“Do you think there is anything in this treasure idea?” questioned Phil, after a pause.
“No, Phil. That is, there may be some lost treasure, secreted by the pirates and buccaneers of old, but I doubt if anybody will ever find it—excepting by accident.”
“If there was a treasure on this Cave Island, we might hunt for it,” went on the shipowner’s son.
“Phil, don’t let that bee get into your bonnet!” cried Roger. “Many a man has gone crazy looking for pirates’ gold. Better drop it, and think of how we are to round up Merwell and Jasniff.”
“Well, I’d like to go to Cave Island anyway,” said Phil. “We might——” And then he stopped short, as he saw Geswick and Pardell near by. The Englishmen had been listening to part of the conversation.
“So you’d like to go to Cave Island, would you?” cried Andrew Geswick, his face red with rage. “You take my advice and keep away from that place!”
“Say, do you own that island?” demanded Phil, getting angry because of the other’s dictatorial manner.
“No, we don’t own the island. But we——” Andrew Geswick stopped short as his companion plucked him by the sleeve. “Never mind, you keep away from it, that’s all,” he growled.
“We’ll go there if we want to,” called out Phil.
“If you do you may get into trouble,” called back Pardell. Then he and his companion disappeared in the direction of the cabin.