tarted. Every moment added to the new
delights the little island afforded. The tropical foliage was brilliant
and the bird-life seemed endless in its variety. The sides of the small
hill which the exploring party was ascending, however, were rocky and
when they were about halfway up, Grant suddenly stopped short in
surprise.

"Look there," he exclaimed. "There's a cave."

A dark opening in the rocks showed just ahead and there was a mad race
to see which boy should arrive at the spot first. It was a steep ascent,
but just in front of the cave was a flat ledge of rocks some ten or
fifteen feet wide which made a sort of front yard.

Grant was the first to reach the entrance and even before he looked into
the cave he stopped and picked up two objects from the ground at his
feet.

"What have you got?" demanded John.

Grant held the two articles in question up to view. "An old flint-lock
pistol and a powder-horn," he said.

CHAPTER XIII

AN IRON CHEST

"Say," exclaimed George, "where do you suppose they came from?"

"Somebody dropped them here, I suppose," said Grant dryly.

"Of course," said George, ignoring his friend's sarcasm, "but who was
it? It must have been a long time ago though. See how that pistol is all
rusted and eaten away. I don't believe they've used that kind of a
pistol in two hundred years, either."

"Well, John said this island looked like a good one for pirates,"
remarked Fred. "Maybe pirates left these things here."

"Do you suppose so?" exclaimed George eagerly. "If there were pirates
here do you think they could have buried any treasure on the island?"

"I don't know, I'm sure," laughed Grant. "Even if they did, I don't see
just how it would do us any good."

"Can't we look for it?" demanded George.

"Where shall we look?"

"Maybe they left directions as to where it was buried."

"Say," exclaimed John, "speaking of directions, what happened to that
code we were looking at on board the _Josephine_? I suppose it
burned up with the ship."

"Oh, no it didn't," said Grant. "It went right into my hip pocket and
that's where it has been ever since and where it is right now."

"Why don't you decipher it, Grant?" said Fred.

"Oh, yes," said Grant grimly, "why don't I? It's so easy you know."

"Well, it can be done," insisted Fred firmly.

"Of course it can," laughed George. "The only trouble is we don't know
how."

"We don't even know it is a code," said Grant.

"Peterse