can't expect to win the game in
the first inning," said Fred cheerily. "Now, what's next?"

"I tell you what," suggested Teddy. "Perhaps these trees have something
to do with it. Isn't it natural to think that if they buried it in the
earth at all, they'd do it somewhere on a line between the two clumps?
Let's draw a straight line from one clump to the other and dig along
that line."

"That's a good idea," said Lester approvingly. "But instead of starting
at one end and digging up every foot of the way, what's the matter with
dividing it into lengths of ten spaces each and digging at those points?
Wouldn't the minds of those men work in that way? Instead of choosing
distances of seven feet, nineteen feet, twenty-three feet, wouldn't they
first think of ten, twenty, thirty and so on? It's the simplest way, and
they were rough, simple-minded men."

"Lester, you're a dandy," laughed Bill. "We'll have you elected a
professor at Rally Hall for the first vacancy."

But though the plan was good, it yielded no results up to the time the
boys stopped work at noon to eat and rest.

They were not depressed, but it was only natural that their failure
should have taken some of the fine edge off their first elation. Into
the mind of each had crept the hint of the smuggler that the gold was
not buried, but hidden. They did not accept this as conclusive, but it
helped somewhat to dampen their enthusiasm.

"I'm hot and tired," remarked Teddy, after they had eaten dinner, "and
I'm going in for a swim before I start in again."

A moment later he was in the water and the others were not long in
following his example. All were good swimmers and they sported about
indulging in all sorts of fancy practices.

"How far can you fetch under water, Teddy?" called out Bill.

"Watch me," said Teddy, drawing in a long breath and plunging beneath
the surface.

He swam with all the vigor of his sturdy young arms, helped by the
current that was running strongly with him. He stayed under until his
lungs felt as though they were bursting and he was forced to come up.

He was astonished to find himself in an atmosphere of twilight instead
of the brilliant sunshine he expected. His first thought was that the
sun had gone under a cloud. He shook the water from his eyes and looked
up.

He could see neither sun nor sky!

For a moment panic seized him. Then he pulled himself together. He could
hear the shouts of his companions, alarmed because