This suggestion was thought a good one, and in the end a heavy hawser was fastened on the rocks and then carried by Jack and Fred through the opening under water. Then, while the water was gradually going down, the others fastened the scow as best they could, and also entered the watery passageway under the cliff.
It was not such a hazardous thing to do, nor so terrifying, when they understood just how the opening was located. All reached the sandy beach under the cliff without mishap. They carried the searchlight, which was of the water-tight variety, and with the aid of this soon made their way under the base of the cliff to where there was a fair-sized opening on the inner side.
“Here we are!” exclaimed Jack, in delight. “That must be the passageway, beyond a doubt!”
Once in the open, they saw that the irregular bowl encircled by the thirteen pointed rocks was just ahead of them. The path was rough, but well defined, and they had little trouble in following it.
“Gee! what a desolate place this is,” remarked Andy, as they pushed along.
He had good reason for making that remark. On every side of them were the bare rocks, lying in all sorts of fantastic shapes. Here and there were a few stunted bushes and trailing vines. There was nothing in the way of a jungle; not a tree showed itself; nor were there any indications of water.
“This is what I call stony lonely and no mistake,” was the way Fred expressed himself.
At last they reached a point almost at the bottom of the rocky bowl. Now they could gaze around them and see the thirteen rocky points quite plainly.
“It’s them thirteen rocks, and no mistake!” said Ira Small, with satisfaction. “An’ we found the triangle, too! So that pirates’ gold must be somewheres close at hand.”