"It's mighty rough walking here," they heard Tad Sobber complain. "I've got a thorn right through my shoe. Wait till I pull it out, will you?" And he came to a halt not over ten yards from where the Rover boys were hidden.
"You didn't have to come, Tad," said his uncle, somewhat harshly. "I told you to suit yourself."
"Oh, I want to see that treasure cave as well as you do," answered
Sobber.
"I'd like to know if this is the right trail or not," came from Shelley. "You ought to have brought that Spaniard along, to make sure."
"Doranez is no good!" growled Sid Merrick who was by no means in the best of humor. "He likes his bottle too well. If he would only keep sober it would be different."
"Why don't you take his liquor from him?" asked Cuffer. "I'd do it quick enough if I was running this thing."
"He says he won't tell us a thing more if we cut off his grog. He is getting mighty ugly."
"Maybe he wants to sell out to those Rovers," suggested Shelley.
"He wouldn't dare to do that—I know too much about him," answered Sid Merrick. "No, it's because he wants too big a share of the treasure."
"Do you suppose the fellows on the steam yacht have landed here yet?" asked Tad, as he prepared to go on.