The sailors did in a few seconds what might have taken the boys a long while to do, and Jenkins came down with the greatest possible speed.
As a matter of course, it was necessary to use more matches in order to show him the treasure, and he literally gasped with surprise when the glittering gems were held before his eyes.
“Talk about luck, boys!” he cried, in delight. “Why, sich a sight as that makes up for the scrape we’re in, an’ if it was twice as bad I wouldn’t have it changed, providin’ we could get as much more out of the business. That old picture amounted to somethin’ after all, didn’t it; but we might never have read the thing right, an’ it’s mighty fortunate them imps forced us to cover.”
Again Gil was forced to repeat his story, and when it was concluded the mate insisted on making an examination of the excavation at once.
“There’s plenty of time to look for water after we know how much you’ve found. I’d rather see diamonds than drink the best stuff these old pirates ever took on board.”
“Get the torch, an’ we’ll all go,” Gil said, with a laugh, for he felt very jolly, despite the enemies who would soon hunt him down, now the location of the treasure had been discovered.
Jenkins climbed to the mouth of the shaft as nimbly as a cat, returning a few moments later, after having thrown down inflammable material sufficient to provide the party with light for many hours.
Binding together several pieces of fatty wood, and coiling the rope on his arm, the mate led the way into the tunnel a short distance, where the torch was ignited, and the work of searching for the pirates’ wealth began.
There was no difficulty in finding the place where Gil had sunk through the bottom of the passage. The earth had given way at one side of the tunnel, until a hole fully a yard square was formed, and, peering into this, the excited ones could see a small chamber, which was evidently hewn from the solid rock.
The size or shape could not be determined, but that made little difference just then, so eager were all to know what was concealed beneath.