“Warning, nothing!” exclaimed Frank. “It is plain the thing has been left there by some person, and we are the discoverers. It must be that the skeleton is that of some poor devil who perished here for want of water.”
“And it may be that the one who placed it there perished also,” said Rattleton.
“Very likely.”
“In which case,” came eagerly from Jack’s lips, “all that treasure belongs to us! Boys, it is a wonderful stroke of fortune! We have made enough to take the whole of us through Yale, and——”
“If we ever get back to Yale, old fellow! This unfortunate fellow perished here, and our fate may be similar.”
“Boo!” shivered Browning. “That’s pleasant to think about!”
“More than that,” Frank went on, “the treasure does not belong to us if we can find the real owner or his heirs.”
The excitement and interest of the boys was great. They were eager to examine the decorations of the mysterious skeleton.
“We’ll stack our wheels, and then one of us can climb up and make an inspection,” said Frank.
So they proceeded to stack their wheels, Toots observing: