k his men and joined
Mart. After a cursory examination he rose to his feet and pulled Mart up
also.

"No use, boys," he said softly. "Jerry has found the mystery of the sea
at last. Now come along. Tell me what's been going on here."

Mart was unable to speak for a moment, but startled as Bob was, he
replied with another question, as Captain Hollinger drew them both up
the ladder to the deck.

"Tell us how you got away, first. We thought the Malays had you!"

"So they did," grimaced the captain, "until that assistant engineer came
ashore with the Kanakas. Before they got him into the river he had
impelled the Kanakas to capture the prau. Then he got his irons cut off
and led the Kanakas straight up to the village. I was just starting for
the hunt, in blissful security, when he broke in on us and told us what
was up. As the Kanakas were armed, the Malays had to give in
gracefully--and here we are. Now come across, you boys!"

Naturally, his wonder was great at finding Mart and Jerry in diver's
dress, the old quartermaster dead, and Bob looking pretty shaky. Bit by
bit the boys told their tale, and only by an effort could they realize
that so many things had happened in this one day, for it was not yet
sunset.

While they were talking, Swanson joined them with word that Jerry must
have died from heart failure, not from suffocation; no doubt the shock
of finding himself cut off had stricken him. But Captain Hollinger and
his first mate forgot all else in their amazement at Mart's story of the
fight eight fathoms down. In fact, Mart saw plainly that they did not
believe him and thought that the descent must have shaken his mind.

With that he pulled off the diving costume, which as yet he had had no
chance to remove. When they had helped him out of it, and three or four
gold pieces fell to the floor, all incredulity vanished. Bob, Mart and
Swanson crowded around the captain, examining the coins with wild
excitement.

"Well, I'm bound to say that your story and Jerry's yarns seem to be
substantiated, boys!" exclaimed Captain Hollinger. "These seem to be old
Spanish or Portuguese coins--they coined them out here then, you know.
And here's the date--1632. Yes, they all have the same date. By Jove,
Mart, you've made a haul here!"

The boys stood silent, and Swanson pawed over the gold pieces with a
flame in his eyes until Captain Hollinger had switched up the electric
lights, for the sudden night of the far east had