“It’s a chest!”
“I wonder if the pirates’ gold is in it!”
“Oh, gee! why did that light have to go out just now?” grumbled Andy, impatiently.
“Make a light, somebody. We’ve got to find out what this thing is!” said Fred.
Jack was already bringing forth the waterproof match-box, and now he struck one of the matches and held it over the chest. It was so covered with mildew and other evidences of age that he could hardly make out which was the front and which the back of the receptacle.
“Oh, if we only had a torch or something to make a fire with!” moaned Andy.
“Wait! I’ve got something!” exclaimed Ira Small, suddenly, and, diving down into a pocket of his jacket, he brought forth a bit of candle not over two inches in length.
“Picked it up on the yacht,” he explained. “Thought it might come in handy some time.”
The bit of candle was lit, and then all looked down the hole to see if anything further might be there. But only the solid rock met their gaze.
“Smash it open, boys! Smash it open!” went on the lanky sailor, still as excited as ever. “We want to see what the box contains before that candle is burnt up—an’ it won’t last very long.”