party to go ashore should be composed
of Mr. Rover, Bahama Bill, Aleck, and the three boys. Nearly everybody
went armed, and the party carried with them a small electric
searchlight, run by a "pocket" battery, and two oil lanterns. They
also took with them some provisions, and a pick, a shovel and a
crowbar, for Bahama Bill said there might be some digging to do to get
at the treasure.

Had it not been for the small searchlight it would have been next to
impossible to find the opening through the reef during the night. But
the light was all that was needed, and they came through with little
more than a shower of spray touching them. Bahama Bill and Mr. Rover
rowed the boat and soon brought the craft to a point where they
disembarked without difficulty.

"The boys did not land here," said Anderson Rover, after a look along
the sandy shore for footprints. "But they must have come in somewhere
around here."

"Let's call for them," suggested Songbird, and this was done, but no
reply came back.

"They have started on the hunt for the cave, just as I supposed they
would," said Mr. Rover.

"Den let us git aftah dem directly," said Aleck. "I feels like I could
tramp all night widout half tryin'!"

Tying up the rowboat, and shouldering their tools and provisions, they
set off along the shore of Horseshoe Bay, just as the three Rover boys
had done. Bahama Bill led the way, with Mr. Rover beside him, carrying
the electric light, which gave out fully as much light as did the
acetylene gas lamp carried by Merrick.

"Here are some footprints!" cried Mr. Rover, after a short distance
had been covered.

"Dem was made by our boys!" cried Aleck, after a minute examination.
"I know dem shoes, fo' I has shined 'em many de time!"

"If they walked in that direction they took the wrong course," was
Bahama Bill's comment. "Like as not they got turned around among the
trees an' in the dark."

"We must locate the party with that strong light we saw from the
yacht," said Mr. Rover. "Perhaps in doing that we'll come up to my
sons."

Once on shore, the old tar said he remembered the locality well, and
he did not hesitate in pushing forward, across the path taken by the
three Rover boys, and then to a trail which the Rovers had missed.
They had to climb a small hill, and here it was that Bahama Bill
showed the first signs of perplexity.

"Queer!" he muttered, coming to a halt and gazing around. "Mighty
queer!"

"What is queer?" q