etreated several yards.

"Stop, you fools!" cried Sid Merrick. "Those are no ghosts, I tell
you. It's a trick of some kind."

"I--I don't know about that," answered Shelley. "Don't you think it
would be better to come here in the daylight? We--er--we can't
find that cave in the dark anyway."

"Yes, we can--and I am going to do it, too," was Merrick's answer.
"That is a trick, I tell you." He raised his voice: "Who are you?" he
called out. "Answer me truthfully, or I'll fire on you!"

This threat alarmed the Rover boys, for they saw that Merrick was in
earnest.

"I guess our cake is dough," muttered Tom.

"Wait, I think I can scare him back yet," said Dick. "Let me do the
talking."

"I say, who are you?" repeated Merrick. "You needn't pretend to be
ghosts, for I don't believe in them."

"We are the owners of this isle," answered Dick, in the heaviest tone
he could assume. "We are ten strong, and we order you to go back to
your ship at once."

"The owners of this isle?"

"Yes."

"I don't believe it."

"You can do as you please about that. But if you come a yard further
we'll fire at you."

"Humph! Then you are armed?"

"We are and we know how to shoot, too."

"What brought you here at such a time as this?"

"We have a special reason for being here, as you may learn by to
morrow."

"Do you know anything of a treasure on this island?" went on Sid
Merrick curiously.

"We know something of it, yes. It belongs to the Stanhope estate,
provided it can be found."

"It doesn't belong to the Stanhopes at all--it belongs to me," cried
Merrick.

"In a day or two the Stanhopes are coming here to take possession,"
went on Dick. "They will bring with them a number of their friends and
uncover the treasure, which is now hidden in a secret place. As I and
my brothers and cousins own this isle we are to have our share of what
is uncovered. Now we warn you again to go away. We are ten to your
four, and we are all armed with shotguns and pistols, and we have the
drop on you."

"Good for you, Dick, pile it on," whispered Tom. Then he pulled Sam by
the arm. "Come on, let us appear from behind another rock--they'll
think we are two more of the brothers or cousins!"

"You won't dare to shoot us," blustered Merrick, but his voice had a
trace of uncertainty in it.

"Won't we?" answered Dick. "There is a warning for you!" And raising
the pistol he carried he sent a shot over the heads of the other
party.

"They