The next moment the boys were down on their knees before the chest, shouting wildly, incoherently, to one another, burying their hands, their arms in the glittering treasure.
CHAPTER XXVIII
IN IMMINENT DANGER
For a time the boys were almost out of their heads with delight. Here was more wealth than they had ever seen or ever dreamed would be at their disposal. They were inclined to pinch themselves to find out if it was really true that they were awake and gazing on real money—money that had such power and yet had been lying here useless for no one knew how many years.
But there it was staring at them with its yellow eyes, gold of different coinages and of many countries, amassed no doubt by some thrifty trader who had sailed the seven seas and at last, extending his ventures to the North for its rich seal fur, had come to grief on this remote and inhospitable coast. Probably there had been no survivor of the wreck and the ship had simply been recorded in the shipping lists as missing and had practically passed from human memory.
For a time the boys were lost to every other thought but that of the treasure, and they took it up in handfuls and let it fall in a glittering stream beneath the rays of their lamp.
“How much do you think there is?” asked Bobby, in an awed tone.
“Thousands and thousands of dollars,” replied Fred, as he took up another handful. “Maybe it won’t be fun counting it!”
“Let’s do it now,” suggested Mouser. “I’m crazy to know how much there is.”
“Not now,” objected Bobby, as prudence which had vanished for a time returned to him. “You fellows mustn’t forget that the finding of this treasure has put us in a mighty lot of danger. It may mean the death of all of us if we don’t watch our step.”