by Ross Kay
CHAPTER XXVII
CONCLUSION
After a sleepless and restless night the excited little party oftreasure seekers repaired once more to the palm tree which marked thespot so long sought by them.
"Got your knife, Sam?" exclaimed Grant. "Let's see how good a lumbermanyou are."
"Ah'll hab dat ol' tree down in no time," cried Sam confidently, andwith his great heavy knife grasped firmly in his right hand he fiercelyattacked the unsuspecting tree. The wood was soft and before long beganto 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 caskup at the cave and he can easily make another."
"Isn't a barrel of gold worth more than an old iron knife anyway?" saidJohn. "I should say so if you asked me."
"A barrel of gold wouldn't have done you much good when that shark wasafter you though," said Grant grimly. "I guess just at that time Sam'sold iron knife was worth more to you than anything in the world."
"That's true," acknowledged John soberly. "I have no right to talkagainst that knife."
"Come over here and give this tree a push," shouted George who wasbustling importantly around Sam. "You fellows seem to think this is aparty or something. Come over here and do some work."
No great amount of urging was required, however, and a moment laterevery one in the party was standing about the tree, pushing and pullingwith 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 adozen 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 palmtree and dealt it such fierce blows that it soon required only a slightexercise of strength to topple it over.
"There she is," panted George when the tree lay prostrate. "She's downand now the only thing that stands between us and the treasure is a fewfeet 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 hisfriend. "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 luckif 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 achance 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 youall be cheerful?"
"Why can't you all go to work is what I'd like to know?" exclaimedGrant. "It seems to me that that is more important than luck."
"You're right, Grant," said George readily. "There's no such thing asluck."
"There's such a thing as work, though," said Grant grimly. "Let's all dosome of it."
They fell to work with a will and dug busily and steadily for a longtime. A hole about four feet square was started and the boys were armedwith almost everything one could think of in place of real tools.Sticks, flat pieces of rock, and hands almost more than anything elsewere 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 greatdeal of headway it seems to me."
"Oh, yes, we are," exclaimed Grant. "The hole is at least a couple offeet deep already."
"I wish we could all get in there at once," said George. "We could workmuch 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. "Oneof us can loosen up the sand with it and then a couple more can get inand 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 forto-day anyway. Let me have it now and perhaps you can take another turnat it later."
Reluctantly Sam gave up the knife and joined the others who stood andwatched John down in the hole. When he had loosened a considerableamount of earth he climbed up and Fred and George took his place andthrew the loose sand out of the pit. This operation was repeated manytimes with different ones doing the work. In this way the labor waslightened and the hole grew amazingly.
It was George's turn with the knife and he was working tremendously. Hehacked and carved the sand, exerting himself to the utmost. All at oncethe 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 morezeal than formerly.
Again and again his knife struck the metallic surface beneath him. Hiscompanions, grouped all around the pit, riveted their gaze on him andwatched him with rapt attention. George dropped the knife and dug thesand away with his hands. The black top of an iron chest presenteditself 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 beganto work like a beaver. Their combined efforts soon cleared all the sandfrom the top of the chest, which appeared to be about eighteen inchessquare. 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 littlechest. It was either extremely heavy or stuck fast. Every one who wasconcerned in the matter was so interested in these operations that hewas entirely unconscious of everything except what was going on in thepit 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 andtugging 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 waspounced upon by Fred, John and Grant. Sam and George followed almostinstantly and an immediate inspection was made to see how it was to beopened.
"There's no lock on--" began Grant eagerly, when he was strangelyinterrupted.
"Ahoy, there!" came a shout and in amazement every one turned to seewhence came the hail. Its bow just grating on the beach, was a smallboat manned by four sailors; a half-mile off shore a large steamer wasriding at anchor. So engrossed had all the boys been in digging the pitthat 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 yousuppose 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 barrendepths 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 "OutdoorChums" series will be a rare treat. After you have read the first bookand followed the fortunes of the "Chums," you will realize the pleasurethe other seven volumes have in store for you.
These rollicking lads know field, forest, mountain, sea and stream--andthe books contain much valuable information on woodcraft and the livingof an outdoor life.
The Goldsmith Publishing Co.
NEW YORK, N. Y.