“Well, what of it? I don’t see no sustenance in that?”
“Look at the other paper?” suggested Case. “Look at the big ‘X.’ That means ten o’clock, what? Suppose it means ten o’clock? Does that give you no idea? I guess you’re dense this morning, kid!”
“My head is so empty that it rattles, just as my stomach does!” Alex replied. “I don’t know a thing!”
“Well,” Case went on, “I’d like to be here at exactly ten o’clock and see where the line of sunlight lies on the wall then!”
“Oh,” cried Alex, “you think the papers point to time! When the line of sunlight reaches ten on the wall, as shown by the paper, a door will open and a troop of trained bankers will issue forth bearing chests of gold in their hands. Something like that, old chum? Do I get you at last?”
“No use trying to explain anything to you!” Case replied, turning away in a rage. “You’d better run back to the boat before you get lost.”
“Now, don’t get a grouch!” laughed Alex. “You know what I mean. When ten o’clock comes the line of sunlight will lie over the place where Don’s uncle hid something. Is that your idea?”
“Exactly!” was the reply. “Why didn’t you say that before, instead of giving out fool talk about trained bankers?”
“Then we’ve found the treasure!” Alex cried, eagerly.
“That depends,” answered Case. “We’ll come back here at ten this forenoon and see where the line is. There may be a cross on the wall there, or there may be a rock formation which resembles an ‘X.’ We’ll have to investigate. But wouldn’t it be fine if we could dig up this secret while Clay and Don were puzzling over it?”