“I’d like to stand up to him,” he said, savagely; “luck, or no luck.”
Roy’s injury was no worse than a scalp-wound, and he was soon sufficiently recovered to be hungry. Afterward, he solaced himself with a cigarette, and declared that he would speedily be himself again. He insisted that, in the meantime, the others should busy themselves with the work in hand. He would remain where he was in the pleasant sunshine, and the luxurious idleness of it would hasten the restoration of his strength. Since there was no valid objection that could be urged to this plan, it was followed. Pickaxes were secured from the launch, and then Saxe led the way into the cavern. It was the common mind that they should first investigate the passage in which Roy had suffered defeat at the hands of the engineer.
The four hurried into the tunnel, and by the light of their lanterns made good progress along the rough and winding way. In about ten minutes, they reached the corner where Roy had stationed himself in his pursuit of Masters. They knew that the enemy had been engaged over something only a little distance beyond this point, and, as they advanced, they kept careful watch for the opening in the floor of the cavern. Presently, Saxe, who was still in the lead, uttered a shout.
“Here it is!”
As the others came up to him, he pointed to where, a few feet in front, a break yawned in the flooring of the tunnel. Immediately, all were grouped about the edge of the opening, staring down into it with intense excitement. By this time, they had come to respect the resourcefulness of the engineer and his ability. The fact that the spot had held him absorbed appeared to them of high significance. Since the man had searched here before their coming, was it not probable that he had found the gold in this very place?
The opening was perhaps eight feet in length, by half as many in width. The depth was irregular. On the south end, it was hardly more than a foot below the level of the floor, running thus for a yard; then, it sloped sharply and unevenly until it was a full two yards in depth at the wall of the tunnel, on the side nearer the other passage. The light of the lanterns shone on a litter of earth and fragments of stone. There was no sign of either chest or bags that might contain treasure. The four stared down in silence for a long minute.
“We must dig here,” David said, eagerly. “The money must be buried here.”
Jake leaped down into the pit, and inspected the confused mass of fragments, while the others looked on curiously. Presently, he raised his head, and spoke:
“I calc’late we’re a mite behindhand, as it were. This hole’s been dug all over mighty careful—and mighty lately, too!”