"Well," disputed Arnold, "suppose that Wyckoff doesn't do as Lopez wants him to do, what then? What's to hinder Lopez shooting Wyckoff and getting the treasure chest himself? Tell me that."
"How does that let us in?" queried Frank.
"Well, if they are down and out, don't we get busy?"
"I suppose so, but I believe this treasure has had enough blood spilled over it now. I'm getting rather scared about it."
"Look there," cried Jack in a tone that was almost audible to the two men at the pit. "It looks as if Wyckoff were going to dig. He's a plucky chap all right. We must give him credit for that."
Wyckoff had searched the vicinity and found a shovel. This he was now preparing to put to use. He was in the pit in another moment and began throwing the sand out. Then he paused!
"That sand's wet," declared Arnold, who had observed closely.
"Tide's away up and probably has seeped through the little sand intervening," declared Harrison. "I expected it."
"Why, look at him," hoarsely urged Frank. "He seems to be floundering about. Can it be he's in trouble?"
"It would look that way," declared Tom. "I wonder why Lopez don't come to his rescue instead of standing there with his rifle."