want any of the treasure."

"Why, you little shrimp," exclaimed George, pretending to be very angry
and glowering down upon his stubby companion, "don't you know that I
have been joshing you fellows all this time? If there's anything here
worth working for you can be dead sure I'm willing to do my share. All I
say is that you prove it to me first."

"Why should we prove it to you?" inquired Grant. "Why don't you get to
work and help us prove it to ourselves? After we have found where the
stuff is any one can go and get it. What we want to know is the spot
where it's hidden."

"Quite true," George admitted. "At the same time you must admit that you
are all taking a great deal for granted. You seem to think that there is
no doubt about there being treasure on the island and also that this
code when deciphered will tell you just where it is."

"We hope that's the case," said Grant. "Of course we can't tell until
we've found out what the code says. That's what we're trying to do now."

"You're right," agreed George. "We must get to work on it at once."

"We've been at work on it ever since we struck this island," said Fred
warmly. "Where have you been all this time?"

"Well, when I get down to business we'll soon solve the riddle," said
George pompously. "I'll soon get an idea."

"Hit him, Grant," cried John. "You're nearest to him and we ought not to
let such things live."

George burst out laughing. "Forget those old numbers for a while," he
advised. "So far no one has been able to do anything with them, but if
we let them alone for a few days we can go back to them with our minds
fresh. Who knows, somebody might get an idea all of a sudden that would
solve the whole business."

"I wish somebody would," sighed Fred.

"Think of this, though," exclaimed Grant. "Suppose we do forget it all
for a few days, as Pop suggests. In the meantime a boat might come along
and take us away and our chance of ever finding the treasure would be
gone."

"That's right, Grant," cried John. "We don't want to lose an opportunity
like this."

"Can't we take the code home with us?" said George. "We have all the
rest of our lives to find out what it means and if it is worth while we
can always come back."

"How can we tell whether it is worth while or not until we see it?"
asked Fred.

"Probably that code contains a description of what it is."

"Perhaps it does," said Grant. "We'll know better when we find out just
what it do