He set Hiram down at the root of a big tree just as the lad opened his eyes and gazed with astonishment on the group of stalwart, kind-eyed men gathered in wonderment about him.

It was moonlight, and almost midnight, before Tubby deemed it safe to reconnoitre the vicinity of the cave mouth. Followed by Jumbo, who was quaking with fear, but accompanied the stout youth in preference to being left alone, Tubby cautiously made his way through the undergrowth. A spot of bright light above showed him the location of the camp fire of Hunt's gang. It was hardly likely that they would be patroling the entrance to the cave, effectually blocked as it was. But Tubby took no chances. With the skill and silence of an Indian he wormed his way along.

He had almost reached the open s.p.a.ce where they had chopped down the brush when, without an instant's warning, the figure of Stonington Hunt strode into view.

At the same unlucky instant Jumbo, lumbering along quite silently, stubbed his toe against an out-cropping rock. He fell headlong with a crash.

"Gollygumptions! I'm killed dead!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, utterly regardless of consequences.

Tubby turned and was about to dodge back into the shelter of the dense growth when Hunt espied him. With an angry oath he sprang at him, pointing a pistol. But Tubby, in a flash, changed his tactics surprisingly. Converting himself into a human battering ram, he lowered his head and rushed full tilt at Hunt.

Completely taken by surprise by Tubby's onslaught, Hunt stopped and hesitated. The fat boy, at the same instant, rushed between the man's legs, seizing them in a firm grip as he did so. The unexpected a.s.sault resulted in hurling Hunt violently forward. He fell sprawling in a heap.

At the same instant his pistol was discharged in the air.

As the report rang out from close at hand half a dozen figures sprang into being. They were those of his followers who had been behind him at some distance on this nocturnal visit of inspection.

Dale and b.u.mpus instantly recognized Tubby.

"That's the fat kid who wrecked our sloop!" cried Dale.

"A hundred dollars to the one that gets him!" shouted Hunt from the ground where he still lay.

"How under the sun did he escape?" shouted Freeman Hunt, taking up the chorus of cries and exclamations.

But before Dale, agile as he was, could reach him, Tubby had darted nimbly off. He was heading for the bushes. In another instant he would have reached them but a second figure suddenly dodged into the moonlight and blocked his way. It was Black Bart. He outspread his long arms to catch the hunted youth.

The next instant he had shared Hunt's fate. Tubby, for the second time that night, executed his skillful tackle. Black Bart, with a string of bad words accompanying his fall, was upset without ceremony. But Dale was close on Tubby's nimble heels. As the lad dodged from his fallen foe Dale reached out, and his big hand grabbed the fleeing lad's collar. Tubby gave a dive and a twist but he could not get away.

"Good boy, Dale. Hold him!" came Freeman Hunt's voice.

Suddenly another figure appeared. The newcomer sprang out of the shadows behind them. With one blow this personage knocked Dale sprawling beside Black Bart, and the next instant, as Pete b.u.mpus essayed to take part in the fray, he was sent to join the other two.

Tubby felt himself s.n.a.t.c.hed up and carried swiftly off into the darkness of the friendly brush.

"Gollygumptions!" chuckled Jumbo, for it was he, as he ran, "but it shuah did feel good to swat dem no-good trash."

"Hullo, Jumbo, is that you?" asked Tubby as he heard; "I'll forgive you for almost getting us captured."

"Tank you, Ma.r.s.e Hopkins," rejoined Jumbo gravely; "but we bes' keep our words till we get furder away. Hark!"

Behind them they could hear angry voices, and shouts and trampling in the brush.

The strong-muscled black, bent almost double, ran swiftly with his burden for some distance further. Then he set Tubby down and rested, breathing heavily. The sounds of the chase came from afar to them, much fainter now.

"Ha! ha!" chortled Jumbo; "dey look an' look, but dey no find us."

"That's all right, too, Jumbo," said Tubby, sitting down on a decayed log; "but it doesn't help to get the major and the rest out of that hole in the ground."

"Maybe Ma.r.s.e Hiram got frough," suggested Jumbo hopefully.

"I hope so, I'm sure," said Tubby with a mournful intonation; "it looks now as if that was our only chance of saving them.

"Where are we?" added Tubby, suddenly gazing about him. There was something familiar about the scenery. Especially about a tall, cone-shaped rock that loomed up close at hand.

"That's Ruby Glow!" he exclaimed the next instant.

"And gollygumptions, ef dere ain't a spook or suthin' on top of it,"

cried Jumbo.

He pointed to a dark figure standing upright in the white moonlight that flooded the isolated ma.s.s of rock.

CHAPTER XXV.

THE HEART OF THE MYSTERY--CONCLUSION.

We left the major and his party marooned in the cave, and overcome by the suddenness of the disaster that had overtaken them like a bolt from a clear sky. We must now return to them.

After the first shock of the discovery the major suggested that they retreat to the chamber and talk things over as calmly as possible. Each one of the party, with a strong effort to master his feelings, followed the advice. A long consultation followed, the result of which was that they determined that the first thing to be done was to inst.i.tute a search for water.

The far end of the cavern had not yet been explored and it was decided to begin with that. Headed by the major, they started for what seemed a blank wall at the end of the chamber. But on nearing it, it proved that its appearance of blankness was chiefly caused by a sort of screen of rock that masked an opening as effectually as if it had been placed there by someone anxious to conceal it.

"We'll penetrate beyond this," announced the major, and holding his lantern high, was stepping forward when he stopped. One word came to his lips:

"Water!"

From a tiny rift in the rock, sure enough, a small but blessed stream of clear water was flowing. The delight with which the imprisoned party hailed the discovery may be imagined. For a short time, while they a.s.suaged their pangs of thirst, already painful, they almost forgot the seriousness of their situation.

While the others drank, Andy Bowles, who had been one of the first to taste the cool water, strayed further into the pa.s.sage. Presently his voice was borne back to the others.

"Say!" he cried; "there's a funny sort of box in here."

"What kind of a box?" hailed the major, alert in an instant.

"Why, it's awful old by the looks of it. It's all bound with iron, and nails are stuck all over it. And--say! There are two more back beyond it."

"The treasure trove!" gasped the professor.

"Beyond a doubt," said the major. Then he added gloomily, "but what good is it to us now? If we cannot escape from here before long we shall perish miserably, and nothing but dynamite can release us."

"At any rate we must not give up hope," counselled the professor; "suppose we investigate these boxes. At any rate it will give us something to do. It is better than doing nothing."

"That is right," declared the major; "it may keep us from dwelling on the situation."