pay
your shipyard charges when you were coming back."

The boys all gasped. In the excitement of rescuing their chums the
matter of settling their bill at the shipyard had been crowded out of
their minds. All were amazed and regretful.

"What can we do?" questioned Jack. "I'll jump on a train and go right
back there and pay them. When is the next train?"

"Don't be in a hurry. Hear the rest," said the Marshal.

"Is there anything worse?" wailed Jack. "I feel real cheap."

"Nothing that you can't get out of, I guess," replied Harrison. "Those
fellows were indignant when you slipped away so hurriedly and were about
to telegraph Key West to look out for you when a man named Wyckoff
approached and said you were headed for Biloxi. They couldn't believe it
but he swore it was so."

"And so you came down here to get us?" queried Jack.

"I'm stationed at Gulfport, a short distance west of here," replied
Harrison. "They wired me there and wanted to libel your craft. You know
the United States protects merchants and workmen by seizing the vessel
if their bills are not paid."

"But we'll pay it!" stoutly protested Jack. "We have the money."

"I haven't the least doubt of it," declared Harrison. "It was only a
matter of oversight under the exciting news you got. But tell me," he
went on, "how did Wyckoff know you were headed for this place? He seemed
very positive about your destination."

Then Jack gave Harrison the whole story. He omitted nothing that the
boys considered of importance, even showing Harrison the map. At the
conclusion of the recital Harrison looked serious.

"Well, boys," he said at length, "you've stumbled onto what seems to be
a reality, but I always considered it a myth. For years the report has
been circulated that there was such a treasure and this man Wyckoff and
Lopez claimed to be blood descendants of the officer who buried it. The
name on that map would seem to bear them out. But tonight or tomorrow
night will be the only time you'll have to get at the treasure for
another year, if the whole tale is true."

"How's that?" breathlessly asked the boys.

"I can't explain the whole thing, for I never attempted to memorize
details, always believing the story a fairy tale, but as I recall it,
the moon and tide must both be just right--something like the moon is
tonight and the tide will be in a short time--and then the ground around
the chest softens up and the chest comes to the surface for the r