As they drew near to the opening the plebes were startled to notice that the ground at the foot of the rock was marked and torn with footprints.
The Seven had not done that, they knew, for they had been of all things most careful to leave not the least trace that should lead any one to suspect the presence of their secret cavern. And consequently when they saw the state of the ground there was but one thought, a horrible thought that flashed over every one of them. Somebody had been in their cave! And during the night!
Almost as one man, the Seven made a dash for the entrance, scrambling up the rocks. There was never a thought of danger in the mind of any one of them, never a thought that perhaps some accomplice of the dead counterfeiters had come to get the gold, might now be inside, armed against the intruders. They had time to think of but one thing. Somebody had seen them go in last night, had seen them find the treasure! And now—and now?
Texas was the first of them to get to the entrance, for Mark was still lame with his injured arm. He flung his body through the hole, half falling to the floor on the other side. The rest heard him stumbling about and they halted, silent, every one of them, scarcely breathing for anxiety and suspense. They heard Texas strike a match. They heard him run across the floor——
And a moment later came a cry that struck them almost dumb with horror.
“Boys, the money’s all gone!”
CHAPTER X.
DISCOVERY OF THE THIEF.
The state of mind of the Seven cannot be described. A moment before they had been upon a pinnacle of success and happiness. And now it seemed that they had climbed but that their fall might be all the more unbearable. All their ambitions and plans, all the fun they meant to have—it was too terrible to be true!
It was half with a feeling of incredulity that one after another they climbed up to the opening and went in. Not one of them could quite bring himself to believe that the whole thing was not a horrible delusion, a nightmare. But when they got inside they found that it was too true.