“I don’t know about that,” answered the young major. “The whole center of the circle seems to be formed like a huge bowl and is very rocky. We had no means of getting down to the middle of it. As it was, we slipped two or three times and nearly broke our necks.”
“The gold is there, I know it is!” came solemnly from Ira Small. “We’ll have to go on a hunt for it first chance we git.”
“Of course these pictures weren’t taken from anywhere near where we stood,” said Jack, after looking at the photographs a second time. “It looks to me as if they’d been taken from the north. And if that’s so, then there must be some way of getting down into the rocky bowl from that direction.”
“I’ve no idee how they got to the place,” said the lanky sailor. “There must be some kind of a path leadin’ from the shore. Mebby the pirates cast anchor outside of the keys an’ come ashore in small boats.”
Eagerly the four Rover boys and the old tar talked the matter over. For the time being they forgot completely about the wreck of the Coryanda and the wild beasts and snakes which might have come ashore. Presently, however, Jack reminded them of the peril.
“We’ve got to keep all our weapons handy and somebody will have to remain on guard after this,” he said. “We don’t want a couple of lions or tigers surprising us.”
“Yes, and we don’t want any big snakes crawling in to sleep with us,” put in Fred, with a shudder.
“Let’s keep the fire bright,” suggested Andy. “Wild beasts don’t like a blaze.”
“If we could only get to the wreck of the steam yacht, perhaps we’d be able to find some rifles,” said Jack. “Then I’d feel almost like going after those wild beasts. But I don’t care to do it with a shotgun or a pistol.”