grease," Rick remarked. "During the
years, the grease hardened into a permanent rustproof coating. Wait
until the scientists see this!"

Scotty grinned his pleasure. "This is one treasure the log didn't
mention. Poor Captain Campion must have thought a lot of it to protect
it so thoroughly."

"He might have been taking it to the New World as a gift for some
influential friend," Rick ventured. "It looks like Spanish work."

Scotty looked at Rick speculatively. "Are you making a claim on this?"

Rick knitted his brows. What was Scotty driving at? "You found it," he
said. "Technically, we're supposed to share and share alike, the four of
us and Barby. But how do you split a dagger? And we wouldn't sell it,
anyway. It's too nice a souvenir."

"I'll ask Tony and Zircon," Scotty said, "but if none of you have any
objection, I would like to claim it, because I want to give it to Dad
for a birthday present next month."

Rick punched him on the arm. "You'll get no objection from me. Or from
Tony and Zircon either."

"I can buy presents for the family," Scotty said slowly. "I do, on
birthdays and Christmas. But I've always wanted to give Dad something
really special, something to tell him how I feel about being taken into
the family."

Rick nodded. He knew how Scotty felt, and he liked him all the better
for it. "Let's get ready for the next dive," he said abruptly.

They went through the necessary checks on their equipment, transferring
the regulators to the third set of tanks. Rick decided to leave the
camera on the boat this time. He was anxious to inspect the ship
thoroughly, and photography took time.

After a half hour of rest the boys went back into the water again,
carrying their wrecking bars and spear guns, flashlights on their belts.

An inch-by-inch inspection of the cabin disclosed no more treasures, but
Rick found a plate, still intact. He wondered if it were the plate from
which the captain had last dined before the pirate attack, and put it
outside the entrance to be carried to the surface.

Once satisfied that the cabin held no secrets, the boys attacked the
door. It was hard work, and they raised so much dust that their light
beams were almost useless. However, they struggled on until the door
finally gave, only to admit quantities of sand.

Rick guessed that the door had opened onto a deck that was now buried
far under the sand. They went outside to allow the murkiness to settle
in the cabin, an