“Trust me for that. Even while we were stealing up on the enemy, I kept feeling in my pocket to make sure they couldn’t get lost.”
“I allow there’s more than enough in them ’ere stones to pay for the _Day Dream_, an’ leave some over to tassel our handkerchiefs with. Now, are you ready?”
While they were speaking, Jenkins had been uncoiling the rope, and began to fasten one end under Gil’s arms as he spoke.
Then, lifting the boy clear from the ground, he let him drop slowly to the bottom with the torch in his hand.
The same operation was repeated with Nelse, and the two had ample opportunity to examine the subterranean chamber.
It had been built with exceeding care. The sides, which were cut in a coral ledge, as was the entire excavation, had been chiseled smooth, an operation which must have required no slight amount of time, and in the roof were what appeared to be two small apertures for the escape of air.
These details, however, were not noted by the boys until they had been in the cavern some time. Their first, and, in fact, only thought was of the supposed treasure.
The large amount of earth which had fallen when Gil was precipitated into the chamber, covered one end of the apartment entirely, and the fact of this having been thrown around considerably told that it had been overhauled to a considerable extent since Gil was drawn up, while the fragments of what he believed to be a box were scattered in every direction.
“There’s no question but that the men have been here,” Nelse said, sufficiently loud for Jenkins, who was lying over the aperture in such a manner that he could both hear and see, to distinguish the words.
“Of course they have,” the mate replied, angrily, “an’ that’s why they wouldn’t come with us to help Andy. Do you see anything?”
“Nothing more than this pile of dirt,” Gil replied. “If the spade is in the shaft we might throw it all over, an’ make sure they got everything.”
“That’s a good idea. Wait a minute an’ I’ll fetch it.”
Jenkins’ face disappeared from the aperture, and while he was absent the boys had a good opportunity to survey the singular place. In addition to what has already been spoken of, they noted with no small degree of surprise, that the remains of a stone stairway occupied one corner of the chamber, and immediately above it was a portion of a wooden hatch or trapdoor set in the earth by iron bands.