loons were buried somewhere in the West Indies. They might as well
be at the North Pole, unless they could locate their hiding place with
some degree of precision.

The dark, heavily shaded part in the center of the map was evidently
meant to mark the position of the island itself. Quite as surely, the
light, undulating lines surrounding it were intended to show the water.

"There seems to be just one inlet," said Captain Hamilton, pointing to
an indentation that bit deeply into the dark mass of the island.

"Lucky there's even one," grunted Tyke. "I've known many of those
picayune islands where there was no safe anchorage at all."

The island was irregular in shape and seemed to have an elevation in
the center. But what most attracted their attention were three small
circles some distance in from the shore that seemed to indicate some
special spot.

"There's some writing alongside of these," announced Drew, after a
sharp scrutiny. "If you'll hand me the reading glass I think I can
make it out."

The glass was quickly brought into use, and Drew stared at the writing
hard and long.

"'The Witch's Head.' 'The Three Sisters'," he translated.

"Sounds like a suffragette colony," muttered Tyke.

But Drew was too deeply engrossed with his task to notice the play of
fancy.

"Thirty-seven long paces due north from the Witch's Head.'
'Eighty-nine long paces due east from The Three Sisters,'" he went on.

"Now we're getting down to something definite!" exclaimed Captain
Hamilton.

"That's all," announced Drew. "What do you suppose it means?"

"It can mean only one thing, it seems to me," said Tyke excitedly.
"It's pointing to the spot where the doubloons are buried."

"Yes," agreed the captain, "I should take it to mean that if you mark
off thirty-seven long paces north from the Witch's Head and eighty-nine
long paces east from The Three Sisters, the spot where those paths
cross would be the place to dig."

"Do you see anything on the map that would give a hint as to the
latitude and longitude?" asked Grimshaw anxiously.

"No," answered Drew. "Wait a minute though," he added hastily.
"Here's something that looks like figures down in the lower left hand
corner. Fifty-seven .... No! Sixty-seven-three is one, and
thirteen-ten is the other."

"That can only stand for longitude and latitude!" cried Tyke. "Quick,
Allen, git down that Hydrographic Office chart. That'll cover it."

CHAPTER IX