Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-30

to whether it was of the same length as when
the freebooter buried his treasure. :,
ct must have been killed since those az,
rections were written," Bob said, after an al
had taken a long and silent survey OF the
place; "but we can did a regular trench IN
the direct line Of the shadow. The pest
from the northwest side Of the tree, and to, 9,
morrow morning we shall be ready Tor work
The treasure seekers had two axes and
hatchet, and this implement was gwen 70
Dudley, with Instructions to find his way back
to the bay, making a distinct path as he went,
while the others began the arduous task OF
clearing space for welldefned shadow. :,
While Bob and Percy worked manfully
amid the thicket of cactus, palmetto ana
thorny shrubs, Dudley not only laid out the
road to the Jaqnta, but he brought to his
companions generous luncheon, and took his
turn in relieving them.
Thus the labor was continued without IN
termission, and by three o'clock in the after
noon as much had been done as Bob thought
sufficient. A space forty feet long and ten feet
wide had been cleared, and If the light of the
rising sun was not obscured by clouds, very
nearly the exact position of the buried treas
ure could be determined on the following morn
ing,
There was nothing more that could be done
on that evening" and the boys were only too
glad to go ON board the Jaquita.
Everything appeared so peaceful in the har-
Dor that all hands believed it would be a use
less task to stand watch that night.
The Jaquita was hauled as far out in the
hay as her line would permit Of, and as early
as SIX O'Clock the three boys were sleeping
soundly.
But little time was spent on board the
felucca after her owners were awake the next
morning, and half an hour before the sun was
ready to show his face above the horizon,
the treasure seekers were at the foot of the
blasted palm, waiting anxiously for the ap-
pearance of the shadow.
Slowly the king of day erept up until he
could peep over the treetops at three boys,
who stood, shovels in hand, ready to mark
appeared faint and indistinct at first, but in
short time lay weil-defined on the dew-cover-
ed earth
.'Cut right along the whole line first" Bob
SAID, as he began the work, land then, no
matter how it shifts, we shall know just where
to dig"
The ground was marked fifteen feet beyond
the tip of the dark lines, and all began the
task, Bob taking up his station in the centre,
with the others outside of him.
Hour after hour passed, during which the
boys. worked with feverish eagerness, seeing
nothing to. denote that the Sand had been
disturbed since it had first lodged there, and
as the day wore on. their energies were be-
ginning to flag, until Dudleys shovel struck
against something more unyielding than the
earth.
II believe I've found it!' he exclaimed, eag-
erly.
And in another instant all three were throw
ing out the sand from that particular spot
at lively rate.
Five minutes passed amid silence which
was only broken by the sound of the shovels
and the abored breathing of the workers, and
at the end OF that time small keg, that look
ed as if it might once have served as water
breaker, was exposed to view.
1t would be impossible to describe the ex-
cltement that took possession of the crew of
the Jaquita as they realized that they had
succeeded in the undertaking. the writ
ten instructions had not led to disappointment.
They shouted and danced until when, from
very lack of breath, these demonstrations
could no longer be continued, they sat upon
the hot sand and gazed at the worm-eaten
slaves and rusty iron hoops as if they were the
most beautiful objects ever seen.
snail we try to get it down to the felucca
Just as It is" asked Dudley; cor had we bet
ter break 1T open here?'
IF it's all gold / don't believe we could
carry it," replied Bob.
And then, as if it had just occurred to him
to try the weight Of the supposed treasure,
he braced himself for one hard tug at the
keg.
In another instant he was on his back, with
tneir prize nearly on top of him. Instead of
being as heavy as to require the united
strength of the finders to lift it, a very slight
exertion was all that was necessary and
Captain Bob caught what might be called
"land-crab" N
Its empty!" calculated Percy and Dudley.
in concert. as their companion scrambled to
his feet, seized an ak, and made vigorous
attack upon the keg.
We'll know what there is in it, at any
rate!T he cried as he rained such shower
of heavy blows upon it that the rusty hoops
soon flew asunder, while the slaves fell in
every direction, showing that if the keg did
not contain gold, it certainly was not entirely
empty.