ody comes to cut us loose."

"Oh, for a faithful dog!" sighed Sam. "I saw a moving picture once in
which a dog came and untied a girl who was fastened to a tree. I'd give
as much as five dollars for that dog right now."

"Make it six and a half, Sam, and I'll go half," answered Tom.

"Well, this is no joke," declared Dick, almost severely. "We must get
free somehow--or they'll get that treasure and be off with it before
father and the others have a chance to land. We've got to do
something."

They all agreed they "had to do something," but what that something was
to be was not clear. They worked over their bonds until their wrists
were cut and bleeding and then gave the task up. It was so dark they
could see each other but dimly, and the darkness and quietness made
them anything but lighthearted.

"Supposing some wild beast comes to chew us up," said Sam, presently,
after a silence that was positively painful.

"We know there are no big beasts on these islands," answered Dick.
"Don't worry yourself unnecessarily, Sam. We've got troubles enough as
it is."

"The only beasts here are human beasts," said Tom, "and their names are
Merrick, Sobber, Cuffer and Shelley," and he said this so dryly his
brothers had to laugh.

Slowly the night wore away, each hour dragging more than that which
preceded it. Two or three times the boys tried again to liberate
themselves, but fared no better than before, indeed, Dick fared worse,
for he came close to spraining his left wrist. The pain for a while was
intense and it was all he could do to keep from crying out.

"I'd like to know what time it is," said Sam, when the first streak of
dawn began to show among the trees.

"And I'd like to know if Merrick has found the treasure cave," added
Dick.

"It will soon be morning," came from Tom, and he was right. The rising
sun did not penetrate to where they stood, but it tipped the tops of
the trees with gold and made it light enough for them to see each other
quite plainly.

The boys were glad that day had come at last, for being prisoners in
the light was not half as bad as in the dark. Each looked at the others
rather curiously.

"Well, we are still here," said Tom laconically.

"Yes, and liable to stay here," added Sam.

"I wonder if father is getting ready to land," said Dick. "I suppose if
he does he will come ashore where we did."

"Yes, but that is a good distance from here," was Sam's comment.

"Wonder if it would