The Go Ahead Boys and the Treasure Cave Part 24

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 s.h.i.+ning 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?"