant agreed. "Why use your shirt in preference to any +one else's though." + +"Because I offer it first." + +"All right," laughed Grant. "Pass it over." + +George handed his shirt to Grant and soon the seams were ripped so that +it covered the largest amount of possible space. "Now for a flag-pole," +exclaimed Grant. + +"I'll attend to that," exclaimed Fred and he straightway fell upon a +nearby tree with his jackknife. He cut off one of the longest and +straightest branches after considerable trouble, and presented it for +his companions' approval. "How's that?" he demanded proudly. "It's about +thirty feet long and stuck up on top of that hill, it could be seen for +a long, long distance." + +"We'll now go up and raise the flag," cried Grant, and leading the way +he set out for the top of the hill. + +"Look at the brook," exclaimed John suddenly, after they had covered +about half the distance to their destination. + +"It's not a very big one," remarked George as he stepped across the tiny +stream. "I wonder where it comes from." + +"We can follow it and see," said Grant. "If the water is good to drink, +we are in luck, for we may need it desperately before long." + +"It looks clear enough," said Fred. "I'll taste of it." + +"Wait till we find the source," advised Grant. "We can tell better then +whether it is good or not." + +They soon discovered the origin of the little stream. Set in among a +grove of scrub palmetto trees was a spring. The water bubbled merrily +out into a little pool, the bottom of which was covered with shining +white pebbles. + +"That looks all right to me," exclaimed Fred eagerly and a moment later +he was flat on his stomach, taking long draughts of the clear water. + +"Whew, that's fine," he said enthusiastically, as he rose to his feet +once more and sighed with satisfaction. + +"Is it cool?" asked John. + +"It's almost cold," said Fred. "Why don't you try it?" + +John did try it and so did every one else. All pronounced it to be just +as Fred had described it. "We can live for a long while on that water +and the fruit that's here," remarked Fred. "We won't have to worry about +starving anyway." + +"Just the same we want to get our flag up," exclaimed Grant. "Let's do +it now and get it over with." + +Without further delay they proceeded to the top of the hill. There were +no trees on the summit and for a space of two or three hundred yards, +the ground was bare and unobstructed. The very highest point on the +island was selected and there a hole was dug. Sticks and knives and +fingers and anything that could be found was used in the task, for no +tools had been put in the life-boat. + +"If we only had the oars," said George, "we could have tied them all +together and made a real flag pole." + +"What's the matter with this?" demanded Fred. "It may not be very +beautiful, but it'll do the work all right. It's limber too, so that if +a high wind comes up it will bend and not break." + +"All right," exclaimed George, "put the flag on and we'll set it up." + +The sleeves were torn from George's sacrificed shirt. The sleeves in +turn were torn into strips and with these the rest of the shirt, or +rather the flag, was tied securely to the pole. + +"Hoist it up," cried George. "I must say I never expected to have my +shirt used for a flag on some deserted island though." + +"It makes a good one all right," said Grant. "That ought to be visible +for a good long distance." + +"Do you suppose any one would take the trouble to investigate if he did +see it?" inquired John skeptically. + +"Any one would certainly investigate a flag like that," laughed George. +"They'd think it was a Chinese laundry or something." + +"Maybe they'll take it for a pirate flag," suggested Fred. + +"This island looks like a good place for pirates all right," remarked +John. + + + + +CHAPTER XII + +A NEW HOME + + +That night the shipwrecked little band slept out in the open with +nothing but the stars over their heads. In fact they had no other +shelter, but the night was mild and clear and no one suffered any +discomfort. + +Thus far the boys had had no chance to explore their new home, but the +first thing the next morning they determined to do so. A plunge in the +waters of the little bay put every one in good humor. No one went very +far out, however, for in spite of the fact that they knew there was +slight chance of any shark venturing anywhere so near the shore, the +knowledge that the giants were lurking not far away cured every desire +to swim out any distance. + +Sam decided he would not join the exploring party. He had an idea that +he would be very much better off, dozing in the sun at the foot of some +palm tree. The four boys separated, Fred and Grant going together, and +John and George pairing off. + +"You two go one way," directed Grant, "and we'll go the other. If we +follow the shore we'll meet around on the other side of the island +somewhere." + +"All right," agreed John. "We'll see you later." + +"After we see what the shore of the island is like, I say we explore the +interior," said George, as he and John walked off down the beach. + +"That's what I say," exclaimed John. "That part looks more interesting." + +"It does to me, too. There are lots of birds here." + +"Do you know the names of them?" + +"No, I don't. All I know is that they are certainly beautiful. Look at +that one there," exclaimed George suddenly, as there was a flash of +scarlet showing for an instant among the trees to their left. + +"I wonder if there are any parrots here." + +"Wouldn't you like to have one?" + +"I certainly would. I'd like to take it home with me." + +"If we ever get there." + +"Of course we'll get there," said John confidently. "Don't worry about +that for a second. It's only a question of how soon it will be." + +"Don't be so sure about that, String. We don't know where we are and it +certainly seems queer that we haven't seen a single boat. That's what +worries me. If many boats went by this way, I wouldn't worry, but if no +boats come along, how are we to be picked up?" + +"But some will come." + +"They haven't yet." + +"It seems to me we ought to have a lookout," said John. "A boat might go +right by and we'd never see it at all." + +"I know it," said George. "I think we ought to take turns up on top of +the hill where the flag is." + +"I'm willing. We'll talk about it to Grant and Fred, when we meet them." + +"Look at that rock," exclaimed George suddenly. + +"What's the matter with it?" + +"Look at its shape." + +"It is queer," admitted John. "It looks like a fish." + +"Doesn't it? Maybe it's a petrified shark." + +"I guess not that," laughed John. "Still it is shaped more like a shark +than anything else, isn't it? Isn't it queer?" + +The odd shaped rock made a great impression on the two boys, and it was +a queer freak of nature. Black in color and about thirty feet long the +great bowlder stood out as a remarkable evidence of nature's handiwork. +It lay in a small opening in the midst of a grove of palm trees. The two +boys drew near to investigate more closely and were amazed at the +smoothness of its surface and the way it glistened in the sunlight. + +"This is certainly strange," exclaimed George. "It looks as if it might +have been under water for hundreds of years and was worn smooth this way +by the waves." + +"It's so different from the other rocks, too," said John. "I wonder what +made it black this way." + +"Do you notice," remarked George, "that it doesn't look so much like a +shark when you are close to it? When we first saw it, it certainly did +though." + +"Didn't it? Let's go back to that spot again." + +They retraced their steps and once more viewed the odd shaped rock from +the place where they had first caught sight of it. More than ever were +they impressed by its weird resemblance to a giant shark. + +"We'll certainly have to tell Grant and Fred about this," said John. +"We'll bring them down here to look at it too." + +The two friends resumed their walk along the shore and before many +moments had passed they caught sight of Fred and Grant. + +"What do you think they're looking at?" exclaimed George. + +"I don't know, Pop," returned John. "They certainly seem interested in +something though, don't they?" + +Fred and Grant were lying face downward on a rock which overhung the +water. Their gaze and attention seemed riveted on what they saw below +them, so that they did not even hear their friends approach. + +"What are you two looking at?" demanded George curiously. + +Grant looked up at the sound of his comrade's voice but he did not +answer. He merely beckoned with one finger and then pointed to the water +below. John and George were not long in taking their places alongside +the other two and soon they were just as engrossed in what they saw as +were their companions. + +The water was deep right up to the shore. It was also as clear as +crystal so that everything in it could be seen with remarkable +distinctness. Sand was mixed with coral on the bottom and the water was +populated with fish, and such strange fish too. All sizes, shapes and +colors they were; some almost flat with strange little pig-like mouths; +others chunky and with flat backs as though some one had hammered them +out. All of them, however, were wonderfully provided with marvelous +coloring, some of them with shades that changed from time to time. A +brilliant green ray, shaped like an eel, lay coiled about a piece of +coral; he opened his mouth with its wicked looking teeth and sucked in +the water which he could be seen to expel a moment later from his gills. + +For a long time the four boys lay and watched these things in silence. +It was like a fairy story to see all these strange inhabitants of the +tropic seas. + +"Whew," sighed Fred at length, "that's a wonderful sight." + +"I should say so," exclaimed John heartily. "This is a wonderful island +too. I am almost glad we were stranded here." + +"I'd be too," said George, "if I was only certain we were going to get +off all right." + +"Guess what Fred and I found this morning," said Grant. + +"It wasn't any more wonderful than what Pop and I saw," retorted John. + +"What did you see?" demanded Grant. + +"A rock that's shaped just like a shark." + +"Huh," snorted Fred. "That's not half as good as what we found." + +"Tell us what it was then," said George. + +"Tracks," said Grant. + +"Tracks. What kind of tracks?" + +"Can't you guess?" + +"Not railroad?" suggested George and he put up his arm as though he +expected to have to ward off a blow. + +"Don't be silly, Pop," exclaimed Grant. "Of course they weren't." + +"Man tracks?" queried John. + +"No," said Fred. "They were goat tracks." + +"Is that right?" exclaimed George. "Did you see any goats?" + +"No, but we saw a good many tracks." + +"I told you this was a wonderful island," said John heartily. "You see +we've even got a herd of goats here." + +"I don't know what good they'll do us though," said Fred. + +"Why not?" demanded John. "If we can catch one we can have it to eat." + +"That's all right," said Fred, "but how are you going to cook it without +fire?" + +"We'll build one of course." + +"Without matches?" + +"Pop has some matches. Haven't you, Pop?" inquired John. + +"Why, certainly," said George with a great air of importance. "I have +everything of that kind. Wasn't I the fellow who had the compass too? I +keep a diary and I have a compass and I have some matches in a +waterproof box. Who says that I'm not a good man to have on any party?" + +"Oh, you're a fine fellow all right," laughed Grant. "Personally I don't +know what good your compass will do us though. Your matches are all +right and I advise you to be very careful with them." + +"Leave that to me," said George. "I'll be careful all right." + +"Who's going to catch these goats?" demanded Fred. + +"We haven't gotten as far as that yet," said Grant laughingly. "I guess +we'll have to put salt on their tails." + +"Not at all," exclaimed John seriously. "We'll make spears and get them +that way. To-morrow we'll have a goat hunt." + +"Maybe we will," said George skeptically. "Just at present though, I say +we do a little more exploring. We haven't seen much of the interior of +the island yet." + +"Come along then," cried Grant. "We'll all go." + +With Grant in the lead, they started. Every moment added to the new +delights the little island afforded. The tropical foliage was brilliant +and the bird-life seemed endless in its variety. The sides of the small +hill which the exploring party was ascending, however, were rocky and +when they were about halfway up, Grant suddenly stopped short in +surprise. + +"Look there," he exclaimed. "There's a cave." + +A dark opening in the rocks showed just ahead and there was a mad race +to see which boy should arrive at the spot first. It was a steep ascent, +but just in front of the cave was a flat ledge of rocks some ten or +fifteen feet wide which made a sort of front yard. + +Grant was the first to reach the entrance and even before he looked into +the cave he stopped and picked up two objects from the ground at his +feet. + +"What have you got?" demanded John. + +Grant held the two articles in question up to view. "An old flint-lock +pistol and a powder-horn," he said. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII + +AN IRON CHEST + + +"Say," exclaimed George, "where do you suppose they came from?" + +"Somebody dropped them here, I suppose," said Grant dryly. + +"Of course," said George, ignoring his friend's sarcasm, "but who was +it? It must have been a long time ago though. See how that pistol is all +rusted and eaten away. I don't believe they've used that kind of a +pistol in two hundred years, either." + +"Well, John said this island looked like a good one for pirates," +remarked Fred. "Maybe pirates left these things here." + +"Do you suppose so?" exclaimed George eagerly. "If there were pirates +here do you think they could have buried any treasure on the island?" + +"I don't know, I'm sure," laughed Grant. "Even if they did, I don't see +just how it would do us any good." + +"Can't we look for it?" demanded George. + +"Where shall we look?" + +"Maybe they left directions as to where it was buried." + +"Say," exclaimed John, "speaking of directions, what happened to that +code we were looking at on board the _Josephine_? I suppose it +burned up with the ship." + +"Oh, no it didn't," said Grant. "It went right into my hip pocket and +that's where it has been ever since and where it is right now." + +"Why don't you decipher it, Grant?" said Fred. + +"Oh, yes," said Grant grimly, "why don't I? It's so easy you know." + +"Well, it can be done," insisted Fred firmly. + +"Of course it can," laughed George. "The only trouble is we don't know +how." + +"We don't even know it is a code," said Grant. + +"Petersen said it was," Fred objected. + +"I know it," said Grant, "but he wasn't sure of it. That was only his +opinion." + +"Didn't the water and everything hurt it?" asked George. + +"Not a bit. Here it is; you can see for yourself," and Grant produced +the piece of parchment from his pocket. He unfolded it while his three +companions crowded eagerly around him to inspect the strange document +once again. No light was thrown on its secret, if it had one, however, +and the same baffling maze of numbers confronted the boys. + +"Put it away," cried John impatiently. "I think it's a combination to a +safe." + +"No, it isn't either," said Fred. "It's a code I tell you and I think +that some one of us ought to be able to read it." + +"What good would it do if you did?" demanded John. "Certainly it can't +apply to this island, and I say we forget it and inspect this cave now. +That is much more to the point." + +"Put it away, Grant," said Fred. "To-morrow though, I'm going to get to +work on it and see if I can't make something out of it." + +"I'll help you," said Grant. + +"That's the way," cried Fred enthusiastically. "Grant and I will find +the money and Pop and String won't get a cent." + +"Is that so?" exclaimed George. "Well, if you can find any money and not +give me my share you're a much better man than I think you are." + +"Let's not fight about the money just now," advised Grant. "We haven't +found it yet, you know." + +"I know it," exclaimed John. "I never heard such a lot of crazy talk +before either. Who's coming into the cave?" + +The entrance was about ten feet wide and was high enough so that even +John could walk in without stooping. Far down towards the back of the +cave a patch of light shone on the floor showing that somewhere else +besides the spot where the boys stood, there was an opening. + +"I can't see very well," said Fred as they stepped into the cave. + +"Neither can I," George agreed. "I'm not very anxious to go walking +around in strange dark caves either." + +"What can hurt you?" demanded John. "There isn't another soul on the +island besides ourselves and Sam." + +"That may be," admitted George. "Still there may be holes in the floor +or some kind of animals living here." + +"Well, I'm going down to where that spot of light is," said John. "Is +any one coming with me?" + +"Oh, I'll go all right," exclaimed George quickly. "All I said was that +I didn't like it much." + +"Go slow," cautioned Grant. "We don't want to run any risks." + +"I can see better now than I could," said John who was in the lead. "My +eyes are becoming more used to the dim light." + +"So are mine," said Fred. "The floor looks perfectly flat to me too, and +I think I see a box or something up ahead there." + +"I guess you do," John agreed. "I see something myself." + +They proceeded cautiously on their way until they came to the box in +question. + +"It's a chest," exclaimed John, bending over. "It's iron, too," and he +gave it a kick. The clang of the metal echoed and reechoed through the +cave producing a weird sound and sending the shivers coursing up and +down the spines of the boys. + +"It sounds hollow," said Grant in a low voice. + +"I guess it is," John agreed. + +"Lift it and see," directed George. "Aren't there any handles on it?" + +John felt around the sides of the chest and finally discovered that +there was a handle on one end. He pulled and lifted with all his might, +but not one inch could he budge it. + +"Whew, there must be something in it," he panted. "It's certainly heavy +enough." + +"It's probably full of gold," exclaimed George excitedly. "Gold is +awfully heavy." + +"Calm yourself, Pop," said Grant, but he too, was excited. In fact, the +strange cave and the chest suggested all sorts of things to the four +youths. What if they should find that the chest was full of money? +Stranger things than that have happened. + +"It certainly sounded hollow in spite of all you say," remarked Fred. +"See if all four of us can't get hold and move it." He kicked it once +more and again the weird sound rang through the cave. + +"Don't do that, Fred," begged George. "It gives me the shivers." + +"Get hold here then," exclaimed Fred. + +The combined efforts of the four boys did not even slightly move the +great chest. It was an awkward thing to handle, however, as well as very +heavy. + +"Perhaps it is empty after all," remarked Grant, as they all paused to +regain their breath. "A chest as big as that would weigh a lot all +alone." + +"Maybe," admitted Fred. "At any rate I say we get it out on the ledge in +front there where we can have a good look at it." + +"That's the idea," exclaimed George. "We can get it there if we all +help. Everybody get to work here now!" + +Pushing and hauling, grunting and groaning the young castaways bent to +their task. Little by little the great iron chest was moved closer and +closer to the entrance of the cave. The sweat poured from the boys in +streams and their arms and their backs ached. They would not give up, +however. The lure of treasure had them in its grasp and they were +determined to find out just what the contents of this chest were if such +a thing were possible. + +"Just a little more," urged Grant, and with one final effort the chest +was pushed out onto the ledge of rock in front of the cave. + +For a few moments the boys were too exhausted to do more than stand +around puffing and gasping for breath. Such a task, combined with the +heat of the tropics, would tax the strength and endurance of the +hardiest. + +"Now let's open it up," exclaimed Fred. "Where's the top?" + +"It's over on its side," said Grant. "Here's the top and it's +padlocked." + +"So it is," said Fred disappointedly. "What can we do?" + +"Get a rock," directed Grant. "It's pretty well rusted and by hammering +it we may be able to break it." + +A suitable rock was quickly found and an attack begun on the padlock. +Grant pounded away for dear life, while the others stood around and +watched him. After a few moments he stopped to inspect the result of his +efforts. + +"Think you can do it?" inquired John. + +"I don't know," said Grant. "I think I made a little impression on it, +but it'll take some time." + +"Well, I'm going back into the cave," announced John. "I'm going to +inspect that patch of light back there. When you get the box open, yell +at me." + +He disappeared in the dusk of the cave while his three companions took +turns at hammering the lock. It was stubborn, but was beginning to show +some signs of yielding and the boys stuck manfully to their task. They +seemed to be on the verge of succeeding when a great commotion inside +the cave suddenly arrested their attention. + +A moment later John burst forth. His face was ashen and his eyes bulged +wide with fear. His hands shook as if he had the ague and his breath was +almost gone. + +"What is it, John?" demanded Grant in alarm, while Fred and George also +crowded around the frightened boy. He had evidently received a terrible +shock of some kind and his three companions were greatly affected by his +appearance. + +"What's the matter?" exclaimed Grant anxiously, but all that John could +do was to mumble incoherently and point towards the interior of the +cave. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV + +AN ODD DISCOVERY + + +"John!" begged Grant. "Tell us what's the matter." + +John, however, was in no condition to say anything. He shivered and +shook, and kept glancing fearfully at the entrance to the cave as though +he expected some great ogre or dragon to emerge any moment. + +"Watch that cave, Pop," directed Grant. "Perhaps we'd better get out of +here." + +"Can't you talk, John?" exclaimed Fred. "Tell us what the trouble is." + +John gulped and swallowed hard a couple of times. He pointed towards the +cave and his lips moved, but no sound that resembled a word came from +his ashen-colored lips. + +"Come on, John," coaxed Fred. "You're all right. Tell us about it." + +John made another great effort. "That man," he managed to gasp. + +"'Man'!" cried Grant. "What man?" + +"I saw a man," said John and then he fainted. + +"This is a mess," exclaimed Grant in dismay. "What shall we do?" + +"He saw a man," said Fred in alarm. "Who could it be?" + +"How do I know?" said Grant testily. "Are you watching that cave, Pop?" + +"I certainly am. Hand me one of those rocks." + +The three boys stood on the narrow ledge of rocks in a quandary as to +what course they should pursue. Below them was the steep, rocky incline +of the hill and behind them was the cave containing they knew not what. +At their feet lay their comrade, unconscious and helpless. It was a +situation that would have worried the oldest and most hardened +adventurer. + +"We've got to get John away from here," said Grant at last. + +"We can't do it," objected Fred. "We can't carry him down this hill." + +"But suppose we're attacked," said Grant dolefully. + +"We'll have to run that risk." + +"I'm going into the cave," George announced suddenly. + +"Pop!" cried Grant in alarm. "You stay where you are." + +"Why not go in and clear up the mystery right now?" said George. "We +might just as well." + +"You're crazy," exclaimed Fred. "Don't think of such a thing." + +"Nothing hurt John," said George soberly. + +"Yes," cried Grant, "but look at him now. He was scared almost to +death!" + +The three boys gazed apprehensively at the entrance of the cave. They +all had rocks in their hands now and were ready to let them fly the +moment the man John had seen should show his head. Nothing appeared, +however. + +After a moment John stirred and opened his eyes. He looked about him in +a puzzled way as though he did not know where he was. Then he evidently +remembered his experience for he shuddered and cast a terror-stricken +glance at the dark entrance of the cave. + +"I saw a man," he repeated in a low voice. + +"What kind of a man? Who was it?" demanded Grant eagerly. "Keep your eye +on that cave, Pop," he added grimly. + +"Tell us what happened," urged Fred. + +John was much more composed now and had better control of himself. + +"I went into the cave," he began. "I walked along and didn't see a +thing. I was beginning to think that that chest was the only thing there +and I kept thinking what a strange thing it was. I had gone in to find +out where that patch of light came from you know, so when I came to it I +looked up." John stopped speaking. + +"What then?" demanded Grant in a tense voice. + +"I saw a man," said John, and he shivered violently. + +"Yes," urged Grant. "What kind of a man did you see?" + +"An old man with white hair and a long white beard." + +"What did he do?" + +"He was looking in the other end of the opening. I just took one look at +him and ran." + +"Did he see you?" + +"I don't know. I didn't wait for anything." + +"Was he alone?" + +"I think so," said John. "At least I saw only one. I suppose I am a +coward to be so frightened by an old man like that, but it was so +unexpected. The opening was narrow like a chimney-flue and it gave me +such a start to see some one at the other end." + +"Well, I don't blame you," said Grant grimly. "It would have scared me +too." + +John scrambled to his feet. "Let's go back in and see if he's still +there. I'm ashamed of the way I acted and I want to make up for it." + +"That's what I say," exclaimed George. "Clear up this business. One old +man can't hurt us very much." + +"Unless he has a gun," said Fred. + +"That's true," agreed George. "I never thought of that." + +"Not much chance of his having a gun, I guess," said Grant. "I'll risk +it anyway if the rest will." + +"Maybe it was Sam you saw," said Fred suddenly. + +"With white hair and a white beard? I guess not," laughed George grimly. + +"He might have been playing a joke on us," suggested Fred. + +"If he was, he'll never live to tell the tale," cried John fiercely. + +"If that fellow was looking through the top of that opening, he won't be +in the cave," said Grant suddenly. "Why don't we look for him on top of +the hill?" + +"That's true," agreed George. "Can we get up from here?" + +The four boys looked up to see what kind of a climb it would be. +Suddenly, Fred burst out laughing. His companions turned and looked at +him in amazement. He laughed and laughed until the tears came to his +eyes. + +"What's struck you, Fred?" demanded George angrily. + +"Oh, John," gasped Fred, when he could get his breath. "You poor +simpleton." + +"What are you talking about?" exclaimed John in surprise. + +"Did you see an old man with white hair and a long beard?" + +"Of course I did. That's what I said, didn't I?" + +"Well, there he is," and once more Fred became convulsed with merriment. + +His three companions looked in the direction he had indicated. At the +brow of the hill, alongside a large rock, and gazing curiously down at +them stood an old billy goat. His white beard gave him a most odd +appearance. + +"Is that the old man you saw?" demanded Grant, turning toward John. One +glance at his companion, however, was enough to give him his answer. A +foolish expression spread itself over John's face and he became very red +and embarrassed. He mumbled something under his breath, but no one could +make out what it was that he said. + +"Well, String," cried George, "you certainly put your foot in it that +time. I guess you'll never hear the end of it either. You surely won't +if I have anything to say about it. An old man with a white beard. Baa!" +and George imitated a goat and he too gave vent to uncontrollable +laughter. + +"There was a goat at each end of the opening, wasn't there, Pop?" +inquired Grant mischievously. + +"There sure was," George agreed. "The big one was at the bottom." + +Fred, Grant, and George laughed and then laughed some more. They slapped +John on the back and twitted him repeatedly about the false alarm he had +given. They enjoyed themselves immensely at their friend's expense. He, +however, was very much ashamed and very unhappy. + +"I admit I was the goat," he said sadly. "I don't know what got into me, +but it was such a shock to see that funny looking face staring in at the +other end of that opening. It scared the life out of me." + +"I should say it did," chuckled George. "You scared us, too." + +"Well, I'm sorry," John apologized. "I'll do anything I can to make up." + +"What shall we have him do?" exclaimed Fred eagerly. "It ought to be +something pretty bad." + +"Make him open that chest," Grant suggested. + +"That's a good scheme," said George. "Here's a big rock for you, String. +Hit it a few cracks and see if you are better at this than at exploring +caves." + +John approached the chest, rock in hand. The lock had already been bent +considerably by the other boys' efforts, but it still held fast. John +attacked it fiercely and after breaking several stones succeeded in +demolishing the lock. + +"Yea, String!" cried George, excitedly. "You're a wonder. Open it up! +Quick!" + +The padlock was removed and all four boys crowded around and eagerly +grasped the top. It was not so easy to open, however, but finally it was +done. Every boy's eyes glistened expectantly as the top was raised. The +least they expected to see was a great pile of gold, but no such sight +presented itself. + +"It's empty," cried Grant. His voice sounded as if he had lost his last +friend on earth. + +"There's a piece of paper in there," corrected Fred. "Let's see if that +says anything." + +Keen disappointment showed on the face of every boy. Their hopes had +been dashed. There was no special reason why they should have expected +to find such a treasure-chest as they had pictured this one to be, but +this idea had fixed itself in their minds and they really counted on all +being made rich the moment they opened it up. + +"What does the paper say, Fred?" inquired Grant listlessly. Most of his +interest had faded. + +"I don't know," said Fred carelessly. "It's nothing but a bunch of mixed +up numbers. Say," he exclaimed suddenly. "Let me see that code in your +pocket." + +"What do you want that for?" inquired Grant curiously, at the same time +producing the article in question and handing it over to Fred. + +Fred grasped it and quickly spread it open. Holding the one he had found +in the chest alongside the other he ran his eye hurriedly over the two. +Then he turned to his three companions, who were watching him curiously. + +"Do you know that these two papers are exactly alike?" he demanded +excitedly. + + + + +CHAPTER XV + +SAM REMEMBERS SOMETHING + + +"Alike?" cried Grant in amazement. "What do you mean?" + +"Just what I said," returned Fred. "The numbers on these two papers are +exactly the same from start to finish." + +"That's the strangest thing I ever heard of in my life," exclaimed +Grant. "Let me look at them." + +"Didn't I tell you fellows that that piece of parchment Petersen had was +a code of some sort?" demanded Fred. + +"Does the fact that we found one like it prove that?" said George +skeptically. + +"It certainly seems so to me," Fred exclaimed. "At any rate, it is a +very odd coincidence." + +"It's that all right," admitted George. "Are they exactly alike, Grant?" + +"They seem to be," replied Grant, who had been carefully studying the +two papers. + +"We can soon find out, anyway," said John. "Let me have one of them and +I'll read it aloud. One of you fellows can watch the other and check up +the numbers." + +"That's a good scheme," Grant agreed. "Here, String, you take this one +and I'll keep my eye on the numbers on the other as you call them off." + +"All ready?" said John. + +"Go ahead," and this is what John read: + + "20-1-11-5-1-3-15-21-18-19-5-4- + 21-5-14-15-18-20-8-15-14-15-18-21- + 14-4-18-5-4-6-5-5-20-6-18-15-13- + 20-8-5-19-15-21-20-8-5-18-14-5- + 24-20-18-5-13-9-20-25-15-6-19-8- + 1-18-11-18-15-3-11-20-8-5-14-5-1- + 19-20-6-9-6-20-25-6-20-25-6-5- + 5-20-1-14-4-14-15-18-20-8-2-25- + 5-1-19-20-20-8-9-18-20-25-20-8- + 18-5-5-4-9-7." + +"Exactly the same," announced Grant when John had finished. "Now what do +you think about that?" + +"I believe it's a code which tells where some pirates have buried +treasure," announced Fred decidedly. "I also believe that this is the +island where it was done. How else do you account for our finding that +duplicate in the chest here?" + +"It's strange all right," said George. "I can explain it all in a +different way, though." + +"What's that?" asked Grant curiously. + +"Just this. Suppose all those numbers do make up a code and that they do +give the key to some treasure or something. Isn't it possible that the +treasure was once in this empty chest, and some one found it and took it +away? Evidently there were at least two people in the secret, as the two +codes show. One of them got here first and took it away and as long as +he had no more use for the code he left it. Doesn't that sound +reasonable?" + +"Yes, it does," Fred admitted. "It's not very cheerful, though, and I +hope you are wrong about it." + +"I hope so, too," exclaimed George heartily. "It's just as well to look +at both sides, though." + +"I don't believe your idea is right, Pop," said Grant. + +"Why not?" + +"Petersen got this code from his father, didn't he? Well, if his father +and the men he was with buried that treasure on this island it seems +strange that this old powder-horn and flint-lock pistol should be here. +Such things as that were used a good many years before Petersen's father +was alive." + +"Who said his father was the one who buried the treasure?" + +"I thought that was what some one said back there on the +_Josephine_." + +"No, indeed. They said Petersen's father had the code, but I never heard +that he was one of those who were supposed to have buried the treasure." + +"At any rate," put in George, "no matter who buried it, it doesn't say +that my theory is wrong. The pistol and the powder-horn may have been in +the chest along with the treasure. Whoever found it thought they weren't +worth taking, so they were just thrown to one side." + +"Why was the chest locked again?" asked John. + +"I don't know, I'm sure," laughed Grant. "I give up." + +"Not at all," exclaimed Fred. "Don't say that. We can at least try to +make out this code. That will give us something to do and I guess we are +going to have plenty of time on our hands before we get away from here." +As he finished speaking he turned to scan the horizon, but nothing was +in sight save the endless expanse of ocean. As far as appearances went +they might have been alone in the world. The occasional note of a bird +and the soft murmur of the waves as they caressed the beach below were +the only sounds to be heard. + +"Yes, I guess we will," said Grant. "As you say, we can at least try to +decipher it." + +"I'm no good at such things," exclaimed George. "I don't believe I ever +worked out a puzzle in all my life." + +"That doesn't say you can't do this, though, does it?" demanded Grant. + +"Oh, no. Perhaps I'll get an idea some day and work the whole thing out +for you." + +"I have an idea right now," said John. + +"Better tell us what it is, quick," urged George. "You may lose it." + +"I am not like some other people I know," said John loftily. + +To this remark George made no intelligible answer, though he muttered +something under his breath. "I'm glad of it," was what two of his +companions made out his reply to be. + +"What's your idea, String?" asked Grant. + +"I say to take possession of this cave and live here." + +"That's a good scheme," exclaimed Fred heartily. "Let's go and get our +few belongings just as soon as we can and bring them up here." + +"A fine idea," agreed George. "String, I didn't think you knew so much." + +"That proves that you know very little yourself, then," replied John +scornfully. + +"Ha, ha. Good one, String," cried Fred laughingly. "Give him another." + +"He is not worth bothering about," said John. "Let's get our things." + +Down the side of the hill they scrambled, slipping and sliding down the +steep decline. They came to the bottom in safety, however, and it was +not long before they reached the spot where the baggage had been left. + +"Where's Sam?" exclaimed Grant. "He certainly can't be sleeping still." + +"There he is," said Fred, pointing down the beach. + +"What's he got in his hand?" said George curiously. "It looks like a +knife." + +"Where could he get a knife?" exclaimed John. "Just as I told you a few +minutes ago, Pop, you've certainly got something missing in that head of +yours." + +"I thought maybe he'd gone around to the hardware store and bought it," +drawled George soberly with a wink at Grant. He loved to stir up his +companions, and none of them more so than his tall friend, John, who +almost invariably rose to any bait he might happen to offer. + +"What have you got there, Sam?" called Fred when the negro was within +earshot. + +Sam merely grinned and waved the object he held in his hand to the boys. + +"As I said before it certainly looks like a knife," murmured George. + +"What is that, Sam?" asked Fred again when Sam had come up to the spot +where the four boys were standing. + +"Ah's makin' a knife," said Sam proudly. + +"Where did you get the steel?" + +"Dat ain't steel," grinned Sam. "Dat am one o' dem iron hoops off o' dat +dere bar'el o' water. Ah is gwine sharpen her up and den we'll hab a +sho' nuff knife." + +"I'm afraid it'll never cut much," laughed John. "No knife with a blade +made of iron is apt to be much good. It'll be all right to dig holes in +the ground with, though." + +"Wait 'til she's sharpened," warned Sam. + +"How are you going to sharpen it?" asked Grant curiously. + +"On a big black rock Ah done discovah roun' dat dere point." + +"The rock that looks like a shark," exclaimed George. "That ought to be +a good one, for it certainly seemed hard enough." + +"Dat rock look lak a shark, yo' say?" remarked Sam suddenly. + +"Yes," said George. "Didn't you think so?" + +"Now dat Ah comes to think on it, it sho' did," said Sam. "Ah wondahs if +dis yere can be de island." + +"What do you mean?" demanded Fred eagerly. "What island?" + +"Well," said Sam, "evah sence Ah done commence to foller de sea Ah has +heard tales of some island where dey is treasah buried. Dat island was +said to hab a big rock on it what done look lak a shark. Mebbe this am +de one." + +"Where was this island?" asked George eagerly. + +"No one ebber knew," said Sam. "All Ah knows is dat on dis island dey +said dere was all so'ts ob treasah. Yo' could tell de pahtikelah island +by its habbin' a big rock on it what done look lak a shark. Dat's all Ah +knows." + +"Did you ever meet any one who had seen the island?" inquired Grant. + +"Nebber," replied Sam. "Some say dat de island done disappeah or dat de +ocean had swallowed 'er up. Dese was all stories Ah heard." + +"Well!" exclaimed Fred, his eyes shining with excitement. "I certainly +am in favor of finding out what those codes mean. Perhaps we'll find +something on this island after all. I'll bet this is the one Sam has +heard about all right." + +"Seems so, doesn't it?" agreed Grant. "We may get rich yet." + +"The treasure was in that chest up there in the cave, I tell you," said +George. "Some one has been here and taken it away." + +"Not at all," cried Fred. "At any rate there's more of it here. Didn't +you hear Sam say that he has heard about this island for years and +years?" + +"You're not sure this is the one." + +"Well, I'm pretty sure there aren't two islands with rocks on them like +that," exclaimed Fred. "A rock shaped just like a shark is so unusual +that you see they identify the island by it." + +"But why has no one ever found it?" + +"You just said they had," Grant reminded him. "You also said that the +treasure was gone. You are contradicting yourself." + +"Well, you'd think some one would find it," exclaimed George. "An island +as big as this one couldn't very well be overlooked if any one came near +it at all." + +"Apparently no one does come near it," said Fred. "How many boats have +we seen since the _Josephine_ burned?" + +"Not one," said Grant. + +"Why is it?" demanded Fred. "In this day and age, when the ocean is so +covered with ships, you'd certainly think we'd see at least one." + +"We never even saw any of the other lifeboats," said John. + +"That's true," Fred exclaimed. "How do you account for it?" + +"I don't," said Grant. "It's a strange thing all around." + +"Well, if we're going to be stranded here for a few years we might just +as well spend part of the time looking for the treasure," said Fred. +"Everything seems to point to the fact that there is some here. That +cave and the chest and the two codes and the queer rock that fits in so +well with what Sam has heard, everything about it sounds like treasure +and lots of it." + +"If we could only be the ones to find it," sighed John. "Just think of +going home rich; rich with pearls and diamonds and emeralds and gold +doubloons and bars of gold all dug up from some old pirate's hiding +place. If we only could!" + +"Perhaps we can," exclaimed Fred, much thrilled by John's description of +the wealth that might be theirs. "My opinion is that we must translate +those codes first, though. Wouldn't it be awful if they didn't apply to +this island after all." + +"But they do," insisted Grant. "I know they do." + +"And I think so, too," exclaimed John. "Let's go to work." + + + + +CHAPTER XVI + +THE RIDDLE + + +Days passed and weeks rolled by. The four friends and their colored +companion still remained on the mysterious island. The flag still flew +from the hill and all day long one or another of the boys kept a lookout +from a spot near by. No boat came to rescue them, however, and the +little party of castaways had almost come to believe that the rest of +their days were to be spent on this little island somewhere in an +unknown sea. + +Once John on watch had seen smoke. Far off on the horizon appeared a +smudge from the funnels of some passing steamer. It was too far away +however to discover their signal or even to see their island. He had +watched it hopefully until it finally disappeared over the rim of the +ocean. That was the only sign of a vessel that had been sighted so far. + +However, the boys were not in want. Their clothes were becoming ragged +and their hair unkempt, but they were well fed and healthy. If it had +not been for the fact that they knew they could not leave they might +have been measurably contented. They were now living in the cave as snug +and comfortable as could be desired. The fact that they were short of +clothes did not bother them, either, for the weather was warm and +clothes were more of a burden than a necessity. + +As yet they had discovered no treasure. Hour after hour they had puzzled +over the mysterious numbers on the parchment, but as yet no one had been +able to solve their riddle. + +"It makes me mad," said John one day. "I sit and stare at those crazy +figures until it seems as if I must go crazy myself. I never get even a +clew as to what they mean, but at the same time the more I study them +the more sure I am that they have a meaning." + +"And I, too," agreed Grant. "I know they mean something. I'm sure of +it." + +"Until we discover what it is we are practically helpless," said John. +"We can't dig up the whole island looking for buried gold, you know. We +must have directions." + +"I certainly would laugh," exclaimed George, "if some one did find out +what those figures mean and then we discovered that it didn't apply to +this island at all." + +"What would be so funny in that?" demanded Fred. + +"Think how you'd all be fooled." + +"Yes, and you'd be just as badly off as any of us," said Fred. "If we +don't find any money, you won't get anything any more than we will." + +"Maybe he doesn't like money," said John. "He seems sort of hopeful that +we won't find any." + +"You've got to prove to me that you are going to find any first," said +George. "A set of funny looking numbers and a queer looking rock that +Sam says he remembers hearing about and a cave with an empty chest in it +doesn't necessarily mean money, in my opinion." + +"Dey does in mine," exclaimed Sam, rolling his eyes rapturously towards +heaven. "Ef we only could find dat treasah Ah sho' would show dem fresh +coons back dar in Richmond a thing or two. Oh, Lawdy!" and Sam executed +a few steps of a clog dance just to show his delight at the mere +thought. + +"What would you do if you had a lot of money, Sam?" asked Grant +smilingly. + +"Well," began the enthusiastic darky, "de berry fust thing dat Ah would +do would be to buy mahself de grandes' lookin' suit ob clothes yo' ebber +did see." + +"What kind of a suit?" inquired Grant. + +"A checked suit," said Sam. "A checked suit wif black an' white checks +as big as a postage stamp. Den Ah would get mahself some ob dem dare +patent leather shoes. Den," and Sam drew in his breath luxuriously, "Ah +would purchase a bran' span red necktie an' square in de middle ob dat +Ah would place de bigges' an' de grandes' diamon' ho'shoe yo' ebber set +yo' eyes upon." + +"Is that all you'd buy?" laughed George. + +Sam gave him a scornful look. "No, indeedy," he maintained stoutly. +"Nex' Ah would buy one o' dem high shiny hats and den a cane, den a pair +of dem yaller gloves, an' say, mebbe dem niggahs back home wouldn' be +jealous ob Samuel." + +"I guess they would, all right," exclaimed Grant, much entertained by +Sam's description of the way he would spend his money. "Wouldn't you buy +anything but clothes, though?" + +"Ob co'se Ah would," said Sam. "Not at de fust, though. Ah'd jest get +mah new clothes on an' den walk down de street so't ob cahless like an' +in two minutes yo' gwine see ebbery wench in town jes' a follerin' me. +Oh, say, golly, mebbe dem niggahs wouldn't be jealous!" and Sam laughed +aloud, the thought was so pleasant for him to contemplate. + +"Well, I hope you get it, Sam," said Fred heartily. "If you get it we +all do." + +"Except Pop," added Fred. + +"Why not me?" demanded George in an aggrieved tone. "Why don't I get +any?" + +"Because you don't think there's anything here worth taking," said Fred. +"You keep making fun of us all the time and telling us there is no +treasure on the island. If you aren't interested enough to do some work +it seems only natural that you won't want any of the treasure." + +"Why, you little shrimp," exclaimed George, pretending to be very angry +and glowering down upon his stubby companion, "don't you know that I +have been joshing you fellows all this time? If there's anything here +worth working for you can be dead sure I'm willing to do my share. All I +say is that you prove it to me first." + +"Why should we prove it to you?" inquired Grant. "Why don't you get to +work and help us prove it to ourselves? After we have found where the +stuff is any one can go and get it. What we want to know is the spot +where it's hidden." + +"Quite true," George admitted. "At the same time you must admit that you +are all taking a great deal for granted. You seem to think that there is +no doubt about there being treasure on the island and also that this +code when deciphered will tell you just where it is." + +"We hope that's the case," said Grant. "Of course we can't tell until +we've found out what the code says. That's what we're trying to do now." + +"You're right," agreed George. "We must get to work on it at once." + +"We've been at work on it ever since we struck this island," said Fred +warmly. "Where have you been all this time?" + +"Well, when I get down to business we'll soon solve the riddle," said +George pompously. "I'll soon get an idea." + +"Hit him, Grant," cried John. "You're nearest to him and we ought not to +let such things live." + +George burst out laughing. "Forget those old numbers for a while," he +advised. "So far no one has been able to do anything with them, but if +we let them alone for a few days we can go back to them with our minds +fresh. Who knows, somebody might get an idea all of a sudden that would +solve the whole business." + +"I wish somebody would," sighed Fred. + +"Think of this, though," exclaimed Grant. "Suppose we do forget it all +for a few days, as Pop suggests. In the meantime a boat might come along +and take us away and our chance of ever finding the treasure would be +gone." + +"That's right, Grant," cried John. "We don't want to lose an opportunity +like this." + +"Can't we take the code home with us?" said George. "We have all the +rest of our lives to find out what it means and if it is worth while we +can always come back." + +"How can we tell whether it is worth while or not until we see it?" +asked Fred. + +"Probably that code contains a description of what it is." + +"Perhaps it does," said Grant. "We'll know better when we find out just +what it does say. I'm in favor of keeping right at it." + +"So am I, Grant," exclaimed John. "Don't let it rest for a second." + +"Dat's de boy!" cried Sam heartily. "Ah get dat diamon' ho'shoe yet." + +"Yes, and I hope you get a big automobile to go with it, Sam," said +Grant. + +"Ah hopes so mahself," grinned Sam. "Say, wouldn't dat be gran'?" + +"We'll all have them," said John. "We'll have motor-boats and yachts, +too, and maybe flying-machines." + +"Stick a pin in that fellow, Fred," urged George. "He's asleep." + +"Is that so?" exclaimed John. "At any rate, it's cheap enough to dream." + +"That's true," laughed George. "Go ahead and dream if you like." + +"Some one of us ought to be able to read that code," said Grant. "Why +should a lot of figures get the better of us? We ought not to let them." + +"Maybe the numbers mean letters," George suggested. + +"We've all thought that ourselves," said Grant grimly. "Just what +letters, though?" + +"Let me see the thing," exclaimed George. "What number occurs oftenest?" + +"I don't know," mused Grant, looking over his shoulder. "I guess five +does." + +"All right then," said George quickly; "now what is the commonest letter +in the alphabet?" + +"I thought of that, too," said Grant. "The trouble is that none of us +know." + +"That might be an idea, though." + +"Yes," admitted John, "but if we don't know those things I don't see how +we can get very far." + +"Nor I," said George. "We might try some experiments, though." + +"Go ahead," urged Grant. "Try everything you can think of. We've nothing +to lose and everything to gain. No matter how silly an idea may seem to +you, try it. That's the only way we can ever get anywhere." + +"Right you are, Grant!" exclaimed Fred. "That's the way to talk. If we +stick to it, I know we'll find out all about it some day." + +"Perhaps we will 'some day,'" said George mournfully. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII + +UNDERGROUND WORK + + +One day John was standing at the back of the cave looking up through the +opening which was there. Here it was that the billy goat had given him +such a fright a few weeks before. This time, however, he did not see any +"white bearded old man" as he gazed up into the aperture, but he did spy +something almost equally interesting. + +"Hey, Fred!" he called. "Come here a minute." + +Fred hastened to respond to his friend's summons and soon reached the +spot where John was standing. + +"What do you want, String?" he inquired. + +"Look up through that opening." + +"All right," said Fred, doing as he had been directed. "I'm looking." + +"Don't you see anything?" + +"Sure I do. I see the sky." + +"Don't be silly, Fred," exclaimed John. "In the opening, I mean." + +"I see dirt." + +"Is that all?" + +"Absolutely. What are you trying to do, anyway?" + +"About three feet this side of the other end; don't you see something +sticking out?" + +Fred squinted one eye and peered upward critically. + +"Don't you see a thing?" demanded John eagerly. + +"Maybe I do," replied Fred. "Is something sticking out up there?" + +"That's just what I thought. What is it?" + +"It looks like the end of a box." + +"Just what I thought myself," exclaimed John triumphantly. "Let's get +it." + +"We can't reach it from this end." + +"I know it. We'll have to climb up on top of the hill." + +"Come on," urged Fred, now also keenly excited. + +Outside the cave, Grant sat puzzling over the numbers. Most of his time +he now spent in this way, and though he was apparently no nearer a +solution than when he had started, his determination was stronger than +ever. + +"Where are you two fellows going?" he demanded as John and Fred rushed +past the spot where he was seated. + +"Just up on top of the hill," said John evasively. He and Fred had +decided not to tell any of the others of their discovery until they had +investigated it thoroughly themselves. + +"You seem to be in an awful hurry," remarked Grant. "What's up?" + +"Tell you later," answered John, and they quickly passed out of Grant's +sight. A moment more and they had arrived at the top of the opening +which led down into the cave. + +"I can't see anything from here," exclaimed John, after a hasty +examination. "The shadow of my head gets right in the way and I can't +see a thing." + +"Let me look," urged Fred, but he could make out nothing either. + +"I tell you what to do," he exclaimed a moment later. "Hang onto my feet +so I won't fall and get wedged in there, and then lower me into the +hole." + +"That's a good scheme," said John eagerly. "You're little and skinny and +ought to be able to get in there all right." + +"Never mind the 'little and skinny' part," said Fred shortly. "You hold +onto my feet." + +Anyone who might have passed by that way and seen John holding fast to a +pair of legs sticking out of a hole in the ground would have been +puzzled as to what was taking place. Grant's curiosity had been aroused +by the strange actions of his two friends and he had followed them. +Imagine his surprise to see what John and Fred were doing, but he said +nothing. He stood quietly near by and neither of his comrades was aware +of his presence. + +"Can you see anything, Fred?" called John. + +"Not a thing," came back the muffled reply. "I can feel something, +though." + +"Is it a box?" + +"I can't tell, I think it is." + +"Can you move it?" + +"I should say not. It's stuck fast." + +"What do you want to do?" + +"Pull me out and I'll tell you." + +A moment later Fred emerged, his face covered with dirt. + +"What are you two doing?" demanded Grant, who now approached the two +conspirators. "You look as though you were training to be a mole, Fred." + +"There's a box down in there," said Fred. "We want to get it out." + +"A box!" exclaimed Grant. "How big is it?" + +"I could only feel one end of it. It's about a foot wide I should say. I +don't know how long it is for all the rest of it is buried in there." + +"Couldn't you budge it?" + +"Not an inch. We'll have to dig it out." + +"I'll get that knife Sam made," exclaimed John. "That'll be just the +thing." + +"Sam's up by the flag on watch," Grant called as John started off. "I +think he has the knife with him. Who discovered the box?" he inquired, +turning to Fred. Grant was now as excited as the other two boys had +been. + +"John did," said Fred. + +"How did he happen to do it?" + +"Oh, he was looking up from the bottom and just happened to see it. He +showed it to me and we came up to investigate." + +"Maybe this one has the real stuff in it," said Grant excitedly. + +"Maybe so," Fred agreed. "All I hope is that we can dig it out." + +"I guess we can," said Grant confidently. "Here comes String now." + +John came running up, out of breath, and handed the knife to Fred. "I +told Sam we had discovered a box," he panted. "Sam says that if there +are any diamond horseshoes in it they belong to him. That's the only +condition on which he would let me have the knife." + +"All right," laughed Fred. "Sam gets all the horseshoes." + +"Are you going to do the digging, Fred?" asked John. + +"I guess I'd better. Let me have the knife." + +Holding the home-made blade in his right hand he was once again lowered +into the tunnel. John and Grant each held fast to one leg. It was hard +work for Fred for he was in comparative darkness and was compelled to +feel around to discover where to dig. It was practically impossible for +him to see anything. + +"How's it coming?" called John after a few moments had elapsed. + +"All right," replied Fred, his voice sounding as if it came from the +center of the earth. "I'm spilling a lot of dirt down into the cave +though." + +"Never mind that, as long as you don't lose any of the money." + +"Do you really think there's any gold or anything in that box?" said +Grant. + +"I'm sure I don't know," John replied. "If Pop were here he'd be sure it +was empty." + +"I know it. Isn't he a regular old gloom lately?" + +"He's not usually that way. At least he never used to be." + +"Something has come over him since we started work on that code. He +thinks it's very silly and that we are foolish to bother with it." + +"We'll surprise him one of these days," said John confidently. + +"I certainly hope so," exclaimed Grant. + +While Fred dug they chatted and talked of the possibilities of their +finding some long forgotten pirate's treasure and making themselves rich +and famous. Almost anyone would have been as thrilled as these boys were +under the same circumstances. Petersen's tale on board the +_Josephine_ and the strange code he had had; the finding of a +similar one in the cave; the chest and the powder-horn and pistol; the +queer black rock and Sam's story in connection with it; all these events +had combined to spur the four young adventurers on in their quest. Now +they had discovered another odd looking box and with the hope that +springs eternal in the human breast they were anxiously and eagerly +awaiting a chance to examine its contents. + +"All right. Pull me up," came Fred's summons at last. + +Slowly and carefully John and Grant lifted their companion out of the +hole. Soon he emerged, the knife in one hand, the box in the other and +with so much dirt and grime that its owner was scarcely recognizable. + +"You look like Sam," remarked John, hardly able to restrain his mirth at +Fred's appearance. + +"Open the box and don't get so personal," advised Fred, wiping the dirt +from his eyes. + +Grant was already busily engaged in examining the prize his friend had +dug from its place in the earth. "This one is light," he remarked. "I +don't suppose there is anything in it at all." + +"Can you open it?" demanded John. + +"Easily. There's only a catch on it," and Grant straightway lifted the +cover. + +"An envelope," exclaimed Fred disappointedly. "All that work for +nothing." + +Grant, however, was opening the envelope and as he did so two gold +pieces rolled out upon the ground. "Empty is it?" he cried. "How about +those?" + +"Say," exclaimed John excitedly. "Just look at them. Are there any +more?" + +"Just this," said Grant quietly and he spread a sheet of paper before +the gaze of his two companions. "Do you recognize it?" + +"I should know those figures in China now," said Fred disgustedly. "It's +that same old code again." + +"I know it," said Grant, "but do you see what's written across the top?" + +"Sure enough," exclaimed Fred. "What does it say, anyway?" + +"'This tells where the rest of it is,'" Grant read aloud. + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII + +IN THE WATER + + +John, Fred and Grant sat and looked at one another and at the two gold +pieces which lay glittering in John's hand. Then they looked at the +third copy of the code which had turned up so strangely. + +"I wish Pop were here," remarked Grant grimly. + +"Why so?" inquired Fred. + +"I'd like him to see those gold pieces and I'd like him to see what is +written across the top of this parchment. I think after that he wouldn't +be so sure there was no treasure on this island. We'll convince him now +quick enough." + +"Let me see one of those coins," said Fred. "What are they, anyhow?" + +"Spanish, I should say," replied John. "They're old ones." + +"I should think so," exclaimed Fred. "They're worn, too, and the date is +gone from this one." + +"This says seventeen something," remarked John, examining the piece of +gold which he held in his hand. "I can't make out the rest of it." + +"They must be a couple of hundred years old, all right," said Grant. + +"Do you suppose they've been here all that time?" + +"I can't tell you, Grant," said John. "I do wish we could decipher that +code though. This makes it look better than ever." + +"It surely does," Grant agreed heartily. "I've thought of about +everything under the sun, but nothing seems to work for a cent. I'd like +to catch the fellow who made up that set of figures. He must have been a +fiend." + +"Not necessarily," laughed Fred. "He was only trying to protect his +property." + +"Well, I guess he did that all right," exclaimed Grant. "He certainly +did as far as I am concerned." + +"The joke of it is," said John, "that probably the whole thing is as +simple as rolling off a log. All we need is the key." + +"Yes," cried Grant, "but if we can't find the key what good does it do +us?" + +"None, I'll admit," replied John, "but we must find it." + +"Oh, it's easy enough to say that," exclaimed Grant bitterly. "I don't +notice anybody doing it, though." + +"You're not going to give it up are you, Grant?" asked Fred in surprise. +"Why this is the best encouragement we've had yet." + +"Give it up! Of course I'm not going to give it up. I don't see much +encouragement here though. I think it's only more maddening. What we've +found to-day only goes to prove that this code does tell where treasure +is buried, but it doesn't tell us how to read the code, does it? It only +tantalizes us, but you can make up your mind that I'm not going to give +up, even for a second." + +"What Pop said was probably true," remarked John. + +"What was that?" asked Grant. + +"Why, that all of a sudden somebody would get an idea and the whole +thing will be solved. I think that's what will happen myself." + +"I hope so," exclaimed Grant. "I wish it would be soon, too." + +"Maybe Pop already has an idea," laughed Fred. + +"I doubt it," said John. "Where is he anyway?" + +"He went for a walk." + +"Where?" + +"I don't know. He just said he was going for a walk." + +"Well, let's go down and take a swim," exclaimed Fred. "It's awfully hot +and a little water certainly wouldn't hurt me." + +"I should say not," laughed John. "I never saw so much dirt on any man's +face in all my life. You're a sight." + +"I know it," Fred agreed. "Still," he added, "I found a couple of gold +pieces, didn't I? And I'm always willing to get dirty under those +conditions." + +"I guess you are," agreed John. "How much do you suppose they're worth?" + +"Well," said Grant, "they look to me about the size of a twenty-dollar +gold piece. They ought to be worth thirty-five or forty dollars easily +enough." + +"Just imagine finding a whole chest full of them," exclaimed Fred, his +eyes shining. "Why, we'd never have to do any work as long as we lived." + +"We'd soon get tired of doing nothing, I'm afraid," said Grant. "Anyway +we haven't found them yet." + +"Don't talk about it," exclaimed John. "That code is the most maddening +thing I ever saw." + +The three boys now were walking down towards the shore. Their favorite +spot in which to swim was the little ledge from which they had watched +the many colored fish and the various forms of sea-life the first day +they had landed on the island. Here the water was deep and the ledge +made an excellent place from which to dive. + +A few moments later the three friends were puffing and blowing about in +the water enjoying themselves immensely. Their bodies from long exposure +to the rays of the tropical sun were tanned until they might have been +easily mistaken for South Sea islanders or some other natives of the hot +climates. Their hair, too, had grown long, for it had been many weeks +since they had seen a barber. What few clothes they wore were beginning +to hang in rags so that altogether they presented a strange appearance. +Any chance visitor to their island might have thought he had run across +the remnants of some wild race of savages. + +"Well, that was pretty good, I should say," said John luxuriously as he +stretched himself out on the rocks alongside his two companions. + +"It surely was," agreed Fred. "This is about the best part of it, +though." + +"What is?" + +"Lying out in the sun this way. Doesn't it feel good?" + +"It couldn't be better," agreed Grant. "Isn't this a lazy life?" + +"It's a good one, though," said John. "Just think, we haven't a thing to +worry about. All we have to do is swim and sleep and lie around in the +sun." + +"I should say we had plenty to worry about," said Fred. + +"Getting home, you mean?" + +"Yes. We can't stay here all our lives, you know." + +"Of course not," John agreed. "We'll be picked up some day though, sure. +We can't do anything in the meantime that will help us to leave here, so +what's the use in worrying about it? That's the way I feel." + +"That's all right, too," exclaimed Fred. "Still, it's a very strange +thing that we don't ever see any boats. We may be here for years." + +"What if we are? That doesn't make anything to worry about either." + +"How about the treasure?" demanded Grant. "Doesn't that worry you?" + +"Sometimes it does," admitted John. "I'm principally worried for fear +some boat will come along and take us away before we find it." + +"Let's all go back to the cave and make another try at that code," +exclaimed Grant, springing to his feet. + +"I've got to go in that water again before I do anything else," said +John. "It certainly is wonderful to-day." + +"All right," agreed Fred. "One more dive." + +Three bodies flashed through the air and disappeared beneath the water +with a resounding splash. A moment later and three heads came to the +surface. + +"Coming out?" demanded Grant, blowing the water from his nostrils and +shaking the hair out of his eyes. + +"I think I'll take a little swim," said John. "I'll be out in a minute." + +"We'll wait for you," said Fred. "Don't be long." + +"I'll be right out," exclaimed John as he struck out with long powerful +overhead strokes in the direction of the open sea. + +Grant and Fred clambered out upon the little ledge and began to put on +the few pieces of clothing that they possessed. + +"I certainly do feel fine," exclaimed Fred as he took in a deep breath +of the pure air that was blown upon them straight up from the waters of +the sea. "The air is fine to-day." + +"Well, it ought to be, every day," laughed Grant. "After it has traveled +a couple of thousand miles across the water it ought to be pretty nearly +pure." + +"And have no dust in it," added Fred. + +"That's right," said Grant. "Where's John?" + +"I don't see him," said Fred, turning to look for his companion. "I hope +he didn't try to swim out very far. That's always a fool trick, I +think." + +"Where is he?" exclaimed Grant, somewhat alarmed at not discovering his +friend. + +"There he is," cried Fred suddenly. + +"Where?" + +"Why out there. Don't you see him?" + +"He's crazy," said Grant angrily. "Why does he want to go so far out? He +can swim just as well along shore and not take half the risk. Suppose +anything should happen to him now, we couldn't help him a bit." + +"Look!" cried Fred suddenly, "there's a shark." + +"Where?" + +"Right behind John. He's a goner now," and Fred almost sobbed aloud. + +"John! John!" shouted Grant at the top of his voice, but he knew it was +hopeless to think of making himself heard at that distance. + +"He's gone. He's gone," moaned Fred distractedly. + +The great black fin moved steadily along in back of the daring young +swimmer. To the boys on the shore it seemed as if it approached nearer +with every passing moment. Suddenly there was a great splashing in the +immediate vicinity of where John was swimming. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX + +SHARK + + +"It's horrible," cried Fred almost beside himself with anguish. "Oh, why +did he swim out so far?" + +The splashing continued. The two boys on the shore stood and watched +almost spellbound at the sight. Their faces were white and their hearts +were like great lumps in their throats. Neither one had any thought +other than that John had been attacked by the shark and was even now +being torn to pieces by the great man-eater. They shut their eyes to +hide the horror of the thing. + +Finally Grant looked again. The splashing had ceased and the water was +calm around the spot where John had been. Suddenly he spied a head +appearing far out from the shore. + +"There he is," he cried suddenly. + +"Who? John?" demanded Fred. "Where?" + +"Out there in the same place. He hasn't gotten him yet." + +"Where's the shark?" + +"I don't see it." + +"There it is," exclaimed Fred. "Between John and the shore." + +Sure enough, the great black fin appeared once more sailing serenely +about a few yards distant from John, but between him and land. + +"How can he get in?" cried Fred. "The shark is in the way." + +"I don't know," said Grant. "Certainly he can't swim right at the +shark." + +"He never will get in," moaned Fred. "He'll surely be killed." + +"He's all right so far." + +"I know. He missed him before but he won't again." + +"Maybe John can fight him off. You can't tell." + +"There he goes again. He's closing in." + +The shark did seem to be moving towards John once more. Around and +around in circles he went and even from the shore Grant and Fred could +see their companion's head turn so as always to keep his eyes fixed on +his enemy. + +"We must go to him," cried Fred. "We must do something." + +"What can we do? We're helpless." + +"Can't we swim out?" + +"Suppose we did. We couldn't do anything when we got there." + +Suddenly the splashing was resumed. John and the shark both disappeared +from sight as the water was thrown up in all directions around them. + +"What's happened, Grant? I'm afraid to look." + +"I think he drove him off." + +"Are you sure?" + +"Yes. There he is. He scared him away again." + +"He can't keep that up forever, though," moaned Fred. "He must be +getting pretty nearly exhausted by now." + +"Look!" cried Grant suddenly. "Here comes Sam." + +Running towards them at top speed and throwing off his clothes as he ran +came Sam. In his teeth was the long knife he had made so laboriously and +spent so many hours to sharpen. + +"What's he going to do?" cried Fred in wonderment. "Where are you going, +Sam?" he called as the negro came up to the spot where the two boys +stood. + +"Ah'll get 'im," muttered Sam, and without waiting for another thing he +plunged headlong into the water. A moment later he reappeared, the knife +still in his mouth, and with powerful strokes struck out for John and +the hungry giant that threatened him. + +"What's he going to do, Grant?" exclaimed Fred. + +"I don't know. Watch him." + +"Do you think he can kill the shark with that knife?" + +"He's evidently going to try." + +"He'll be too late." + +John was perhaps a hundred and fifty yards from shore now. Slowly he was +nearing land and safety, but could he reach it? The great shark still +circled around and around the unfortunate boy, evidently waiting for +some moment when John should be off his guard to give him an opportunity +to strike. John was determined that this should not happen, however, and +he watched the shark just as closely as he himself was watched. First he +swam on one side and then on the other, then on his back and then on his +stomach. Not for a second did he relax his watchfulness. + +"Look at Sam go!" exclaimed Grant. "He's a marvelous swimmer." + +"He's that all right, but I wish he would get there." + +"There goes the shark," cried Grant, and as he spoke the big fin could +be seen to shoot with lightning-like rapidity in close to the spot where +John was. A great splashing immediately followed and then the fin +appeared once more some ten or twelve yards distant. + +"Whew! That was close," gasped Grant, his lips ashen with terror. + +"He's getting desperate," said Fred. "He knows that unless he can get +John before he comes much closer to shore his chance is gone." + +"Hurry, Sam!" shouted Grant with all his strength. "Keep it up, John!" +he called. "You'll be all right in a minute!" + +"He will not," said Fred in a low voice. "He'll be gone in a minute." + +"No he won't," cried Grant. "Sam is almost there." + +"Forty yards is a lot." + +"Hurry, Sam! Hurry!" begged Grant. "You must hurry!" + +"Look!" cried Fred. "The shark must have seen him. He's going away." + +"Not 'away,'" Grant corrected. "He's just backing up a little." + +Sure enough the shark moved out a little toward the ocean and the fin +stood almost still as if it might be debating what should be done next. +Evidently the arrival of a second foe had puzzled him. Sharks are not +known especially for their bravery. Rather they are scavengers that feed +on the ocean's refuse, and they must be very hungry indeed to attack a +man unless they have him at a disadvantage. Grant and Fred were aware of +this fact, but they feared that this particular shark was very hungry +and that he did have John at a disadvantage. + +"Maybe he'll go away now that there are two of them," said Fred +hopefully. + +"Don't be too sure," warned Grant. + +"He'll attack soon if he's going to, though." + +"Yes, he'll have to. The water gets pretty shallow in a little closer." + +"Look at Sam," exclaimed Fred. "He's sending John on ahead of him." + +"John must be pretty tired now." + +"I should think so." + +"He'll be all right in a minute, though. A few more yards and he'll be +out of danger." + +"There goes the shark again," cried Fred suddenly. "This is about his +last chance and it won't be so easy to drive him off this time." + +Around and around the two swimmers the shark circled. He moved with +amazing rapidity, and it seemed as if the two hard-pressed and tired +swimmers must become dizzy if they followed his every move. + +"He'll fly around them like that," said Grant, "until he sees a good +chance and then you'll see him strike like lightning." + +"They mustn't give him a chance," muttered Fred doggedly. + +"They won't if they can help it, you may be sure of that." + +"There he goes!" cried Fred. "No, not yet," he corrected himself. + +"He'll strike, all right. Just watch him." + +"If Sam can only use that knife." + +"Maybe he won't attack Sam." + +"They're awfully close together now," said Fred. "If he goes for John, +Sam can stick him and if he goes for Sam, why he has the knife right +there." + +"The old knife will never go through that shark's hide," exclaimed +Grant. "It's almost as hard as sheet steel." + +"Here's the test anyway," cried Fred, and as he spoke the giant fin +could be seen darting suddenly towards the two swimmers. Just before it +reached them it disappeared beneath the surface of the water. + +"He has turned bottom side up to bite," muttered Grant, fully +understanding just what was taking place. + +Sam and John had noted the approach of their enemy and both realized +that the crisis of the whole affair was now at hand. If they could elude +him this once, the chances were that they could reach shallow water +where the shark would not dare to follow them. They both began to kick +violently and splash as much as possible with their hands; they shouted +and yelled; they did everything which they thought might possibly aid +them in scaring the great ugly fish away. + +Grant and Fred on the shore held their breath while all this was taking +place and their hearts almost stopped beating. With feverish anxiety +they awaited the result of the battle taking place before their very +eyes. + +"There's John," cried Grant suddenly. "Where's Sam?" + +"I don't see him. I don't see the shark either." + +"The splashing has stopped. Sam must have been killed." + +"Oh, no," exclaimed Fred. "Don't say that. It can't be." + +"Where is he then?" + +"Look!" cried Fred. + +The water some five or ten yards behind John was suddenly churned into +froth. Red, bloody froth it was and evidently some gigantic struggle was +going on. All at once, just on the outside of the miniature maelstrom, +appeared a small round, black object. + +"There's Sam!" shouted Grant. + +Sure enough. Sam was still alive and without wasting a moment he struck +out boldly for the shore. John was ahead of him, but he was soon +overhauled by the powerful negro and side by side the two swimmers +plowed through the sea. Behind them the waters were still churned by the +struggles of the great shark, but they were rapidly becoming weaker. + +"Sam killed the shark," exclaimed Fred, almost overcome by the +suddenness and the unexpectedness of the event. + +"It looks so," agreed Grant. "I didn't think it was possible." + +"Nor I. Imagine the nerve he had, and that old knife certainly did do +the work after all." + +"Well, John owes his life to Sam all right. He surely would have been +killed if he had been left out there alone." + +"Not a doubt of it. I don't see how Sam managed it." + +"We'll find out in a minute. John must be about exhausted too; Sam is +helping him in." + +"Want any help, you two?" called Fred to the two swimmers who were +rapidly approaching the shore. + +"No, thanks," said John in reply. "Sam will get us in." + +Grant and Fred leaned far out over the water and extended their hands to +the two swimmers who were only a few feet distant now. A moment later +and they had drawn John up on the shore, where he lay panting, his +strength practically all used up. When they turned to assist Sam, +however, they found their negro friend clambering up without the least +bit of trouble. + +"What's the matter with your shoulder, Sam?" exclaimed Grant in alarm. + +The skin seemed to be all torn away and the blood was flowing freely +from Sam's right shoulder. Just what had happened, it was impossible to +say. + + + + +CHAPTER XX + +TALKING IT OVER + + +"Dat," said Sam, referring to Grant's question concerning his shoulder, +"am wheah Ah come in too clost contack wif dat sha'k." + +"Did he bite you?" exclaimed Fred. + +"No, indeed. He jes' nachully done rub up again' me, dat's all." + +"But just rubbing against you wouldn't tear you up like that," protested +Fred. + +"Am dat so? Ah don't reckon yo' all evah seen a sha'k at front han' ef +yo' say dat. Have yo' evah felt a sha'k's skin?" + +"No, I haven't. Is it rough?" + +"Have you evah felt san' paper?" + +"Lots of times. Is it as rough as that?" + +"Lawdy," exclaimed Sam. "In compahson wif a sha'k's skin Ah tell yo' dat +san' paper am lak velvet." + +"I should say it was rough, then," laughed Fred. "Doesn't that hurt?" + +"It must," Grant broke in, "and it ought to be attended to at once." + +"Dat's nothin'," said Sam carelessly. "She'll be all right soon." + +"I know," Grant protested, "but just look at it bleed." + +"All de bettah. When she bleed lak dat dey's no chance ob poison." + +"But it ought to be stopped now. Come up by the spring where there's +cold water and let me bathe it for you." + +"Go ahead, Sam," urged John, looking up and speaking for the first time +since he had been brought ashore. + +"That's right," agreed Fred. "I'll stay here with John." + +"No one need stay with me," said John. "I'm getting my wind back now and +as soon as I get a little strength I'll be as good as ever." + +"What made you swim so far out anyway?" demanded Fred. + +"I don't know. I guess I was crazy." + +"You were worse than that," exclaimed Fred. "You were a fool." + +"Don't tell me that; I know it myself now. We always do when it's too +late." + +"Well, I can tell you one thing," said Grant warmly. "You wouldn't be +here now if it hadn't been for Sam." + +"Right you are," John agreed. "I certainly owe my life to you, Sam." + +"Ah guess mebbe Ah will bafe mah shouldah," said Sam, much embarrassed +and ill at ease from all the compliments that were being given him. + +"We'll all go with you," said John. "I'm all right now." + +"And we'll make Sam tell us how he did it," added Fred eagerly. + +"That's right, Sam," exclaimed Grant. "Tell us all about it." + +"Well," began Sam slowly, "Ah doan' know jes' what dey is to tell. Ah +jes' took dis heah knife wot yo' all done make so much fun ob, an' Ah +jes' stick ol' mistah sha'k plum' in de belly wid it. Dat's all dey was +to it." + +"But, Sam," Fred protested, "how did you get close enough to him? Did he +attack you?" + +"Ah reckon as how he did do dat," said Sam. "He jes' came a swimmin' +right at me and natchully dey was only one thing foh me to do." + +"Naturally," laughed Grant, "but tell us how you happened to get a good +chance at him and not be bitten." + +"When Ah seen dat sha'k a comin' at me," continued Sam, "Ah knowed dat +he meant business. Ah took mah knife in mah right han' an' Ah jes' sunk +a tweeny bit below de sufface ob de watah. He seen me an' he come right +foh me too. Ah waited foh him to turn belly up 'cause Ah knowed dat what +he 'bliged to do befoh he able to use dem razah teeth ob his'n. Sho' +nuff jes' befoh he reach me, ovah he go and den was mah chance. Ah sho' +did let 'im have it an' Ah guess he ain' gwine bothah no more peoples." + +"You must have been under water a long time," remarked Grant. + +"Not so berry long," said Sam. "Dat ol' sha'k didn't waste no time about +what he doin' an' yo' bet Ah didn't neither." + +"I guess not," laughed Grant. "When did he hit your shoulder?" + +"Right after Ah done stick 'im. Soon's Ah let 'im hab de knife he done +commence thrashin' 'round somethin' terrible. 'Fore Ah could get out ob +his way he done hit me a swipe wid dat ol' tail ob his an' dar yo' see +it." Sam indicated his shoulder, which was still bleeding, though not as +freely as before. + +"Well, all I can say is," exclaimed Fred, "that you ought to have a +medal. I swear I don't see how anyone could have the nerve to fight a +shark in the water. Why, I'd be afraid of one lying half dead on the +beach." + +"So should I," said Grant. "How big was that fellow anyway, John?" + +"Oh, I don't know. He must have been nearly eighteen feet though." + +"Come on here," said Fred skeptically, "you can't make us believe a +thing like that. Eighteen feet; why, that's three times as long as you +are." + +"I know it is. I realized that when I said it." + +"Is he right, Sam?" demanded Fred. "Was the shark as big as that?" + +"Ah should say he was jes' about dat size," replied Sam seriously. + +"All right," laughed Fred. "I won't argue with you, but that's easily +the biggest fish story I ever heard." + +"It was the biggest fish I ever saw," said John grimly. "Whew!" and he +shuddered at the recollection. + +"What did you think when you saw him first?" asked Grant curiously. + +"I was nearly scared to death," said John so solemnly that everybody +laughed. "I was swimming along easily and just taking my time when I +suddenly had a feeling that something was near me. I looked around and +sure enough, over the top of a little wave, I saw that fin. I tell you +it gave me the creeps and I honestly thought my last day had come. I +knew it was only a question of time before he attacked me and I watched +him pretty closely, I can tell you. All the while I kept trying to get +in nearer to shore, but I was afraid to swim fast for I knew that if I +did I couldn't watch the shark and that he would get me from behind." + +"A nice feeling," remarked Fred grimly. + +"I should say so. Well, in a minute I saw him coming and I began to kick +and splash with all my might. I didn't think it would be of any use, but +I had to do something. Imagine my surprise when I saw him veer away from +me. I knew he'd be back though and sure enough he was, and again I +scared him away, but I knew it couldn't last forever. He was getting +more determined and closer to me each time and Sam got there none too +soon I can tell you." + +"How did you know what was happening, Sam?" demanded Grant. "I thought +you were on watch up by the flag." + +"So Ah was. Ah could see jes' the same, couldn't Ah?" + +"I guess you could," laughed Grant. "It's lucky you could too." + +"Maybe a ship has passed while we were down here," remarked Fred. + +"A fine chance," said John skeptically. "No ships ever pass here." + +"This island reminds me of that old story about the farmer at the +circus," said Grant. "He looked at the giraffe for a long time and then +finally turned away in disgust. 'Oh, shucks,' he said, 'there ain't no +such animal.' That's the way I feel about this island. There isn't any +such place." + +"It does seem so, doesn't it?" laughed Fred. "At any rate all the boats +seem to avoid it. We may never get a chance to use that signal." + +On the summit of the hill near the spot where George's shirt did duty as +a flag the boys had prepared a great pile of driftwood. The moment a +ship was sighted this pyre was to be lighted to attract the attention of +those on board the boat. + +"Dey's plenty ob people wot would lak to find dis island all right," +said Sam confidently. "Ah knows piles ob sailors wot would gib dere eye +teeth to see dis yere island wid de sha'k rock on it." + +"Well, we found it all right," exclaimed Grant, "and from the look of +things it is just as hard for us to get away from it as it is for most +people to find it." + +"We've done better than most of them anyway," said Fred. "We've found +the island but we can't find the treasure. Most people can't even find +the island." + +"It hasn't done us any good so far," said Grant. "Now that we're on this +wonderful island what are we going to do about it?" + +"Solve the code," replied Fred promptly. "Once that is done the rest is +easy." + +"The same old cry," exclaimed Grant. "That code is beginning to haunt my +dreams. I think of it all day and I dream of it all night." + +"Perhaps you'll find the answer to it in a dream some time," suggested +John. + +"If I only could," sighed Grant disconsolately. "Come on," he added, +"let's go back to the cave. Have you fixed your shoulder up all right, +Sam?" + +"It am as good as ebber," replied Sam cheerily. + +They made their way along the bank of the little stream that flowed down +from the spring. A soft breeze stirred the palm trees and the tropical +foliage was brilliant. It would have been difficult to find any more +beautiful spot than this little island, set like a jewel, on the bosom +of the sparkling sea. The spell of it affected every member of the party +and few words were spoken as they walked along. + +Soon they came within sight of the cave. + +"There's Pop," exclaimed John. "It's about time he got back." + +"He'll certainly be excited when he hears about the shark," said Grant. +"I wish he had been there with us." + +"He's been up to something himself probably," said Fred. "You can trust +him for stirring things up, no matter where he is." + +"Well, I guess he has been up to something," exclaimed John. "Look at +what he's got up there." + + + + +CHAPTER XXI + +A NEW MEMBER + + +"Come on," cried John excitedly. "Let's get up there and see it." + +"How do you suppose he ever did it?" exclaimed Grant. "He's a great one, +all right." + +Scrambling and hustling up over the rocks George's four companions vied +with one another as to who should be the first to reach the cave. John's +long legs would ordinarily have won the race for him, but he was +weakened by the effects of his experience in the water, and Grant +outdistanced him. The rest were close behind, however, and all arrived +almost together. + +"Where did you get it, Pop?" demanded Grant eagerly. + +"Oh, down at the other end of the island," said George evasively. + +His face was wreathed in smiles, however, and he was very proud of his +exploit. + +"I don't see how you did it," exclaimed Fred. + +"I'm clever." + +"Don't get funny," warned Grant. "We'll take it out of you if you get +fresh." + +"You can't touch me now," said George loftily. + +"What's the reason we can't?" + +"Because if you do, I'll--" + +He did not finish the sentence. Instead he leaped to his feet and +hanging on to one hand howled with pain. His friends, however, instead +of sympathizing with him, all with one accord shrieked delightedly. + +"Whew!" cried George feelingly. "He's a good biter all right." + +"He," in this case referred to a small green parrot which George had +been holding in both hands. In some way it had wriggled loose from his +grasp and twisting its head around had taken a good sized bit of flesh +out of the back of his hand. This was the cause of George's pain and his +friends' mirth. + +"Put a muzzle on him, Pop," advised Fred. "He's dangerous." + +"He certainly is," agreed George. "I'm afraid he'll bite that string in +half too." + +"How did you catch him?" inquired Grant curiously. "Did you put salt on +his tail?" + +George gave the speaker a scornful look. "I caught him," he replied, +"because he has a broken wing and can't fly very well. It wasn't any +easy job, though." + +"How did he break his wing?" + +"I don't know. I didn't ask him." + +"Say, you're getting awfully fresh," exclaimed Grant, pretending that he +was angry. "Can't you be serious and tell us how you caught him?" + +"Certainly I can, I was walking down around the end of the island when I +spied this fellow on the ground. I went up close to him and he just +flopped up and down and evidently could use only one wing. I saw right +away that it was broken and decided right there and then that he ought +to belong to me. I chased him all around for I don't know how long and +finally I grabbed him by the tail feathers and hung on. It was no easy +thing to do though and I can tell you I nearly gave it up any number of +times. Just as I'd get up close to him and make a grab at him, he'd hop +away and when I did catch him he tried his best to bite me. He's got +plenty of spunk all right," and George looked ruefully at his bleeding +hand. + +"Are you going to tame him?" asked John. + +"I'm going to do my best." + +"Do you think he'll stay around here?" + +"He will as long as he's tied, that's sure. I got that string off that +old tarpaulin; you know the one we had in the life-boat when we left the +_Josephine_." + +"You ought to clip his wings," said Grant. + +"I know it and I intend to, too. I was just waiting for some of you +fellows to come back and help me. Where have you been anyway?" + +The whole story of John and the shark was related to George, who was +naturally very much interested in the account. + +"I wish I'd been there to see it," he exclaimed ruefully. + +"No, you don't either," said Fred. "I saw it all, but I can tell you I +didn't enjoy the experience very much." + +"Nor I," agreed Grant. "It was too harrowing for me." + +"I don't suppose John had much fun either," said George. "As far as I +can see Sam was the only one who got any pleasure out of it at all." + +"How about that, Sam?" demanded Grant. + +"Oh, Ah didn't mind it so powerful much," grinned Sam. + +"Would you want to do it every day?" + +"Ah cain't say as how Ah would. One ob dem sha'ks might get me +sometime." + +"Suppose the shark had swallowed John," George remarked. "He's so tall +and skinny that he never could have gotten him down and there he'd stuck +right in his throat. He'd been worse than Jonah and the whale." + +"Are you going to stand for that, Spike?" inquired Fred mischievously, +hoping to start an argument of some kind. + +"He has to," said George. "He has nothing to say about the matter at +all," and he assumed a careless and indifferent air. + +"If I wasn't so weak just now I certainly would make him eat those +words," exclaimed John. + +"You hear that?" demanded George. "It's always 'if' with him." + +"And you always pick on a man when he's down," retorted John. + +"How about me? Just look at the terrible wound I have on the back of my +hand." + +"Yes," said Grant, "the parrot thought you were bird seed." + +"Or a cracker," added Fred. + +"That's right," cried George, pretending to be greatly hurt. "You all +always take sides against me. Still it's an even match at that." + +"I guess we'd better take some of that conceit out of him, don't you?" +exclaimed Grant slowly advancing towards George. + +"Well, I should say so," cried Fred eagerly, and a moment later George +was at the bottom of a pile of four boys, three of whom busied +themselves with poking him in the ribs, jouncing up and down on his +stomach and in every other way possible making it just as uncomfortable +as they could for him. + +Everyone was laughing and in good humor, however. Seldom it was that any +of these boys lost his temper, for they had learned long ago just how +foolish a proceeding that was. The one who gets angry is always teased, +but there is no satisfaction in plaguing a boy who ignores it or gives +as good as he receives and always keeps his temper under control. + +Finally George was released and all four boys rose to their feet +laughing and good natured. Sam had been a greatly interested spectator +of these proceedings and had enjoyed them greatly. + +"Say," he exclaimed, "dey am jus' about as bad as fightin' sha'ks." + +"You notice it took three of them to do it though, don't you, Sam?" +exclaimed George, weak from laughter and loss of breath. + +"Want some more?" demanded Grant. + +"If you'll come one at a time, I'm willing." + +"Dat's de way," exclaimed Sam. "One at a time. Dat's fair." + +"We'll postpone it till to-morrow," said Grant. "I'm winded." + +"You're afraid of me," taunted George. + +"Oh, go and play with your parrot," exclaimed Fred. "You're a bird +yourself." + +"Where is he?" demanded George. "I'd almost forgotten him." + +"There he is," said Fred laughingly. "He looks like a little old man +sitting up there on that rock." + +"He's all right; don't you worry about him," said George. "He's my +friend." + +"It looked so when he ate the back of your hand off," laughed Grant. + +"That's just the way he shows his affection," exclaimed George. "He +didn't mean anything by that." + +"Well, if that's the case," said Grant, "I'm certainly glad he doesn't +care anything about me." + +"Catch him, Pop," urged John, "and we'll clip his wings." + +"Will you help me? I don't want to lose him now after all the trouble I +had to get him. I think I can tame him, too." + +"Sure you can. Get him over here." + +"How can I do it?" + +"I'll show you," exclaimed John. "Watch me." + +He seized hold of the string that was tied around the parrot's leg and +began to haul in hand over hand. The poor bird fluttered and struggled +indignantly but all to no avail. He was quickly pulled along until he +was at John's feet when George grabbed him and held him securely. + +"Now how can we cut his wings?" demanded Fred. "We have no scissors." + +"We have knives, haven't we?" exclaimed George. + +"But are they sharp enough?" + +"Mine is." + +"So am mine," said Sam. "It suttinly done fix dat sha'k all right." + +"I'm afraid it's a little too big for a parrot though," laughed Grant. +"Don't you think so?" + +"P'raps it am," admitted Sam. "It's sho' a good knife dough." + +"Spread his wings out on the rock here," directed John. "I'll cut the +tips off his feathers so he can't fly away." + +"Don't hurt him." + +"No danger of that. You just hold him still." + +The operation was quickly performed and a few moments later the little +green bird was angrily stalking away, shaking his ruffled feathers and +uttering indignant squawks at every step. + +"Look at him," laughed Grant. "My, but he's mad." + +"So would you be," said George. "Imagine being treated like that by +someone about a hundred times as big as you are." + +"It would rouse me a little," admitted Grant. "What are you going to +name him?" + +"I don't know. What's a good name, anyway?" + +"Call him Snip," suggested Fred. "He certainly took a snip out of you." + +"That's a good one," exclaimed George. "His name is Snip." + +"You'll have to teach him his name now, Pop," said Grant. "That'll give +you something to do and keep you out of mischief." + +"I want him to talk, too," said George, "and I want him to get so tame +that he'll ride around on my shoulder wherever I go." + +"And he'll peck your eye out," said John. + +"Oh, I guess not. He'll be all right after a while." + +"How are you going to go about teaching him to talk?" demanded John. "I +suppose he'll have to learn the alphabet first," and he nudged Grant as +he spoke. + +"Oh, yes, of course," laughed George sarcastically. "You're all pretty +smart." + +"Why, Pop," said John, soothingly, "it wouldn't take long. There are +only twenty-six letters in it." + +"What did you say?" cried Grant, suddenly springing to his feet. + +"I said there were twenty-six letters in the alphabet." + +"Hooray!" shouted Grant, and he began to dance around like a wild man. +"I've got it. I've got it," he repeated excitedly over and over again. + + + + +CHAPTER XXII + +A CLUE + + +Grant's companions sat and looked at him in amazement not unmixed with +alarm. They could see no reason for his strange behavior and were at a +complete loss what to make of it. They watched their comrade execute a +war dance around the entrance to the cave for some moments and finally +disappear within, uttering one last triumphant whoop. + +"What struck him?" exclaimed John in perplexity. + +"He's gone crazy I guess," said Fred. "I can't think of anything else." + +"Ah believe yo' am right," said Sam in a hollow voice. "Ef he try to +mess me up Ah sho' gwine use dis knife." + +"Put that away, Sam," said John, sharply. "Don't be silly." + +"But ef he's crazy," protested Sam, "Ah suttinly boun' proteck mahself." + +"He's not crazy," exclaimed George. "He'll be out in a minute and tell +us just what is wrong with him." + +"Go and see what he's doing, Pop," urged Fred. + +"I will not. He said he'd got it and he might get me, too. What do you +suppose he was talking about anyway?" + +"Here he comes now. Ask him." + +Grant emerged from the cave, his manner showing how excited he was. He +walked rapidly and his hands shook with nervousness. He carried the +piece of parchment that had become so familiar to the four boys. + +"He must have meant the code," whispered Fred to George. + +"He couldn't have solved it," said George in a low voice. "How could +he?" + +"I don't know. At any rate he may have had an idea." + +Grant advanced rapidly towards the spot where his companions were +grouped and seated himself in front of them. + +"What's going on, Grant?" demanded John curiously. + +"Just a minute and I'll show you something," and he spread the code out +on the ground while the rest of the little party peered eagerly over his +shoulder. + +"Now, first of all," began Grant, "you all know what this is." + +"It's a combination to a safe," said George readily. + +"Keep quiet, Pop," exclaimed Fred. "Give him a chance." + +"It's a code," said Grant, ignoring George's facetious remark. + +"We know that," agreed Fred. "Don't be so mysterious." + +"What's the highest number in it?" demanded Grant. + +"He sounds like a trick man," laughed George jeeringly. + +"No treasure for Pop," said Grant shortly. "What's the highest number in +it?" + +"I guess we'll have to do it this way," said John with a sigh. "Let me +see," he added. "I guess twenty-five is the highest number." + +"All right. How many letters are there in the alphabet?" + +"Twenty-six." + +"But, Grant," Fred protested, "I don't see what you're getting at?" + +"You will soon enough. Just have a little patience." + +"But why don't you tell us what your idea is right now?" + +"Because I don't want to. At any rate it's only an idea and I don't know +whether it's right or not and I haven't worked it out myself. That's +what we are doing now and I want you all to help me. The whole thing may +be wrong, but it sounds pretty good to me. John's remark about the +number of letters in the alphabet gave me the idea." + +"Then I ought to get the credit if we solve the code," exclaimed John. + +"You'll be lucky if you don't get shot," said George. "You ought to be." + +"Go ahead with your explanation, Grant," urged Fred. "Everybody keep +quiet and give him a chance." + +"All right," said Grant. "We've noticed that the highest number is +twenty-five and that there are twenty-six letters in the alphabet, +haven't we?" + +"We have," said John so solemnly that George giggled outright. His +friends, however, were in a very serious mood and he quickly realized +that his hilarity was decidedly out of place. + +"What number appears most frequently?" + +"I guess fourteen does," said Fred after a hasty survey of the figures +spread out on the ground before them. + +"No, five," exclaimed John. "There are a good many more fives than there +are fourteens." + +"Perhaps there are," Fred admitted. "Go ahead, Grant." + +Grant made some calculations that his comrades could not follow before +he replied to Fred's remark. His friends eyed him curiously. + +"Suppose we put the letter _e_ wherever the number five occurs," he +said at length. + +"What are you going to do that for?" demanded George, now very much +interested in the experiment Grant was conducting. + +"Never mind why," exclaimed Grant. "Do as I say." + +"Give me a sheet out of your diary, Pop," said Fred. "I'll do the +figuring." + +"Are you going to write it all down?" inquired George. + +"Shall I, Grant?" + +"Put it all down. We'll go slowly, but we'll do it right." + +"All right," exclaimed Fred. "Here goes," and he wrote as follows, +substituting the letter for the number every time he came to it: + +20-1-11-e-1-3-15-21-18-19-e-4-21-e-14-15-18-20-8-15-14-e-8-21-14-18-e- +4-6-e-e-20-6-18-15-13-20-8-e-19-15-21-20-8-e-18-14-e-24-20-18-e-13-9- +20-25-15-6-19-8-1-18-11-18-15-3-11-20-8-e-14-e-1-19-20-6-9-6-e-e-20- +1-14-4-14-15-18-20-8-2-25-e-1-19-20-20-8-9-18-20-25-20-8-18-e-e-4-9-7. + +"Well," exclaimed George when Fred had finished, "it may be very simple +and all that, but it doesn't mean anything to me." + +"Of course, not yet," said Grant. "Have a little patience." + +"Why don't you tell us what your system is?" + +"No, you wait." + +"How about fourteen now?" demanded Fred. "We decided that was a pretty +common number, you know. What shall I do with that?" + +"I'll tell you," said Grant and once again he appeared to calculate +something in his head. "In place of fourteen put the letter _n_," +he directed, "and use the copy you just made." + +"What do you mean by the copy I just made?" + +"I mean leave the letter _e_ where you put it in the last time." + +"Here we go," exclaimed Fred and this is what he wrote: + +20-1-11-e-1-3-15-21-18-19-e-4-21-e-n-15-18-20-8-15-n-e-8-21-n-4-18-e- +4-6-e-e-20-6-18-15-13-20-8-e-19-15-21-20-8-e-18-n-e-24-20-18-e-13-9- +20-25-15-6-19-8-l-18-11-18-15-3-11-20-8-e-n-e-1-19-20-6-9-6-20-25-6 +-e-e-20-1-n-4-n-15-18-20-8-2-25-e-1-19-20-20-8-9-18-20-25-20-8-18-e +-e-4-9-7. + +"Clear as mud," cried George, slapping Fred heartily on the back. +"You're a wonder, Peewee, my boy." + +"I must confess I don't understand all this business," exclaimed Fred. +"Why don't you tell us what you are trying to do, Grant?" + +"Because I'm not sure that I know myself." + +"Tell us what you think anyway," urged John. "There's no harm in that." + +"I'd rather not," said Grant. "If you fellows don't want to help me any +more though, I'm perfectly willing to work it out by myself." + +"No, you don't," exclaimed Fred. "If there's anything going to happen +around here I want to be on hand." + +"An' me too," said Sam eagerly. "Ah wants to be heah when dat treasah am +discovahed. Ah'll fix dem niggers in Richmond yet." + +"Good boy, Sam," exclaimed Grant. "You and I will work it out together." + +"Ah cain't read nor write," said Sam disconsolately. "Ah's afraid Ah +wouldn't be ob bery much help to yo'. Ah can suttingly do some diggin' +dough." + +"Oh, I'm going to stay along; don't worry about that," said Fred. "I +wish Grant would tell us what he's trying to do, but I'm going to stay +by him whether he tells or not." + +"I know what he's trying to do," said George. "It's simple enough." + +"What is it then?" demanded Grant. + +"Why, he thinks these numbers are used in place of letters. A certain +number means a certain letter and wherever he sees it he substitutes the +letter." + +"We all know that much," cried John scornfully. "What we want to know is +how he figures out what letter to put in place of a certain number. Can +you tell us that?" + +"No, I can't," George admitted ruefully. + +"Then you don't know how he does it, do you?" + +"No, I don't. That is, not yet." + +"Go ahead then, Grant," exclaimed John. "We're wasting time here." + +"You want to go on with it, do you?" + +"Of course we do." + +Grant picked up the code and studied it attentively for some moments. +Finally he put it down again. "Suppose we put the letter _h_ in +place of the figure eight," he said. "Eight seems to be a fairly common +number." + +Once again Fred copied the mysterious set of numbers, making the change +that Grant had suggested. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIII + +PROGRESS + + +When Fred had completed his task the following result appeared: + +20-1-11-e-1-3-15-21-18-19-e-4-25-e-n-15-18-20-h-15-n-e-h-21-n-4-18-e- +4-6-e-e-20-6-18-15-13-2-h-e-19-15-21-20-h-e-18-n-e-24-20-18-e-13-9- +20-25-15-6-19-h-1-18-11-18-15-3-11-20-h-e-n-e-1-19-20-6-9-6-20-25-6- +e-e-20-1-n-4-n-15-18-20-h-2-25-e-1-19-20-20-h-9-18-20-25-20-h-18-e- +e-4-9-7. + +"Is it coming out all right, Grant?" asked John. "It doesn't look like +very much to me just yet." + +"It doesn't spell any words yet," said Fred. + +"Yes, indeed, it certainly does," exclaimed Grant. "There's _he_ a +couple of times. That spells something, doesn't it!" + +"Yes, that does," admitted Fred, "but what can _n-e-h_ be? I never +heard of that word or _e-n-e_ either." + +"You must remember that it isn't all done yet by a good deal," Grant +protested. "You see we've substituted only three letters so far and it +spells two words already. I call that pretty good work." + +"Yes, and in a minute you may run up against a snag and find that you're +all wrong," said George. + +"Quite right," admitted Grant. "If my system is wrong we'll find it out +pretty soon, too. It seems to me to be worth trying though." + +"Oh, I think so, too," exclaimed Fred readily. "Let's try another now." + +"Why can't you substitute two at once?" said John. "That would save a +lot of time." + +"I know it would," admitted Grant. "It would also double the chances of +mistakes and we don't want to make any if we can help it." + +"We'll be careful," said George. "Go into another trance, Grant, and +tell us two letters this time. You're a regular Hindoo fakir and for all +I know you may have hypnotized the whole crowd of us." + +"Come on, Pop! Be serious," exclaimed John. + +"I am serious and I'm just as anxious to solve this as you are. You +don't mind if I get a little fun out of it though, do you?" + +"Got the letters, Grant?" demanded Fred of the owner of the secret, who +was busily engaged in more calculations. His eyes were half shut and he +did a great deal of counting on his fingers. + +"Ssh," hissed George softly, but no one noticed him. + +"All right," said Grant suddenly. "Put _r_ in place of eighteen and +_t_ in place of twenty." + +"I've got your system," exclaimed John all at once. "I had an idea +before and now I'm quite sure of it." + +"What is it, String?" inquired George eagerly. + +"I won't tell you. Wait and see if I'm right." + +"I thought you said you were." + +"I think I am." + +"Don't tell him, String, if you know," urged Grant. + +"I won't; don't worry about that. Isn't it simple?" + +"Just like you," muttered George, but no one heeded him. + +"Go ahead, Fred," said Grant. "Write it out again." + +When Fred had complied the code had the following appearance,-- + +t-1-11-e-1-3-15-21-r-19-e-4-21-e-n-15-4-t-h-15-n-e-h-21-n-4-r-e-4-6- +e-e-t-6-r-15-13-t-h-e-19-15-21-t-h-e-r-n-e-24-t-r-e-13-9-t-25-15-6- +19-h-1-r-11-r-15-3-11-t-h-e-n-e-1-19-t-6-9-6-t-25-6-e-e-t-1-n-4-n- +15-r-t-h-2-25-e-1-19-t-t-h-9-r-t-25-t-h-r-e-e-4-9-7. + +"Well, you've got more letters in it than you had anyway," exclaimed +George, "and right down at the end there it spells the word +_three_. Grant, I believe you may be on the right track after all." + +"Yes, sir, we'll all be rich soon," exclaimed John. "Just think of us +going home with great bags of gold and jewels slung over each shoulder." + +"Say!" cried Sam, his eyes sparkling and his ivory teeth showing in a +dazzling smile. "Wouldn't dat be great?" + +"See any ships coming to rescue us?" said John. "Who wants to be rescued +anyway? We're going to find the gold; we're going to find the gold!" and +he danced joyously around, waving his arms about his head while he +chanted over and over again the same refrain, "We're going to find the +gold; we're going to find the gold!" + +"I'm afraid you're a little previous, String," laughed Grant, looking up +from the code which he had been studying intently. "We haven't got it +yet, you know." + +"But we shall," insisted John joyously. "We'll find it all right." + +"Let's keep at it," exclaimed Fred. "That's the best way I know to +accomplish anything. Talking about it doesn't do much good." + +"Give him a couple more letters then, Grant," exclaimed George. + +"Let me give him one," said John. "See if I can guess right." + +"All right," said Grant, "you try it this time and see if you know the +trick." + +"Give me two," said Fred. "We worked two at a time before and we ought +to be able to do it again." + +"What numbers do you want letters for?" inquired John. + +"Let me see," mused Fred. "How about eleven and fifteen?" + +"Just a second now," and John began to calculate and count on his +fingers just as Grant had done. + +"Another fakir," whispered George, but as usual no one paid the +slightest attention to him. Every one was intent upon the code and too +much interested in it to be diverted by anything else. + +"Put _k_ in place of eleven, and _o_ in place of fifteen," +said John after he had apparently satisfied himself as to the +correctness of his calculations. "Is that correct, Grant?" + +"Absolutely," said Grant. "You know the system all right." + +"You might tell us," exclaimed George enviously. + +"Keep quiet, Pop, and watch me," ordered Fred, and once more he rewrote +the code while his companions watched him eagerly. This is what he +wrote: + +t-1-k-e-1-3-o-21-r-19-e-4-21-e-n-o-r-t-h-o-n-e-h-21-n-4-r-e-4-6-e-e-t- +6-r-o-13-t-h-e-19-o-31-t-h-e-r-n-e-24-t-r-e-13-t-25-o-6-19-h-1-r-k-r- +o-e-k-t-h-e-n-e-1-19-t-6-9-6-t-25-6-e-e-t-1-n-4-n-o-r-t-h-2-25-e-1-19- +t-t-h-9-r-t-25-t-h-r-e-e-4-9-7. + +"You're getting rid of the numbers fast enough anyway," exclaimed +George. "It looks like Greek to me though." + +"Maybe it's written in some foreign language," suggested Fred. "Wouldn't +that be awful?" + +"Perhaps it's Finnish," said George. "We got it from a Finn." + +"Dey's always ha'd luck," exclaimed Sam soberly. "Ef some Finn done +wrote dat we don't stan' no chance ob eber findin' de treasah." + +"You mean it will be our finish, is that it?" laughed George. + +"Ah wouldn't be at all s'prised," said Sam solemnly. + +"What makes you think it's not written in English?" demanded Grant. + +"Well, just look along there in the middle," said George. "It says +r-k-r-o, and then k-t-h-e-n-e. Did you ever hear of any words that +sounded like that?" + +"No, but towards the end it spells two words distinctly," protested +Grant, "Just see there, n-o-r-t-h, and t-h-r-e-e. Certainly they spell +_north_ and _three_, don't they?" + +"They do," admitted George. "That's what puzzles me. Part of it seems to +be all right and part wrong. Are you sure your system is right?" + +"Not yet, but I'm getting surer all the time. How about you, String?" + +"I agree with you, Grant. We'll have it all in a minute." + +"Maybe it's written in two languages," said Fred. "Sometimes they do a +thing like that, you know, to make it all the harder." + +"You're a cheerful soul," exclaimed Grant grimly. "If it's written in +two languages we'll be about as badly off as we were before." + +"And we shan't know whether we're right or not," added George. + +"I say go ahead anyway the way we have been doing," exclaimed Fred. "We +seem to be making some sort of progress." + +"Tell us what letter corresponds to number one," said George. + +"A," almost shouted John and Grant together. + +"You seem to agree on that at any rate," laughed George. "Why don't you +tell us what your system is?" + +"I should think you'd have guessed it by this time," said Grant. "Why, +it's just as simple as rolling off a log." + +"Oh, yes, of course," said George sarcastically. "Everything is when you +know all about it. I think you might let Fred and me into your secret." + +"One stands for _a_," was Grant's reply. "Nineteen stands for +_s_. That's all I'll tell you now. Go ahead and put those down if +you want to." + +"Write it down, Fred," said George sorrowfully. "My," he added under his +breath, "I hate stingy people." + +Again Fred wrote:-- + +t-a-k-e-a-3-o-21-r-s-e-4-21-e-n-o-r-t-h-o-n-e-h-21-n-4-r-e-4-6-e-e-t-6- +r-o-13-t-h-e-s-o-21-t-h-e-r-n-e-24-t-r-e-13-9-t-25-o-6-s-h-a-r-k-o-3-k- +t-h-e-n-e-a-s-t-6-9-6-t-25-6-e-e-t-a-n-4-n-e-r-t-h-2-25-e-a-s-t-t-h-9- +r-t-25-t-h-r-e-e-4-9-7. + +"Keep it up," urged George. "Let's not discuss it any more until it is +all written out. Give him some more letters." + +"Take _u_ for twenty-one and _f_ for six," said Grant. + +"Give me three this time," said Fred. "There aren't many left." + +"All right. Take _i_ for nine." + +Once more Fred wrote it out as follows: + +t-a-k-e-a-3-o-u-r-s-e-4-u-e-n-o-r-t-h-o-n-e-h-u-n-4-r-e-4f-e-e-t-f-r-o +-13-t-h-e-s-o-u-t-h-e-r-n-e-24-t-r-e-13-i-t-25-o-f-s-h-a-r-k-r-o-3-k-t- +h-e-n-e-a-s-t-f-i-f-t-25-f-e-e-t-a-n-4-n-o-r-t-h-2-25-e-a-s-t-t-h-e-r- +t-25-t-h-r-e-e-4-i-7. + +"That's the way," cried George. "Give him some more. Clean it up this +time." + +"Let's see," said Grant musingly. "What numbers are left?" + +"Three, four, thirteen, twenty-four, twenty-five, two and seven," said +George. "I think that's all." + +"All right," exclaimed Grant, "we'll finish it up. Go ahead, Fred, and +in place of three put _c_, in place of four _d_, put _m_ +for thirteen, _x_ for twenty-four, _y_ for twenty-five, +_b_ for two, and let's see, _g_ for seven. That ought to do +it." + +"Here I go," said Fred, beginning to write at once. "You tell me what to +do when I come to those numbers." + +Grant prompted him and the whole code of numbers was soon translated +into letters, reading as follows in its final form: + +t-a-k-e-a-c-o-u-r-s-e-d-u-e-n-o-r-t-h-o-n-e-h-u-n-d-r-e-d-f-e-e-t- +f-r-o-m-t-h-e-s-o-u-t-h-e-r-n-e-x-t-r-e-m-i-t-y-o-f-s-h-a-r-k-r-o-c-k- +t-h-e-n-e-a-s-t-f-i-f-t-y-f-e-e-t-a-n-d-n-o-r-t-h-b-y-e-a-s-t- +t-h-i-r-t-y-t-h-r-e-e-d-i-g. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIV + +SOLVED + + +"There it is," exclaimed Fred when he had finished writing. + +"What does it say?" demanded George. "It's certainly jumbled up." + +"We'll start at the beginning," said Grant eagerly, "and spell out the +letters and see if we can't make words out of them." + +"Read them out loud," suggested Fred, "and go slow." + +"T," began Grant, "that doesn't spell anything. T-a; T-a-k; T-a-k-e." + +"Take," exclaimed George. "There's a word." + +"Good," cried John. "Go ahead from there, Grant." + +"A," said Grant. + +"That's a word," cried Fred. "We've got 'take a,' so far." + +"C," said Grant. "C-o; C-o-u; C-o-u-r." + +"That means 'heart' in French," exclaimed George. "The next three +letters, s-e-d, mean 'but' in French. Do you suppose that could be +right?" + +"It doesn't make sense that way," said John. 'Take a heart but.' What +does that mean?" + +"Perhaps every word doesn't count," George suggested. + +"Look here," exclaimed Grant. "What does c-o-u-r-s-e spell?" + +"Course, of course," said John laughingly. + +"Certainly it does," said Grant. "That's the word we want. So far we +have three; 'take a course.' Doesn't that sound more like it to you +fellows than some sort of French that George is trying to bring into +it?" + +"Absolutely," said Fred with great conviction. "'Take a course' is +right, and the next word is d-u-e, due." + +"Correct," cried Grant. "Why, this is easy. Just see if I can't read the +whole thing right off now." + +"Try it anyway," said John. "Take it slow." + +Grant studied the letters in front of him for some moments in silence. +"I've got it," he exclaimed at length. "Just listen to this," and he +began to read slowly, "'Take a course due north one hundred feet from +the south--'" he paused. + +"From the southern, isn't it?" queried John. + +"That's it. 'Take a course due north one hundred feet from the southern +extremity of shark rock, then east fifty feet and north by east +thirty-three dig.'" + +"Correct," cried John, "only you ought to have read the last of it like +this: 'and north by east thirty-three. Dig!" and he shouted the final +word with all his might. + +"We're going to find the gold, we're going to find the gold!" shouted +Fred, borrowing John's chant, and a moment later every one in the little +party had joined hands and was dancing joyously about singing and +laughing and shouting. Finally they stopped from sheer exhaustion. + +"Read dat again, will yo'?" demanded Sam eagerly. + +"Read it, Grant," shouted George. "We're going to find the gold, we're +going to find the gold!" + +"If you'll keep quiet a minute I'll read it," said Grant, and while +every one listened with rapt attention he read again the words it had +taken them so many days and weeks to discover. "'Take a course due north +one hundred feet from the southern extremity of shark rock, then east +fifty feet and north by east thirty-three. Dig.'" + +"Say, I just happened to think," exclaimed Fred in dismay. "How are we +going to get those directions right? How can we tell north from south +except in a general sort of way?" + +"Fred," said George, pretending to be greatly disappointed in his +comrade, "how long will it take you to learn that whenever anything is +needed, I am the one who always has it? Don't you know that I always +wear a compass and don't you remember Captain Dodge on board the +_Josephine_ complimenting me on the fact one time? You are a great +trial to me, Fred," and George shook his head sorrowfully. + +"Well, I'm glad you've got it anyway," said Fred shortly. "I still don't +see, though, how we are going to measure distances." + +"That will be hard," admitted Grant. "How long are your feet, String?" + +"A yard and a half," said George readily, and immediately ducked to +escape a blow aimed in his direction by the owner of the feet in +question. + +"Ten inches," replied John. "That is, my shoes are just exactly that +long, for I remember measuring them in the gymnasium just before I left +home. They're in the cave if you want them." + +"Not now," said Grant. "It's too late to do anything to-day, anyway, and +it'll be dark in a little while. If your shoes are exactly ten inches +long though, we can measure with them and figure out the distance easy +enough." + +"Are you sure that the shark rock the code speaks of is the one on the +end of the island here?" exclaimed Fred. + +"Sho' it am," said Sam. "Dey nevah was two rocks lak dat one." + +"I guess that's right," agreed Fred. "It must be the one." + +"Certainly it is," said John. "We wouldn't have found two codes on this +island unless the spot they referred to was here too." + +"Oh, that's the rock all right," said Grant confidently. "I wish we +could start right down there now, but I suppose it would be foolish." + +"I think we've done enough for one day anyhow," said John. "As long as +we have solved the code we can't have much to complain of for one day's +work." + +"You haven't told us how you did it yet," said George. + +"Haven't you found out for yourself? My, but you're dull." + +"Perhaps I am," admitted George. "I don't see it though." + +"Nor I," added Fred. "Tell us how you did it." + +"How many letters are there in the alphabet?" asked Grant. + +"Twenty-six," said George. + +"What's the first letter?" + +"A." + +"What's the second?" + +"B." + +"And the third?" + +"C." + +"What's the twenty-sixth?" + +"Z." + +"You know your alphabet anyway," laughed Grant. "Now this is how the +code works; _a_ is the first letter so we call it one, _b_ is +the second so we call that two, and so on all the way through. For +instance, the letter _s_ would be number nineteen, and _t_ +would be twenty. Do you see the idea?" + +"Yes, I see that," said George. "Explain the rest." + +"Why, it's just this. Wherever number one came we put the letter +_a_. If number thirteen appeared we'd substitute the thirteenth +letter in the alphabet in its place." + +"Which would be _m_," said George after a little calculation on his +fingers. + +"That's right," exclaimed Grant. "Now do you see how it was done?" + +"Of course. Isn't that simple?" + +"It took us long enough to find it out though," said John. + +"Well, I should say so," exclaimed George. "Weren't we stupid?" + +"I don't know," said Grant. "The simplest things are often the hardest +to explain. Of course when you get the key the rest is easy enough." + +"According to this code then," said Fred, "one, two, three would be +_a, b, c_. Is that right?" + +"Yes," said Grant, "and twenty-four, twenty-five and twenty-six would be +_x, y, z_." + +"I see," exclaimed Fred. "You couldn't have a number higher than +twenty-six in this code then, could you?" + +"Of course not. There are only that many letters in the alphabet, you +see." + +"How did you ever happen to think of it, Grant?" + +"Well, I guess I'd thought of about everything else possible," laughed +Grant. "When I heard Pop talking about teaching his parrot the alphabet +and somebody said there were twenty-six letters in it, I got an idea all +of a sudden. I knew those figures backwards and forwards and I +remembered that twenty-five was the highest number in it. That would +mean that twenty-six stood for the letter z, but that is so uncommon +anyway that it didn't seem strange that it should be missing. It was a +new idea and it struck me right away as being a good one." + +"It certainly was," exclaimed George. "We ought to give you a medal, +Grant." + +"Wouldn't a gold piece do?" laughed Fred. + +"It sho' would suit me," grinned Sam. "Ah does want one ob dem dere +diamon' ho'seshoes, dough." + +"Well, when you get enough gold pieces you can buy one," said Grant. +"Don't you think your friends back home would be jealous of you though?" +and he winked slyly at his companions. + +"Ah suttinly does hope so," exclaimed Sam heartily. "Dey's a lot of good +fo' nothin' no 'count niggers anyhow." + +"Would you work any more if you had a lot of money?" asked George. + +"Work!" exclaimed Sam disdainfully. "Hello, dere, foolish! What yo' +think Ah am anyhow? To' must think Ah'm plumb crazy," and Sam looked +pityingly at George. "Ob co'se Ah wouldn't nebber lif' mah han' agin." + +"Don't you think you'd get tired of doing nothing?" laughed George. + +"Jes' lemme try it onct," and Sam snorted at the idea of any one being +so silly as to work unless he was compelled to do so. + +"Well, I hope you do get rich, Sam," exclaimed John, "and I hope all the +rest of us do too." + +"Dis am de place fo' it," said Sam confidently. "Jes' think how many +people would gib dere eyes jes' to fin' dis yere island." + +"Finding the island wouldn't do them much good unless they knew where to +look after they got here," said Grant. + +"But we do know," exclaimed Fred. "All we have to do now is to make a +few measurements and do a little digging." + +"It may be a good deal of digging," said Grant. + +"We don't know how deep the stuff is buried, you know." + +"And we don't care," said George. "I'd dig all the way to China to get +that stuff if it was necessary." + +"I wish we had some tools," sighed John. "It may be slow work." + +"Oh, I don't know," said George. "It's all sand down around that end of +the island and we can use sticks and anything we can get hold of." + +"An' mah knife," added Sam eagerly. + +"Yes," agreed Grant. "That knife will help a lot." + +"We can get Snip to use his beak on the tough spots," suggested Fred. + +"Yes," laughed George. "By the way he dug into my hand he ought to be +able to tear holes in the ground without any trouble at all." + +"Let's get to sleep," said Grant, "and at the crack of dawn to-morrow +we'll be down at the old shark rock with our compass and String's shoe +ready to make ourselves wealthy." + +It was an excited little party that turned in presently and dreamed of +gold and treasure unheard of all the rest of the warm tropical night. + + + + +CHAPTER XXV + +ON THE BEACH + + +The sun had scarcely made its appearance above the horizon the following +day when the inmates of the cave were astir. + +"Get up everybody," shouted Grant, the first to arise. "We've got work +to do." + +"Yon won't have to call me twice," exclaimed John, hastily rising to his +feet. "It seems to me I've been awake half the night anyway, just +waiting for that old sun to come out and give us enough light to see." + +"Suppose it had been a cloudy day and the sun hadn't come out, String," +said George, who had now joined the others. "I suppose you'd have had to +stay in bed all day. My, that would have been tough luck." + +"You're pretty funny for so early in the morning," said John shortly. +"After you've broken your back digging for a couple of hours maybe you +won't feel quite so smart." + +"My back will never get tired digging for gold," laughed George. "I +could keep at it for a week and not even feel it." + +"An' me too," chimed in Sam. "Ah is pow'ful strong when it come to dat +kind ob diggin'." + +"Well, let's get some breakfast and then give all these strong men a +chance," laughed Fred. + +"Aren't you going swimming first?" demanded George. + +"I'm going, I know that," said John enthusiastically. "I don't intend to +miss any swims in the mornings if I can help it." + +"How about sharks?" queried Grant. "I should think you'd have had just +about all the swimming you'd want, String." + +"No, indeed," laughed John. "I can tell you one thing, though, and that +is that I intend to stick awfully close to shore." + +"You won't be any closer than I will," exclaimed George seriously. "I'll +leave the middle of the ocean to the fish and not dispute it with them +at all." + +"Who's coming?" called George, who had already started. It seemed that +every one was, for a moment later the other four members of the little +family were close behind George. All were in excellent spirits and an +air of suppressed excitement seemed to pervade the atmosphere around +about them. When any one spoke it was in a tense tone and every laugh +sounded somewhat nervous. Eyes sparkled eagerly and breath came a trifle +faster when the thought of the buried gold arose in any one's mind. + +"Diamond horseshoes, Sam!" exclaimed John, slapping the grinning negro +heartily on the back. "Diamond horseshoes right after breakfast." + +"'Deed Ah hopes so," said Sam. "Ah sho' could use one ob dem." + +"Not here, though," laughed Grant. "Pretty soon we shan't have anything +to wear if our clothes get very much more ragged." + +"That's right, Sam," said John. "You couldn't wear your diamond +horseshoe on this island." + +"Does yo' really think dey is any ob dem in dat chest?" asked Sam very +seriously and very eagerly. + +"I doubt it," laughed John. "I don't believe they wore such things in +the days when this treasure was buried." + +"Dat's all right dough," said Sam cheerfully. "As yo' say Ah wouldn't +hab no use fo' one on dis yere island. All Ah wants am gold enough to +buy one when Ah gets back to Richmon'. Dat's when Ah wants it, an', +golly, say won't dem niggers be jealous." He laughed aloud as he usually +did at the thought, for it was a most pleasing prospect to him. He was +scarcely more than a child in mind; his great, and seemingly his +supreme, desire to make his friends jealous showed this. + +"Maybe we'll find some earrings," suggested Fred. "We can wear those, +and if we find bracelets and gold arm-bands and anklets and things like +that we can put them all on and look like a bunch of cannibals." + +"You've certainly got a great,--" George began sarcastically, when a cry +from Grant suddenly interrupted him. Grant had gained somewhat on the +remainder of the band and was down near the shore when he called. + +"What's the matter with him?" exclaimed John in a puzzled manner. "What +does he see and what's he running after?" + +"Let's go find out," cried Fred eagerly. + +"Come on everybody! Hurry up!" called Grant, stopping for a moment and +turning around. Down along the coast he ran, passing the ledge where +they usually went swimming and continuing his course towards a small +crescent-shaped beach only a short distance away. + +"I'm not going to miss anything," exclaimed George, and he also +commenced to run, followed closely by his three companions. + +In a few moments they saw the cause of Grant's excitement. When they +reached the spot where they usually bathed they spied him standing on +the shore gazing at an object which lay at his feet. + +"Look at that," exclaimed George, increasing his speed. + +"What a monster," echoed Fred. + +The remaining distance between them and the object of their attention +was covered in a remarkably short time by the three boys and their negro +companion. Every one was eager to be the first on the spot. + +"What do you think of that for a shark?" demanded Grant when the others +had come to the place where he was standing. + +"That's not a shark, that's a gunboat," exclaimed George grimly. "Where +did it come from?" + +"It washed ashore." + +"Is it dead?" + +"No," jeered Fred. "It isn't dead, Pop. It just crawled up on shore for +a little nap." + +"You think you're smart," retorted George. "I just asked for +information." + +"And I gave it to you, didn't I?" + +"Stop your fighting, you two," exclaimed John. "Give some one else a +chance." + +"How did it get here?" said George curiously. "What killed it?" + +"Come around this side and I'll show you," said Grant. + +All the others went with George and with the giant shark lying on its +side, its white belly towards the waves, Grant pointed out the cause of +its death. + +"There it is," he said quietly. A great gaping wound showed squarely in +the center of the shark's belly. It must have been nearly a foot in +length. + +"Whew!" whistled George. "Who did that?" + +"Sam did it," said John. "Isn't that right, Sam?" + +"Ah reckon it am." + +"Is this the shark that was after you, String?" exclaimed George. + +"That's the one." + +"And Sam killed him," said George unable to fully understand it all. "I +don't see how he did it. Why, this shark must be twenty feet long." + +"Yes," cried Grant, "and when somebody told you it was eighteen feet +long you laughed. You said it was the biggest fish story you'd ever +heard." + +"I take it back," said George simply. + +"How do you suppose he got here?" exclaimed John, who was examining with +personal interest the mouth of the giant fish. Row after row of great +white teeth, sharp as knives, were seen in the huge jaw. John shuddered +as he remembered how nearly he had come to losing his life to those +wicked weapons. + +"It simply was washed up here by the waves," said Grant. "It was +thrashing around out there at a great rate after Sam and String had come +ashore yesterday. I suppose it finally died and drifted in." + +"Well, I think Sam was wonderful to dispose of that fellow the way he +did," exclaimed George. "How did you do it, Sam?" + +"With mah ol' knife." + +"You thought he bit the shark to death, I suppose, Pop," laughed Fred. + +"Hot air!" was George's only reply to his remark. Just what he meant by +such a slang expression he probably knew best of all. + +"Let's measure the shark," exclaimed Grant. "I'd like to settle the +dispute once and for all and then when we go home and tell the story, +people will have to believe us for we'll all be witnesses." + +"How are you going to measure?" inquired Fred. "String's shoe is up in +the cave, you know." + +"We'll use String himself instead of his shoe," suggested Grant. + +"What do you all take me for?" demanded John. "I'm no tape measure." + +"How tall are you?" asked Grant. + +"Six feet two." + +"In your stocking feet?" + +"Yes, and my bare feet, too." + +"All right then," laughed Grant. "Just lie down alongside the shark." + +"Go ahead, String," urged Fred. "It won't hurt you." + +"I suppose not," sighed John and he stretched himself at full length on +the beach, the soles of his feet exactly on a line with the tip of the +shark's tail. Grant then marked the spot where his head came and John +moved up to this spot and lay down once more. Again Grant indicated the +spot by a mark in the sand and the performance was repeated. Four times +it was necessary to do this before John had finally covered the entire +length of the shark. + +"He's three and one-third times as long as you are, String," announced +Grant, when the measurements were completed. + +"That's twenty feet," exclaimed George. "Say, that's a real fish, isn't +it?" + +"I should think so," said Fred. "I'm also glad that he is dead and lying +on the beach, for I'm afraid I couldn't enjoy a swim with that fellow +hanging around." + +"There are others," said John. + +"They won't get me where I'm going in though," laughed Fred. "I'll be so +close to shore that any shark would run aground trying to get at me." + +"Let's all go in," exclaimed Grant. "We've got work to-day and if we are +going swimming we'd better hurry." + +"Ah mus' hab one o' dem teeth," said Sam, referring to the array in the +ugly mouth of the great shark. + +"What do you want one of them for?" asked George curiously. + +"'Cause it am sho' to bring yo' luck." + +"Then I want one too," cried George. "I want luck myself." + +"Get us each one, will you, Sam!" exclaimed Fred. "We can at least wear +them for watch fobs when we get home." + +"They'll help us to find the gold maybe," suggested George. + +"Don't worry about that," exclaimed John, confidently. "We'll find the +gold all right and we don't need any shark teeth or anything else to +help us, either." + +"Well, I say we don't fool around here any more, but go and get the +gold," said Fred. "All we've done so far is to talk about it." + +A moment later they were all splashing around in the water enjoying +their early morning swim. Soon afterward they returned to the cave, +where they collected everything they had that might aid them in their +search for the buried treasure. They spent but little time there, +however, and then quickly started on their way towards the big black +rock that was so strangely fashioned in the semblance of a shark. Never +did a party start out more eagerly or with higher hopes than this little +band of castaways on their search for buried wealth. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVI + +THE SPOT IS MARKED + + +"You've got your compass, haven't you, Pop?" demanded Grant. + +"Right in my hand," replied George, holding the precious article in +question up to view. + +"Does it work?" asked Fred, slyly. + +"Of course it works," said George loftily. "Anything that I have is all +right. You ought to know that by this time." + +"If we didn't have so much work ahead of us this morning," said Fred, "I +should suggest that we stop here for a minute and take the conceit out +of him." + +"Oh, Pop's all right," laughed Grant. "He just feels good to-day." + +"Why didn't you bring your nice gentle little parrot along, Pop?" +inquired John. "He'd have enjoyed seeing his owner do some work." + +"I was going to bring him," said George, "but look what he did to me," +and he held up a bleeding finger. "That's his answer to my invitation to +come along." + +"Isn't he affectionate?" laughed John. "My, I wish I had a parrot." + +"He'll be all right some day," said George seriously. "You see if he +won't." + +"I'm glad you're the trainer and not I, anyway," said John grimly. + +Laughing and joking, bantering one another and full of spirits they soon +came to their destination, and prepared to measure off the distances +according to the code. + +"Read what the code says first of all, Grant," exclaimed Fred. "That'll +help us all to know just what we are to do." + +"You ought to know it by heart now I should think," laughed Grant. +"Still, I'll read it if you say so." + +"Go ahead, Grant," urged John, and once more they listened to the words +that meant so much to every one of them. + +"Take a course due north one hundred feet from the southern extremity of +shark rock, then east fifty feet and north by east thirty-three. Dig." + +"Dig," cried George. "That's the important word. Dig! Dig! Dig!" + +"Wait a minute, Pop," exclaimed Grant. "We've got to find the place +where we are to dig first, you know." + +"All right," said George eagerly. "Here's the compass." + +"Lay it flat out on the rock," directed Grant. "We'll take our first +observation." + +The little instrument was placed on top of the great rock while the five +gold seekers crowded around it eagerly. The delicate indicator fluttered +excitedly for some moments, then its fluctuations gradually became less +and less. At last it stopped entirely, the tiny needle pointing exactly +north. + +"There we are," exclaimed George. "Now if we go directly opposite to the +way that needle is pointing we'll find the southern extremity of this +rock." + +"That's what we want," cried Grant. "You walk down there, Fred." + +Fred hastened to obey and soon stationed himself at the opposite end of +the rock, which happened to be the tail of the shark. + +"Get in direct line now," directed Grant. + +"You'll have to tell me what that is," replied Fred. "I can't tell the +exact spot, you know, from looking at it." + +"That's right," agreed John, "and we don't want to make any mistake at +the very beginning of our calculations. That would throw us 'way off +later on." + +"Take this stick," suggested George, bringing up a long thin shoot he +had torn from one of the nearby bushes. "Lay it flat out on the rock and +in a direct line with the needle. Be sure to get it exact and if we do +we can easily enough find the 'southern extremity.'" + +This was quickly done, and in a few moments the exact spot desired was +located beyond the shadow of a doubt. + +"Now," exclaimed Grant, "the next thing to do is to measure off a +distance due north from here." + +"Here's your tape measure," laughed John, offering his shoe to Grant. +"That's exactly ten inches long. I'll take my oath to that." + +"Let's see," mused Grant. "We want to measure a hundred feet from here +and the shoe is ten inches long. How are we going to figure that out?" + +"That's easy enough," exclaimed John. "You do it this way: there are +twelve inches in a foot, of course, and in one hundred feet there would +be one hundred times twelve, or twelve hundred. Now the shoe is ten +inches long, so you divide twelve hundred by ten, which is--" + +"One hundred and twenty," said Grant quickly. + +"Right," exclaimed John. "In other words, we want to measure a distance +one hundred and twenty times the length of my shoe due north from here." + +"Go ahead and do it," urged George. "I'll do it myself." + +"You see to it that we keep going straight north," advised Grant. "That +is one of the most important things of all." + +"That suits me," said George. "Start your measurements." + +The course led off across the sandy beach towards a little clump of pine +trees. Placing the toe of John's shoe close up against the spot on +shark's rock that was their starting place, Grant began to measure. With +a small stick he marked the place to which the heel of the shoe extended +and then repeated the operation, using the marker for a starting-point. +George kept close watch with his compass to see that the correct +direction was being followed. + +It was slow work and arduous. Everybody was on his hands and knees +keeping careful watch of all the operations. The sun was hot and in some +places sharp stones or bits of coral were mixed in with the sand so that +more than one of the little party soon had bleeding knees and hands as a +result. No one seemed to mind or even to notice these discomforts, +however. The task they were engaged in was so interesting and absorbing +to them that they paid scant attention to anything else. + +"Be sure to keep track of the number of times we have measured, Fred," +reminded Grant. "We don't want any slip-up, you know." + +"Don't worry about that," said Fred confidently. "Every time you shift +that shoe I make a mark on this page from George's diary. When there are +five marks made I cross them off." + +"How many so far?" inquired John. + +"Seventy," replied Fred after a rapid calculation. "Fifty more to go." + +"Don't hurry," warned Grant. "We want it right, you know." + +"We certainly do," agreed George. "We don't want to do all this work for +nothing." + +The measurements were continued, painfully and slowly. Every ten inches +was marked off with the greatest of care, and if John's statement that +his shoe was exactly ten inches long was correct it seemed impossible +that any mistake had crept into their calculations. John insisted over +and over again that the length quoted was absolutely correct, but his +friends kept on asking him, so anxious were they to be perfectly sure. + +"One hundred and twenty," announced Fred at length. "That's the end of +the first journey." + +"Thank goodness," exclaimed Grant, wiping the perspiration from his +brow. "That's about as hard work as I care to do." + +"I should say it is," agreed George. "Let's rest for a few minutes." + +"I've got to," said Grant. "I'll never last otherwise." + +"Mark the exact spot where we are to start on the next lap," said John, +"and then let's go up here in the shade and rest for a little while." + +"Good idea," exclaimed Grant. "I'll put this stick in the ground." + +The important spot plainly indicated, the whole party withdrew to the +shade afforded by a neighboring clump of palms and stretched themselves +upon the ground for a well earned rest. + +"I don't suppose we have any business to be working out in that sun in +the middle of the day anyway," said Grant. "It's entirely too hot." + +"Do you think we're apt to get a sunstroke?" queried John. + +"There's a good chance of it, I should think. I don't believe that +people who are used to living in the tropics would be working out in it +either." + +"Suttinly dey wouldn't," said Sam with great conviction. "It am bery, +bery dangerous." + +"I think so too," exclaimed George. "I say we don't do anything more +until the sun begins to go down a little. We've got more than half of it +measured out anyway, and it won't take us so very long to do the rest." + +"The only trouble is," remarked Fred, "that if we wait until then to +finish the measuring we won't be able to do any digging to-day." + +"What of it?" demanded Grant. "Gold won't evaporate, you know, and if +it's there to-day it'll be there just as much to-morrow." + +"You're right, Grant," agreed George. "There's no hurry, and much as I +want to see that gold, I'm willing to wait 'till to-morrow rather than +run the risk of sunstroke or something." + +Having reached this decision they lay about in the shade all through the +tropical noon and discussed the treasure for the thousandth time since +they first had come into possession of the code. Sometimes they dozed +and Sam, true to the traditions of his race, slept soundly. + +At last the shadows began to lengthen and a cool breeze sprang up off +the water. It was like food to a starving man it was so refreshing and +strengthening. + +"We're off!" cried Grant, springing eagerly to his feet. + +Every one joined him quickly and the task was resumed, and the air being +cooler now, they all worked better and more easily. + +"This next course is just half as long as the last one, isn't it?" said +Grant. + +"Yes," said John, "that makes just sixty times the length of my shoe." + +Due east they measured off the distance and before very long had marked +the completion of the second stage of their journey. + +"Now," exclaimed Grant, "we go north by east thirty-three feet. How many +lengths of your shoe is that, John?" + +"You figure it out, Fred," urged John. "You've got pencil and paper and +all you have to do, you know, is to multiply thirty-three by twelve and +divide by ten." + +"Thirty-nine and six-tenths times," announced Fred. "How can we measure +that fraction exactly?" + +"We won't need to," said Grant. "It's the last figure and we can get it +within a couple of inches. We'll dig a hole a couple of feet square all +around our last marker, so two or three inches won't make any +difference." + +"That's right," agreed Fred, and the measurements were continued. + +Soon they came to the end, but there an unexpected complication +presented itself. Thirty-three feet from the last point brought them +squarely up against a palm tree some twelve or fifteen inches in +diameter. + +"That's the end," exclaimed Fred. "How can we dig down through a tree +like that though? We must have made a mistake in our calculations." + +"Why so?" demanded George. + +"I don't see how it could be any other way," insisted Fred. "In the +first place how can any one bury anything underneath a tree like that?" + +"They didn't," said George. "They buried the treasure here and then +planted this palm tree to mark the spot. Do you notice that it is the +only one within fifty or a hundred feet of here?" + +"You're right, Pop," exclaimed Grant. "I believe that that's exactly +what happened." + + + + +CHAPTER XXVII + +CONCLUSION + + +After a sleepless and restless night the excited little party of +treasure seekers repaired once more to the palm tree which marked the +spot so long sought by them. + +"Got your knife, Sam?" exclaimed Grant. "Let's see how good a lumberman +you are." + +"Ah'll hab dat ol' tree down in no time," cried Sam confidently, and +with his great heavy knife grasped firmly in his right hand he fiercely +attacked the unsuspecting tree. The wood was soft and before long began +to yield to Sam's blows. + +"That'll just about finish up that knife," remarked Grant to Fred. + +"Suppose it does," said Fred. "There's another hoop from that old cask +up at the cave and he can easily make another." + +"Isn't a barrel of gold worth more than an old iron knife anyway?" said +John. "I should say so if you asked me." + +"A barrel of gold wouldn't have done you much good when that shark was +after you though," said Grant grimly. "I guess just at that time Sam's +old iron knife was worth more to you than anything in the world." + +"That's true," acknowledged John soberly. "I have no right to talk +against that knife." + +"Come over here and give this tree a push," shouted George who was +bustling importantly around Sam. "You fellows seem to think this is a +party or something. Come over here and do some work." + +No great amount of urging was required, however, and a moment later +every one in the party was standing about the tree, pushing and pulling +with all his might. + +"She's beginning to give!" exclaimed George. "Keep it up!" + +"Let Sam get to work for a minute or so more," suggested Grant. "About a +dozen more good blows will finish the job." + +"Dat's right," agreed Sam readily. "Lemme at dat ol' tree agin." + +As though it was his mortal enemy Sam attacked the unsuspecting palm +tree and dealt it such fierce blows that it soon required only a slight +exercise of strength to topple it over. + +"There she is," panted George when the tree lay prostrate. "She's down +and now the only thing that stands between us and the treasure is a few +feet or yards of sand." + +"Let's hope it's feet," said John. + +"And that there are no rocks to go through either," added Fred. + +"You certainly can think of more hard luck than any one I ever saw, +Fred," exclaimed George, pretending to be very much discouraged with his +friend. "Why do you always look on the dark side of things?" + +"I don't. I just believe in being sensible about it, that's all." + +"It seems to me you're always looking for trouble." + +"By the way," said John, "you didn't get those shark teeth, did you, +Sam?" + +"'Deed Ah didn't," exclaimed Sam, resting a moment from his exertions, +for he had already commenced to dig. "Ah done clean forgot 'em." + +"Will that bring us hard luck?" + +"Not at all," said George. "Sam said that one would bring you good luck +if you had it, but he didn't say it would be hard luck without it." + +"I know that," said John, "but I thought that perhaps if you had a +chance to get one and didn't do it you might give yourself bad luck." + +"You're as bad as Fred," exclaimed George disgustedly. "Why can't you +all be cheerful?" + +"Why can't you all go to work is what I'd like to know?" exclaimed +Grant. "It seems to me that that is more important than luck." + +"You're right, Grant," said George readily. "There's no such thing as +luck." + +"There's such a thing as work, though," said Grant grimly. "Let's all do +some of it." + +They fell to work with a will and dug busily and steadily for a long +time. A hole about four feet square was started and the boys were armed +with almost everything one could think of in place of real tools. +Sticks, flat pieces of rock, and hands almost more than anything else +were employed. + +"It's a good thing for us we are digging in sand and not in clay," +remarked Fred after some time had elapsed. + +"I should say it is!" agreed John. "As it is, we aren't making a great +deal of headway it seems to me." + +"Oh, yes, we are," exclaimed Grant. "The hole is at least a couple of +feet deep already." + +"I wish we could all get in there at once," said George. "We could work +much faster then." + +"Perhaps we won't have to go much deeper," said Grant hopefully. + +"I think we shall though." + +"Suppose we take turns down there with the knife," suggested Fred. "One +of us can loosen up the sand with it and then a couple more can get in +and throw it out." + +"That's a good scheme," exclaimed John. "Give me the knife, Sam." + +"Ah can do it mahself," protested Sam. + +"No, you can't either," laughed John. "You've done enough work for +to-day anyway. Let me have it now and perhaps you can take another turn +at it later." + +Reluctantly Sam gave up the knife and joined the others who stood and +watched John down in the hole. When he had loosened a considerable +amount of earth he climbed up and Fred and George took his place and +threw the loose sand out of the pit. This operation was repeated many +times with different ones doing the work. In this way the labor was +lightened and the hole grew amazingly. + +It was George's turn with the knife and he was working tremendously. He +hacked and carved the sand, exerting himself to the utmost. All at once +the knife struck something hard that had a metallic ring to it. + +"You've got it, Pop!" cried Grant excitedly. "You've got it sure!" + +"Hurry up and dig around it," exclaimed Fred. "Let me do it." + +"I can do it all right," said George, and he fell to work with even more +zeal than formerly. + +Again and again his knife struck the metallic surface beneath him. His +companions, grouped all around the pit, riveted their gaze on him and +watched him with rapt attention. George dropped the knife and dug the +sand away with his hands. The black top of an iron chest presented +itself to the view of the fascinated onlookers. + +"Can you move it, Pop?" cried Grant. + +"I can't find the edge of it." + +"Ah get 'im," said Sam suddenly, and he dropped into the pit and began +to work like a beaver. Their combined efforts soon cleared all the sand +from the top of the chest, which appeared to be about eighteen inches +square. On the top was a little handle with which to lift it. + +"Lift it out, Sam!" cried John. "Lift it out!" + +Sam exerted all his strength but could not budge the stocky little +chest. It was either extremely heavy or stuck fast. Every one who was +concerned in the matter was so interested in these operations that he +was entirely unconscious of everything except what was going on in the +pit right before their eyes. + +"Dig it out a little more," advised Grant. "You can lift it then." + +This proved to be true and a few moments later after a great pulling and +tugging Sam succeeded in raising the heavy little chest from its place. +Another great effort and he swung it up out of the pit where it was +pounced upon by Fred, John and Grant. Sam and George followed almost +instantly and an immediate inspection was made to see how it was to be +opened. + +"There's no lock on--" began Grant eagerly, when he was strangely +interrupted. + +"Ahoy, there!" came a shout and in amazement every one turned to see +whence came the hail. Its bow just grating on the beach, was a small +boat manned by four sailors; a half-mile off shore a large steamer was +riding at anchor. So engrossed had all the boys been in digging the pit +that they had not once noticed nor suspected its approach. + +"Well," gasped John, "what do you think of that?" + +"It means we get home all right anyway," exclaimed Fred. "Where do you +suppose it came from?" + +"I don't even care," said George. "How about the treasure, Grant?" + +"The chest is empty," replied Grant gazing ruefully into the barren +depths of the stout little iron box. + +THE END + + + + +The Outdoor Chums SERIES + +By CAPTAIN QUINCY ALLEN + + The Outdoor Chums + On the Lake + In the Forest + On the Gulf + After Big Game + On A House Boat + In the Big Woods + At Cabin Point + +For lovers of the great outdoors (and what boy is not?) this "Outdoor +Chums" series will be a rare treat. After you have read the first book +and followed the fortunes of the "Chums," you will realize the pleasure +the other seven volumes have in store for you. + +These rollicking lads know field, forest, mountain, sea and stream--and +the books contain much valuable information on woodcraft and the living +of an outdoor life. + +The Goldsmith Publishing Co. + +NEW YORK, N. Y. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Go Ahead Boys and the Treasure Cave, by +Ross Kay + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK GO AHEAD BOYS AND TREASURE CAVE *** + +***** This file should be named 30950.txt or 30950.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/0/9/5/30950/ + +Produced by Roger Frank, D Alexander and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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