. "I've an
idea to test him out. It'll take a little time, but we might as
well set out to see who's who in this crowd."

"That gang ashore'll try to get back here," said Locke, looking
over at the island. "They can't live on sand and water."

"Come to breakfast," said Trask. "Just leave things to me, and talk
about our guns. We've got to give the impression that we're a young
arsenal."

They passed into the cabin, and Trask took the occasion to slip
into the galley while Doc and Tom were absent, and lifting out an
old rat-tail file, which the cook used to sharpen his knives on,
slipped it up the sleeve of his jacket.

They sent Doc out on deck to keep watch and Trask ordered him to
get the bucket of sand out of the boat.

"Don't you feel worried about this, Miss Trinkets," said Locke, as
Marjorie looked up doubtful.

"Do you think it's serious, Dad?" she asked.

"Serious! Not at all! We'll get out of here as soon as there's a
breath of air, and leave that wild lot to themselves."

"But poor old Dinshaw," she said, "and Captain Jarrow--what's to
become of them?"

"We'll have to get Dinshaw, of course," said Trask. "I'll take Doc
and go for him at once with the boat." He drank his coffee hastily,
and went out on deck. He disappeared into the forecastle and was
below for several minutes.

"Do you think you ought to risk going ashore?" asked Locke, when
Trask returned with the bucket of sand.

"I don't believe they'll bother me," said Trask, and calling to Tom
to bring him a frying pan, he measured out two or three cupfuls of
sand and spread it carefully in the pan.

Then, to the amazement of all of them, he put the pan on the galley
fire, and calling Doc, told him to watch the sand, and when it got
well heated, to call him.

"Cookin' sand!" exclaimed Doc, with a suspicious look at Trask. "Ah
never did hear of such a thing! What fo' yo' doin' it, Mr. Trask?"
He made no attempt to conceal the fact that he doubted the young
man's sanity.

"I believe there's gold in it," said Trask, simply. "And if there
is, we'll find it by heating the sand and then cooling it with
water quickly. See those dark grains? The heat will melt the gold
which you can't see, and run it together, and then the cold water
cracks away the shell of sand, and your gold particle can
be washed out."

"Beats me!" declared Doc, scratching his woolly head, but he went
to the galley with renewed interest to watch the strange dish which
Tr