720 1930 1816 2122 3019
1618 1822 1816 2221 1917.

Beyond these figures, the paper, which seemed of considerable age, was
perfectly blank.

The lads gazed earnestly at the mass of figures for some time, trying to
fathom its meaning.

That a hidden meaning of some kind was attached to it was almost
certain, as no sane man would put down a long string of figures to no
purpose, or for mere pastime; and if the writer had not intended the
meaning to be hidden, he would certainly have used words in preference
to a number of mystifying figures.

"Roger," said Harry, "the more I look at this cipher--for cipher I am
convinced it is--the more certain do I feel that it is the key to
something important or of value. Now, friend, do you notice anything
peculiar about these figures?"

"I cannot say that I do," answered Roger, "unless you mean that they are
arranged in groups of four."

"Yes, that is certainly so," agreed Harry; "but there is somewhat else
of significance, and that is, that, although they are grouped in fours
for the most part, there are two groups of six figures, one of two, and
one figure stands alone. These being different from the remainder of
the cipher, we may at once set them down as denoting something different
from the rest of the writing. I should say that possibly some
direction, instruction, or it may even be a compass-bearing, is
concealed in these two groups of six figures, while, to my mind, the
figures 14 and 5, are to be read as they really are, that is as figures
only; for I believe that the remainder of the figures stand for words or
letters, as indeed they must, if any sense is to be made of the thing.
Yes, the more I study this, the more certain am I that we have found
something of value, and this, I am convinced, is the document you told
me Alvarez was looking for while you were in the cabin of the sinking
_Gloria del Mundo_."

"By Saint George," said Roger, "I am inclined to believe you are right,
Harry; only I see not how it will benefit us if we cannot translate the
cipher, and that seems to me impossible without the key thereto."

"Nothing is impossible, my friend," retorted Harry. "We have no key, it
is true, but by repeated experiments we shall solve the thing
eventually, I am sure."

"Let us start trying right now, then," suggested Roger.

"Well, starting from the beginning, let us take the first group of--"

"Mr Trevose, hie you on deck, if you please; I want you," cam