us replied in an awestricken voice:

"That's it--for sure."

They looked at each other.

"When I was in France," said Tommy reminiscently, "whenever my batman
failed to call me, he always said that he had come over queer. I never
believed it. But whether he felt it or not, there IS such a sensation.
I've got it now! Badly!"

He looked at the rock with a kind of agonized passion.

"Damn it!" he cried. "It's impossible! Five years! Think of it!
Bird's-nesting boys, picnic parties, thousands of people passing! It
can't be there! It's a hundred to one against its being there! It's
against all reason!"

Indeed, he felt it to be impossible--more, perhaps, because he could not
believe in his own success where so many others had failed. The thing
was too easy, therefore it could not be. The hole would be empty.

Julius looked at him with a widening smile.

"I guess you're rattled now all right," he drawled with some enjoyment.
"Well, here goes!" He thrust his hand into the crevice, and made a
slight grimace. "It's a tight fit. Jane's hand must be a few sizes
smaller than mine. I don't feel anything--no--say, what's this? Gee
whiz!" And with a flourish he waved aloft a small discoloured packet.
"It's the goods all right. Sewn up in oilskin. Hold it while I get my
penknife."

The unbelievable had happened. Tommy held the precious packet tenderly
between his hands. They had succeeded!

"It's queer," he murmured idly, "you'd think the stitches would have
rotted. They look just as good as new."

They cut them carefully and ripped away the oilskin. Inside was a small
folded sheet of paper. With trembling fingers they unfolded it. The
sheet was blank! They stared at each other, puzzled.

"A dummy?" hazarded Julius. "Was Danvers just a decoy?"

Tommy shook his head. That solution did not satisfy him. Suddenly his
face cleared.

"I've got it! SYMPATHETIC INK!"

"You think so?"

"Worth trying anyhow. Heat usually does the trick. Get some sticks.
We'll make a fire."

In a few minutes the little fire of twigs and leaves was blazing
merrily. Tommy held the sheet of paper near the glow. The paper curled a
little with the heat. Nothing more.

Suddenly Julius grasped his arm, and pointed to where characters were
appearing in a faint brown colour.

"Gee whiz! You've got it! Say, that idea of yours was great. It never
occurred to me."

Tommy held the paper in position some minutes longer until he judged the
heat had d