all through the
tropical noon and discussed the treasure for the thousandth time since
they first had come into possession of the code. Sometimes they dozed
and Sam, true to the traditions of his race, slept soundly.

At last the shadows began to lengthen and a cool breeze sprang up off
the water. It was like food to a starving man it was so refreshing and
strengthening.

"We're off!" cried Grant, springing eagerly to his feet.

Every one joined him quickly and the task was resumed, and the air being
cooler now, they all worked better and more easily.

"This next course is just half as long as the last one, isn't it?" said
Grant.

"Yes," said John, "that makes just sixty times the length of my shoe."

Due east they measured off the distance and before very long had marked
the completion of the second stage of their journey.

"Now," exclaimed Grant, "we go north by east thirty-three feet. How many
lengths of your shoe is that, John?"

"You figure it out, Fred," urged John. "You've got pencil and paper and
all you have to do, you know, is to multiply thirty-three by twelve and
divide by ten."

"Thirty-nine and six-tenths times," announced Fred. "How can we measure
that fraction exactly?"

"We won't need to," said Grant. "It's the last figure and we can get it
within a couple of inches. We'll dig a hole a couple of feet square all
around our last marker, so two or three inches won't make any
difference."

"That's right," agreed Fred, and the measurements were continued.

Soon they came to the end, but there an unexpected complication
presented itself. Thirty-three feet from the last point brought them
squarely up against a palm tree some twelve or fifteen inches in
diameter.

"That's the end," exclaimed Fred. "How can we dig down through a tree
like that though? We must have made a mistake in our calculations."

"Why so?" demanded George.

"I don't see how it could be any other way," insisted Fred. "In the
first place how can any one bury anything underneath a tree like that?"

"They didn't," said George. "They buried the treasure here and then
planted this palm tree to mark the spot. Do you notice that it is the
only one within fifty or a hundred feet of here?"

"You're right, Pop," exclaimed Grant. "I believe that that's exactly
what happened."

CHAPTER XXVII

CONCLUSION

After a sleepless and restless night the excited little party of
treasure seekers repaired once more to the palm tr