re not
men who might thwart the Wyckoff and Lopez purpose."

"Better be careful about your talking," cautioned Harrison. "If all the
story is true it will be necessary to dig the treasure in silence if it
is to be recovered at all. Any noise breaks the spell if it occurs
before the chest is fully out of its cache."

"We won't make any noise, you can be sure of that," declared Harry.
"We've seen that man Lopez shoot. We know how he does it."

Evidently the men approaching the shore had been fully cautioned in
regard to the necessity for quiet. The crew sprang out and dragged the
craft high and dry on the sands, then removed the shovels.

"They mean business all right," declared Arnold in Harry's ear. "See how
Lopez herds those field hands along with that rifle."

"He just poked one fellow in the back with it," answered Harry. "The lad
just stumbled a little and Lopez jabbed him in the back. I'll bet that
fellow's too scared to dig much."

"Look at the fellow," excitedly whispered Jack. "He's going right to the
spot where we located the treasure. He's got the map in his head, all
right. He knows just where to dig."

"Gee," shivered Tom, "I'm mighty glad this clump of palmettos here is
between us and them. With the bright moonlight they'd see us a mile
away. Wouldn't Lopez have a fit if he saw us?"

Luckily Lopez and Wyckoff were too much occupied with their own affairs
to investigate the neighborhood for possible spectators. They
immediately put the men shoveling sand at a great pace.

"I hope they don't dig it up all at once," declared Tom. "Look at the
way they go at it," he cried. "See them spear their shovels into the
ground without using their foot at all."

"Hark your loud noise," hoarsely whispered Jack in a warning tone.
"You'll have the whole gang down on us if you're not careful."

"I forgot," explained the humbled Tom. "But that's a funny way to dig.
Don't you think so, Mr. Harrison?"

"That's the way they dig down in this country of pure sand."

"Well, all I've got to say is that when I dig--"

What Tom said might have been interesting if it had been heard. But just
at that instant a shot rang out from the group of workers. The boys
stared in amazement horrified at the thought of what might have
happened. In an instant their worst fears were confirmed.

Their startled eyes beheld the negroes dragging one of their number from
the excavation under the watchful eye and threatening muzzle of Lopez