“Funny Nelse didn’t come back this morning,” Cliff observed.
“Maybe he is in the scheme—whatever it is—to scare us,” Nicky mused. “Remember how anxious he was at first, till we said why we are here—and then how emphatic he was about danger?”
They did. As they looked about there were plenty of signs to show that human agencies and not ghosts had produced the strange scene the night before.
Not only was the ground trampled, but on one mangrove root that bent upward and curved into a sort of prong, they discovered a strip of cloth that looked like part of a bed sheet.
But there was no sign of the chests of treasure!
“It’s a queer thing!” Nicky declared. His chums agreed.
“Say!” exclaimed Tom suddenly, pointing toward the sloop, “what’s Sam doing? Look—he’s hoisting the mainsail!”
Sam was doing exactly that.
“Ahoy—Sam!” hailed Nicky through cupped hands.
Sam did not answer.