clue. Nor were there any hollow places in any of them
that were large enough to contain the box they sought.

"Well," said Fred, as they retraced their steps to the sheltered place
they had picked out as a camping spot, "we can't do any more to-night.
But I think we can be well content to call it a day's work and let it go
at that."

"Think of the difference between the way we felt this morning and the
way we're feeling now!" exulted Teddy. "Then we didn't know that we'd
ever get within a hundred miles of it. Now, we may be within a hundred
feet of it for all we know."

Now that the strain of the chase for the Cove was over, the boys'
appetites returned, and were all the keener because of the abstinence
through the day. The lads set to work at once and in less than half an
hour they had a steaming, savory meal prepared in the best style known
to Lester and Bill, who were the acknowledged leaders in the culinary
line. They ate as only hungry, healthy boys can eat, with digestions
that asked no odds of any ostrich. Not until the last crumb had vanished
did they settle back with a feeling of absolute physical content.

For an hour or more afterward, they sat around the blazing fire they had
made, discussing eagerly ways and means for the morrow's search. All of
them were keyed up to the highest pitch. They had no definite plans
except to hunt and dig until their strength gave out, but there was not
one of them, even including cautious Bill, who did not feel sure that
victory was within their grasp.

They found it hard to get to sleep, but nature would not be denied and
they did sleep at last, to be awakened at the first sign of dawn.

They made a hasty breakfast and then got out their picks and spades, of
which they had brought enough along for each member of the party. There
was no shirking or holding back. They were like so many young hounds
eager to slip from the leash when the signal should be given.

"Suppose we divide the space within easy reach from the shore into five
separate sections," suggested Fred. "Each of us can take one and go over
it a foot at a time, as though he were looking for a needle that he had
dropped. If there's any opening that might lead to a cave or any place
where the ground's heaped up as if something had been buried there, then
we'll all go to that spot and dig."

But half the morning spent in this way showed nothing that was at all
unusual.

"Nothing doing on the first try, but we