so much easier to go back
and forth from the steam yacht."

They had a compass with them, and leaving the vicinity of the shattered
cave, struck out in a direct line for Horseshoe Bay. Much to their
surprise they found an easy path, and came out on the sandy beach
almost before they knew it.

"Well, I never!" cried Dick. "If we had known of this before, what a
lot of trouble we might have saved ourselves."

"Well, we know it now," answered Tom. "And as we marked the path it
will be an easy matter in the future to go back and forth from the cave
to the bay."

It took them some time to get their boat, and it was almost nightfall
before they reached the steam yacht. It can readily be imagined that
the Stanhopes and Lanings awaited their coming with interest.

"What success, Dick?" cried Dora eagerly.

"Not so very much as yet," he answered, soberly, for he hated to
disappoint the girl who was so dear to him. And then he told her of all
that had happened. She shuddered when she found he had been a prisoner
of Sid Merrick and his followers.

"Oh, Dick, I am so thankful you escaped," she cried, with tears in her
eyes. "You must not get into such a situation again! Why, the whole
treasure isn't worth it."

"But I want to get that money and the jewels for you, Dora."

"Yes, but I don't want money and jewels if--if you are--are going to
get hurt," she answered, and her deep eyes looked him through and
through.

"I'll be careful after this--but we are going to get the treasure, sure
thing," he added, stoutly.

"I was afraid an earthquake might have played pranks with that cave,"
was Captain Barforth's comment. "An earthquake can shake down the top
of a cave quicker than it can shake down anything else. It doesn't take
much to do it."

The captain said he had a fair quantity of powder on board, to be used
in the cannon for saluting and signalling. If they wanted dynamite,
however, he'd have to run over to one of the big islands for it.

"And then we may have trouble getting it," he added. "We'd probably
have to buy up the supply of some contractor who happened to have it on
hand."

"I don't like to think of leaving the island while Merrick and his
crowd are around," answered Anderson Rover.

On the following morning Mr. Rover and Captain Barforth went ashore,
taking Dick, Tom and Sam along. The steam yacht was left in charge of
Asa Carey, and the mate was told to remain close to the mouth of the
reef and to s