y swims in the mornings if I can help it."

"How about sharks?" queried Grant. "I should think you'd have had just
about all the swimming you'd want, String."

"No, indeed," laughed John. "I can tell you one thing, though, and that
is that I intend to stick awfully close to shore."

"You won't be any closer than I will," exclaimed George seriously. "I'll
leave the middle of the ocean to the fish and not dispute it with them
at all."

"Who's coming?" called George, who had already started. It seemed that
every one was, for a moment later the other four members of the little
family were close behind George. All were in excellent spirits and an
air of suppressed excitement seemed to pervade the atmosphere around
about them. When any one spoke it was in a tense tone and every laugh
sounded somewhat nervous. Eyes sparkled eagerly and breath came a trifle
faster when the thought of the buried gold arose in any one's mind.

"Diamond horseshoes, Sam!" exclaimed John, slapping the grinning negro
heartily on the back. "Diamond horseshoes right after breakfast."

"'Deed Ah hopes so," said Sam. "Ah sho' could use one ob dem."

"Not here, though," laughed Grant. "Pretty soon we shan't have anything
to wear if our clothes get very much more ragged."

"That's right, Sam," said John. "You couldn't wear your diamond
horseshoe on this island."

"Does yo' really think dey is any ob dem in dat chest?" asked Sam very
seriously and very eagerly.

"I doubt it," laughed John. "I don't believe they wore such things in
the days when this treasure was buried."

"Dat's all right dough," said Sam cheerfully. "As yo' say Ah wouldn't
hab no use fo' one on dis yere island. All Ah wants am gold enough to
buy one when Ah gets back to Richmon'. Dat's when Ah wants it, an',
golly, say won't dem niggers be jealous." He laughed aloud as he usually
did at the thought, for it was a most pleasing prospect to him. He was
scarcely more than a child in mind; his great, and seemingly his
supreme, desire to make his friends jealous showed this.

"Maybe we'll find some earrings," suggested Fred. "We can wear those,
and if we find bracelets and gold arm-bands and anklets and things like
that we can put them all on and look like a bunch of cannibals."

"You've certainly got a great,--" George began sarcastically, when a cry
from Grant suddenly interrupted him. Grant had gained somewhat on the
remainder of the band and was down near the shore when he call