g sure we're here."

"What shall we do? I know: frighten him."

"Frighten him? How?"

"Go up and stand at the bottom of one of the steep bits, and when he
comes up, throw stones at him and groan."

"Bah!" ejaculated Vince contemptuously; "that wouldn't frighten him.
He'd know it was us. I say, it's all over with the place now."

"Yes, for he'll tell everybody, and they'll come and find the outer cave
with all the treasure in it."

"Yes, that won't do, Ladle. There's no help for it now; there'll be no
secret caves. You must tell your father to-night, and he'll take proper
possession of the place. If he don't, every one in the island will come
and plunder."

"Yes, that's right," said Mike; "but it's a horrible pity. I am sorry.
But what shall we do now?"

"There's only one thing I can think of now--yes, two things," whispered
Vince: "either go up and stop him, fight for it and not let him come; or
hide."

"Hide?" said Mike dubiously.

"Yes, down here in the sand. It's dark enough. We could cover
ourselves."

"Or go and hide in the other cave," said Mike. "Yes, we'll get the rope
and grapnel, and get up into the great crack, pull the rope up, and we
can watch from there."

"That's it," said Vince. "We only want to gain time till Sir Francis
knows."

"And your father," said Mike. "Fair play's a jewel, Cinder. Look
sharp! Come on!"

They listened in the gloom of the inner cave for a few moments, and then
Mike led the way to the opening between the two caves, passing behind
the rock, and as he did so he turned to whisper to his companion--

"Perhaps he won't find this way through."

Then he stepped on over the deep, soft sand, and was about to pass
through into the outer cavern, when he saw something which made him dart
back, to come heavily in collision with Vince; but not until the latter
had seen that which startled Mike.

For there, standing in the sand, gazing up at the fissure, was a heavy,
thick-set, foreign-looking man, with short black hair, a very brown
skin, and wearing glistening gold earrings, each as far across as a
half-crown piece. The glance taken by the boys was short enough, but
they saw more than that, for they caught sight of a rope hanging down
and a man's legs just appearing.

"_Vite! vite_!" cried the foreign-looking fellow. "_Depechez_; make you
haste, you slow swab you."

There was a growl from above, and something was said, but the boys did
not hear what.