the men
with me, with trying to secure the treasure, but I finally patched up
the matter, and we agreed to work in concert. Then, when the next day,
we found that Walter had lost the chart, we felt that it was a trick on
his part to deceive us, and we separated. At that time I did not believe
he told us the truth.

"Two days afterwards we passed a party of natives, who were not aware of
our presence, and then we saw that Walter, and the man with him, had
been captured, and later believed that they had been killed. We searched
the island, to find the cave, but were unsuccessful and thinking that an
error might have been made, we concluded to sail for the island to the
south.

"We found a tribe of natives when we landed, and owing to the exposure
and the trials we had gone through I was taken ill, and grew worse and
worse, and from that time on to the time I recovered two days ago, I had
not the slightest idea of what passed."

"When I spoke against Walter a few moments ago," said John, "you said he
was not to blame. What did you mean by that?"

"During my wanderings, I found parts of the chart, which, I assumed, had
been lost by John, and, probably, destroyed by the natives. The part I
recovered was of no value to me, but it entirely changed my opinion of
Walter."

But Clifford's story left something to be told. It did not explain why
Walter tried to avoid meeting Clifford; or why he was so startled upon
seeing the two skulls, or the reason for avoiding the reference to the
letter to which his name was signed.

The boys were so intensely interested in his story that they did not
notice the entrance of Blakely, who had brought Walter back, but when
Clifford saw Blakely there was immediate recognition.

Clifford held out his hand to Walter, as he said: "I did wrong in
doubting you. I understand from the statement made by Ta Babeda, that
they found the chart the next day, after we met them, and that, of
course, clears you."

"But I would like to know," said Harry, "what the other part of the
inscription on the skulls means?"

"Do you refer to the sign of plus and the V?"

"Yes."

"When you went into the cave, where you found the copper box, how many
chambers did you pass before coming to the large room?"

"I am not sure," he answered, "but I think four."

"Yes; and the case was found in the fifth chamber. The Plus sign
indicated the cross-shaped cave, did it not?"

"Yes, and there are several other things