im the theft of
some examination papers at Rally Hall, hesitated, but Teddy, who noticed
how shabby and downcast Andy looked, intervened.

"I guess we might fix it up," he ventured to say. "Just let me speak to
the others for a minute."

They had a short conference, as a result of which Teddy collected and
handed over the five dollars that Andy desired.

Andy's thanks were profuse, but after having tucked the money safely
away in his pocket, something of his old surly manner returned. He took
leave of his benefactors with scant ceremony, but the boys were so glad
to get rid of him that they hardly noticed this.

"After all," remarked Bill, as they watched Andy go down the street,
"five dollars isn't so much to pay for getting free from that bird. I'd
be willing to lose a lot more than that if I could be sure of never
seeing him again."

The boys made their purchases and took their way to the place that
Lester had in mind to eat their lunch. They found themselves on a high
sand dune, overgrown with coarse grass. It afforded an excellent view of
the sea and also furnished a comfortable place to lean against.

"This is great!" exclaimed Ross. "Let's get out that grub and pitch in.
I could eat a barrel full of brass tacks and never know I had eaten
anything."

"I guess you wouldn't know anything very long," laughed Lester, as he
proceeded to lay out the provisions.

The eatables vanished with surprising speed, and after the first sharp
edge of their hunger had worn off, the conversation turned, as it
usually did these days, to their quest for the missing treasure.

A brisk breeze was blowing in from the ocean and the brittle sand grass
kept up a constant rustling. This sound served admirably to cover the
approach of a stealthy figure that had followed the boys at a distance
ever since they had left Bartanet. This figure crept closer and closer
to the sand dune, until only a projecting hump concealed it from the
five boys on the seaward side.

As it attained this position of vantage, Teddy was addressing a remark
to Ross.

"Haven't you lost a bit of your confidence yet, Ross?" he queried.

"Not a particle," affirmed Ross stoutly. "We'll find that treasure,
sooner or later, if it ever was actually hidden in the neighborhood of
Bartanet Shoals."

"You bet we will!" declared Fred, "even if we have to import a steam
shovel to dig up the whole territory."

"I hope it will be soon," interposed Bill. "It'll be us