"Hello! this is locked!" he exclaimed. "Let's have the key."
Keith had thought of the chest, and the picture lying within. As Pritchen turned to him his face flushed in a confused manner, which Perdue, who was watching, observed.
"The key, I say!" repeated Pritchen in a sharp voice. "Let's have the key to this chest.
"It must be in the lock," replied Keith. "I left it there when I went out, and did not turn it, either."
"Look for yourself, then," and Pritchen stepped back to make room for the missionary.
Keith stooped down and examined it carefully. He tried the lid, but it was fastened. He placed his hand to his forehead and tried to think.
"Maybe you locked it and put the key in your pocket," suggested one.
Keith ran his hands through every pocket, and into each corner, but all in vain; the key was nowhere to be found.
"Very strange," muttered Pritchen. "A chest in the cabin, a strong one at that—locked, and the owner unable to find the key! What do you keep in such a precious box?"
Keith heard him, but heeded not. He was trying to think. Yes, he had placed the picture there before he left the building, and closed the lid down without turning the key. He was sure of that.