wered Dick. "But one thing is
certain--we must follow them up and prevent their getting hold of
that treasure if we possibly can!"

CHAPTER XXI

SCARING OFF THE ENEMY

It was easy enough for Dick to say they must follow up their enemies
and prevent Sid Merrick and his party from gaining possession of the
treasure, but how all this was to be accomplished was another matter.

In the first place, the other party numbered four as against their
three. More than this, those from the _Josephine_ were heavily armed,
while the Rovers had brought with them nothing but a single pistol.
"It's well enough to talk," whispered Sam, after Sid Merrick and his
crowd had passed on, "but if we tackle them in the open the chances
are we'll get the worst of it."

"We may get a chance at them in some other way," answered Dick. "We
have this advantage, we know where they are and they don't know we are
on the isle."

With cautious steps they stole after the Merrick party, keeping them
in sight by the waving rays of the lamp and lantern ahead, as they
danced over the rocks and among the trees and bushes. They kept about
a hundred feet to the rear.

"I've got a plan," said Tom, as the party ahead came to a halt to make
sure of the trail. "Can't we cut in somewhere and get ahead of them
and then scare them back?"

"Let's try it!" exclaimed Sam. "I am sure if we play ghosts, or
something like that, we'll scare Tad Sobber out of his wits."

"It's a risky thing to do," mused the eldest Rover. "We might get
caught at it."

Nevertheless, he was rather in favor of the plan, and when the Merrick
party stopped again, for Cuffer to take a stone out of his shoe, they
"cut into" the woods and pushed forward with all speed. It was hard
work, but they were in deadly earnest, and did not let the vines and
brushwood deter them.

"Now, the question is, How are we to scare them?" said Dick, after
they had regained the trail, well in advance of Sid Merrick and his
followers.

"Let us play ghosts?" said Sam.

"We might black up and play niggers on the warpath, with big clubs,"
suggested Tom.

"And get shot down," interrupted Dick. "No, I think the ghosts idea is
as good as anything. Quick, take off your coats and tie your
handkerchiefs over your faces."

The boys had on light colored outing shirts, and these, with the
handkerchiefs over their faces, made them look quite ghostlike in the
gloom under the trees.

"Now, when the time come