"Here is the spot," cried out Blakely. "This is the pot in which the message was found. And here is something that I dug up afterwards."
The boys crowded around. It was a skull on which was engraved the characters ABCC, followed by a star.
All looked at John, thinking he might offer some solution. He turned it over, and examined every portion. Not a word was spoken. "Tell me the exact position in which this was found," he asked, as he looked at Blakely.
"The first thing I found was the pot, which was simply turned upside down, in exactly this way.[p. 61] This is the place. It rested on this flat stone. The skull was behind it on this upper shelf."
"And was there nothing else on the shelf?"
"Nothing whatever."
John stooped down and carefully examined the shelf. All followed his motions. "Do you see that mark?" he said, pointing to a heavy scratch, which was now plain. "That mark is associated with the skull, if not with the message. I am unable at this time fully to decipher the marks on the skull, but I have an idea of the meaning."
"I wonder if the scratch across that is in the same direction as the arrow in the letter?" asked George.