There was certainly sufficient to cause excitement.
When he arrived at the scene of their labors it was only necessary for Ned to peer over the huge wall of sand which had been thrown up, in order to see four boxes lying side by side, exactly like the one he had previously found.
It was evident they had been stored in the very stern of the craft, probably under the cabin floor, as was customary when sailing vessels carried much treasure, and who could say how many years the wealth had been lying on the shore of Spider Key, awaiting the chance which should lead to its discovery?
“That’s the same sort I found!” Ned cried, equally as much excited now as the others. “Let’s have them out of there. We’ll get back to camp an’ open the boxes!”
Two of the packages were much heavier than the rest, and Vance said:
“These fellows are full of gold! Talk about mining in California! Why, it isn’t a marker alongside of this way of finding money all coined and ready to spend!”
The boys had a difficult task to raise the boxes from their long resting-place, and the united strength of all three was necessary in order to place them above the wall of sand.
“You’ve got the whole of it this time,” Ned said as he wiped the perspiration from his face and turned to look at the spot from which the treasure had been removed. “How long did it take you to shovel all that sand away?”
“Not such a very great while. We wanted to make certain of getting at the entire collection, so Roy began on one side and I the other. We had cleared almost the whole space before striking the boxes.”
It was fully half an hour before the treasure-seekers recovered from their excitement sufficiently to take any steps toward conveying their treasure to the tent, and then it was decided to make a sort of litter with poles, for the weight of two of the packages was too great to admit of their being carried by one boy.