“There’s a big rock, the biggest that we’ve seen,” he cried, pointing to the right.
Both boats turned in the direction indicated. Ross, in his eagerness, made his engine hum and came first in sight of a cove that opened out beyond the rock, and a shout went up that thrilled the hearts of those in the Ariel ploughing on behind.
“Here it is!” yelled Teddy exultingly. “Three trees standing together and two more a hundred feet away. Now for the chest of gold!”
233CHAPTER XXX
A DISCOVERY–CONCLUSION
As the boys were unfamiliar with this part of the coast, and did not know what depth of water they might expect to find, they had to moderate their speed, a tantalizing proceeding when every impulse prompted them to rush ashore.
However, “better to be safe than sorry,” was the maxim that had been dinned into Lester by his father, and despite the urgings of the others, he felt his way, foot by foot, until he found a good place to drop anchor a hundred feet from shore. Ross followed suit. Then they packed the supplies and implements they had brought into the small boat, and rowed to the beach. Several trips were necessary, but at last everything was safely landed, just on the verge of dusk.
“Oh, if it were only morning!” groaned Teddy.
“We can’t do much more than take a look around to-night, for a fact,” said Fred. “Perhaps it’s just as well, though, that we have time to rest a little before we tackle the job.”
“It’ll be a man-sized job, all right,” warned Bill.