ootprints in the soft soil, and these
led further still to the westward.

"Listen!" said Dick, presently, and held up his hand.

All did as requested and from a distance heard somebody calling to
somebody else. Then came a reply in Sid Merrick's voice.

"Merrick is talking to Shelley," said Dick. "They have lost the right
trail, too."

"Hang the luck!" they heard Shelley say.

"No path at all?"

"None," answered Sid Merrick.

"There is no path here either--it's a regular jungle," came from
Cuffer, who was not far off.

"I'm all stuck up with the thorns," put in Tad Sobber. "I think we
were foolish to come to such a spot as this."

"You can go back if you want to," answered his uncle, who was
evidently out of patience. "Nobody is keeping you."

"I am not going back alone--I couldn't find the way," answered Tad.

"Then don't growl."

"I reckon we'll all have to go back and wait till that Spaniard can
show us the way," said Shelley.

"That's well enough to say, Shelley. But supposing those Rovers come
here in the meantime?"

"Those boys?"

"Yes, and their father, and the others on that steam yacht," went on
Sid Merrick earnestly.

"They can't find the cave any quicker than we can--if Wingate did as
he promised."

"But if he didn't? He's a good deal of a coward and perhaps he didn't
have the nerve to dose Bahama Bill."

More talk followed, but as the men were now moving in another
direction the Rovers and their companions made out little more of the
conversation.

"What shall we do, confront them?" asked Sam of his parent.

"Not if they are going back to their ship," answered Mr. Rover. "We
can watch them and see what they do."

At the end of half an hour they saw that the Merrick party had started
for the north side of the isle. They waited in silence until all were
well out of hearing.

"I am glad we are rid of them--at least for the time being," said
Anderson Rover. "Now we can continue the treasure hunt in peace."

"But dem fellers will be suah to come back," interposed Aleck.

"I know that, Aleck, but they won't come back right away. Evidently
they are returning to their vessel to get that Spaniard, Doranez."

"I'd like to have punched Merrick's head for tying me up," growled
Tom.

"It will be punishment enough for him if we get the treasure,"
answered Mr. Rover.

"If we do."

"You are not ready to give up yet, are you, Tom?"

"Oh, no. But finding that treasure isn't going to be