y small indeed, now
emerged from his hiding place again to join the watchers.

"I wonder if the explosion has enlarged the hole any," Tom ventured. "If
it has it may make the work lots easier for us."

"You speak as if we were going to be next on the program," Arnold
laughed quietly. "Don't be too sure. Things may slip."

"Well," disputed Arnold, "suppose that Wyckoff doesn't do as Lopez wants
him to do, what then? What's to hinder Lopez shooting Wyckoff and
getting the treasure chest himself? Tell me that."

"How does that let us in?" queried Frank.

"Well, if they are down and out, don't we get busy?"

"I suppose so, but I believe this treasure has had enough blood spilled
over it now. I'm getting rather scared about it."

"Look there," cried Jack in a tone that was almost audible to the two
men at the pit. "It looks as if Wyckoff were going to dig. He's a plucky
chap all right. We must give him credit for that."

Wyckoff had searched the vicinity and found a shovel. This he was now
preparing to put to use. He was in the pit in another moment and began
throwing the sand out. Then he paused!

"That sand's wet," declared Arnold, who had observed closely.

"Tide's away up and probably has seeped through the little sand
intervening," declared Harrison. "I expected it."

"Why, look at him," hoarsely urged Frank. "He seems to be floundering
about. Can it be he's in trouble?"

"It would look that way," declared Tom. "I wonder why Lopez don't come
to his rescue instead of standing there with his rifle."

"He isn't in any danger," declared Arnold. "He's just wading around in
the soft sand that was loosened by the explosion."

"Don't you believe it," urged Tom rising to his feet. "I believe the
man's in serious trouble. It looks like quicksand."

"If Lopez would let us, I'd be in favor of helping him."

"I'll tell you what I'll do," volunteered Tom. "I'll make a running
noose in this line I brought along. You boys cover Lopez with your guns
and I'll go as close as I can and lasso Wyckoff. We can all get hold of
the line then and maybe we'll be able to pull him out. It wouldn't be
right to leave him there to go down."

At that moment Wyckoff seemed to realize his danger. He was, indeed,
caught in the treacherous quicksand. No doubt the sand had been loosened
by the explosion to such an extent that although quiet heretofore, it
was now "quick," and was working to draw into its depths any object
unfortunate eno