Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-04

ms part by a rigid scrutiny of every bush or
clump of palmetto.
hhithough hin% q he spent great deal of time, in
making these Investigations, he found, when
ne was where he could overlook the camp,
that they had not been needless
Inc raft was finished and moored by the
snore, looking really like seaworthy craft
The jib of the Jaquita had been rigged as y
sort of staysail, and appearances indicated
that the men were ready to leave the key
and lts treasure whenever it should suit their
| purpose SO to do
Launce was sitting within the shelter of the
tent nursing his wounded arm and smoking,
while two of his companions were fashioninu
! some small trees into oars
! Gomez was nowhere to be seen. He was
not around the tent, and might be out
searching for the hiding place of the pirates
treasure, or have gone to learn the cause of
the smoke.
| "If he noticed the fire he'll be almost Ger
tain to come upon Dudley and Percy un
awares,' Bob said to himself, "and even If
he is only out for a walk he may stumble on
them. So the best thing 1 can do it to get
back How wish we had waited one day
more before trying to eook!"
He lost no time in vain repinings, however
but started off through the underbrush as
rapidly as possible without making too much
noise.
When the captain left the camp to recon
noitre, Dudley had busted himself with his
WOAh anu pdlu Dub lJJle dDbeHbIOn TO feTcy,
who had gone down to the very edge of the
beach,, where he amused himself with making
diagrams in the wet sand.
Dudley wrapped the thoroughly yroasted
eggs in leaves, forming them into packages OF
about dozen, sRd bound them with vines TO
the bushes. The cooked bacon and turtle
steak were also covered with leaves and sus-
pended from the branches of the trees, with
the green substitute for twine
He had nearly completed this task, which
had occupied him for at least two hours,
when loud cry from Percy caused him to
start at full speed for the beach, fearing some
imminent danger menaeed.
1t was quite evident to him, as soon as he
saw Percy, that the outcry had not been
made through fear, for that youth was dane
ing about the beach, and giving way in every
manner to the most extravagant demonstra-
tions of joy.
what has come over you?" Dudley asked,
in surprise
Come here and see what have found"
Dudley went quickly toward the beach,
thinking that some valuable article had been
washed up from the sea, when Percy held
out, for his inspection an oblong piece of the
under portion of a turtle shell, which had
been rudely cut and letters scratched on it
with the point of knife.
In order that the reader may understand
what Dudley looked at in perplexity, a re-
duced copy Of it is given below
Cant YOU see what it is now" Percy
"1ndeed l CAN'T was the truthful reply,
as Dudley gazed once more, but failed to
discover anything interesting
''Well, you must be stupid!'' exclaimed
Percy, who had no doubt but that the solving
of the cipher occupied as prominent a plane
in the minds of his companions as in his
own. Don't you see that if [ wind this
cord around, fastening the loop on the ton
notch, that the first knot comes exactly mn
der the letter H? The second just fits on the
next turn under A, and so on until the cipher
is read"
Then Percy again gave way to his iov in
the most grotesque antics
"But what does it say?" cried Dudley. AZ
he cutched the whirling boy by the arm, fore
ing him., after quite a severe struggle, to
"1he first word is half the next 1soutb-
east then palm and the last elk knots are
simply alternate letters to the kew of the
writing We know now that the treasure IL
buried half mile southeast by east from
the head of the bay and that the BEARINGS
are to be taken from the palm tree. It mnst
be the one that stands just in front of Co
mez's camp"
GLOW did you find it out?" asked Dudlev
astonished at the patience and ingenuity ey,
hibited by his friend in reading such blind
cipher.
81 assumed that the first word was half,
and have been tracing ON the sand =
square of letters at such distance apart that
the first four knots would come in the proner
place to spell it. / didn't understand lit
was to be done with so much loose fwina ..-.s
that which is used in passing over the hack
of the diagram. Perhaps | never would have
found IL If | had had paper on which to
work but the lines couldn't be made aeon.
rately In the sand, so hunted for sometime
CONTINIJED ON FoTTowINc, pAou