after they got here," said Grant.

"But we do know," exclaimed Fred. "All we have to do now is to make a
few measurements and do a little digging."

"It may be a good deal of digging," said Grant.

"We don't know how deep the stuff is buried, you know."

"And we don't care," said George. "I'd dig all the way to China to get
that stuff if it was necessary."

"I wish we had some tools," sighed John. "It may be slow work."

"Oh, I don't know," said George. "It's all sand down around that end of
the island and we can use sticks and anything we can get hold of."

"An' mah knife," added Sam eagerly.

"Yes," agreed Grant. "That knife will help a lot."

"We can get Snip to use his beak on the tough spots," suggested Fred.

"Yes," laughed George. "By the way he dug into my hand he ought to be
able to tear holes in the ground without any trouble at all."

"Let's get to sleep," said Grant, "and at the crack of dawn to-morrow
we'll be down at the old shark rock with our compass and String's shoe
ready to make ourselves wealthy."

It was an excited little party that turned in presently and dreamed of
gold and treasure unheard of all the rest of the warm tropical night.

CHAPTER XXV

ON THE BEACH

The sun had scarcely made its appearance above the horizon the following
day when the inmates of the cave were astir.

"Get up everybody," shouted Grant, the first to arise. "We've got work
to do."

"Yon won't have to call me twice," exclaimed John, hastily rising to his
feet. "It seems to me I've been awake half the night anyway, just
waiting for that old sun to come out and give us enough light to see."

"Suppose it had been a cloudy day and the sun hadn't come out, String,"
said George, who had now joined the others. "I suppose you'd have had to
stay in bed all day. My, that would have been tough luck."

"You're pretty funny for so early in the morning," said John shortly.
"After you've broken your back digging for a couple of hours maybe you
won't feel quite so smart."

"My back will never get tired digging for gold," laughed George. "I
could keep at it for a week and not even feel it."

"An' me too," chimed in Sam. "Ah is pow'ful strong when it come to dat
kind ob diggin'."

"Well, let's get some breakfast and then give all these strong men a
chance," laughed Fred.

"Aren't you going swimming first?" demanded George.

"I'm going, I know that," said John enthusiastically. "I don't intend to
miss an