Merritt"s axe was called into requisition, and, as the others stood round with upraised lanterns, the boy swung the weapon down on the iron lock of the first of the old chests. It was old and rotten, and, after a few blows, it gave way.
With trembling, nervous hands the lid of the box was pushed back. But a surprise greeted the fortune hunters. Instead of a ma.s.s of gold objects or coins meeting their eyes only a faded piece of red velvet, covering the contents of the box, met their gaze.
"Pull it off!" ordered the major.
Merritt and the professor raised the bit of fabric and then started back with startled faces. Under the velvet was a picture. A grim portrait of a tall man in black garments holding a skull in his hands, while he knelt beside an open grave. Under it was painted in old fashioned letters:
"The End Of The Quest for Riches."
"Good heavens," exclaimed the major, who had paled a little under his tan, "that seems almost like a warning."
Mastering a feeling of dread, Merritt helped the professor to raise the picture. Under it was an old sea cloak, a bra.s.s spy gla.s.s of antique make, and an old-fashioned compa.s.s and--that was all.
"It begins to look as if my ancestor had played a grim joke on posterity," said the major; "however, let us see what is in the other two boxes."
Crash!
Down came Merritt"s axe on the first of the remaining two chests. The lid flew open with such suddenness that it startled them. It was operated by concealed springs.
As the light of the lanterns fell on the contents of this box, however, all doubt as to the success of the quest was removed. It was filled to the brim with golden candlesticks, vases, plates and cups of priceless value. Some of them flashed with gems. The h.o.a.rded treasure of the wicked old pirate of the Spanish seas lay before them.
"Now the other," said the professor in a faint voice, "I can hardly believe my eyes."
"It does seem incredible," commented the major.
The contents of the other chest, which was speedily opened, proved to be of the same nature as that of the second one rifled. On the interior of the lid, however, there had been a secret chamber. The spring of this, rotten with age, gave way as the cover was lifted. A niagara of coins of all nations, Spanish doubloons, French crowns, English Rose n.o.bles and florins, and queerly-marked Oriental wealth, flowed out.
"What should you think was the value of all this, professor?" asked the major when he recovered his voice.
"At least two million dollars," was the rejoinder in tones the man of science tried in vain to render steady.
"I"d give half of it now if we could get out of here," said the major.
"Perhaps there is a way."
It was Merritt who spoke.
"What makes you think so, my boy?"
"Why, while we"ve been standing here I"ve noticed a draught. Look at the lantern flames flicker in it. It comes from further down the pa.s.sage. We might explore it, anyway."
"I think so, too," said the major, and followed by the others, still dazed by the sight of the h.o.a.rded fortune, he struck out into the darkness. For some distance the pa.s.sage into which he had plunged was level. Then his feet encountered rough steps. Calling to the others to follow him the major mounted them.
Up and up they climbed, the wind blowing more freshly in their faces every instant. All at once, without any warning, the major emerged into the open air. He looked about him amazed. The others, as they joined him, heard his astonishment. They seemed to be on the summit of a small island in the midst of a sea of woods.
Gazing over the edge, they soon ascertained that they were at the summit of a high cone-shaped ma.s.s of rocks. The sides were steep as church walls, and offered no foothold.
All at once the explanation burst upon the major. "We are at the summit of Ruby Glow!" he cried.
Astonishing as it appeared, this was the truth. The professor regarded it as a proof of his theory that the place had been used as an Indian watch tower.
"I know now what puzzled me before," he said, "and that was the manner in which they gained the summit of the cone."
"But that doesn"t help us to get down," said Merritt, "it looks as if we are as badly off as before."
"I"m afraid you"re right," said the major; "no living being could scale those walls."
"And no living being could move that rock from the entrance to the cave,"
echoed Rob miserably.
They retraced their steps. The hours pa.s.sed slowly in the cavern. But in order to employ them somehow they made an inventory of the contents of the treasure boxes.
Supper was eaten from their fast diminishing store of eatables. n.o.body talked much. They did not feel inclined for conversation. At length nature a.s.serted itself. Rob actually began to feel sleepy. Andy and the professor had already flung themselves down and were fast asleep.
"Guess I"ll take one more look out from Ruby Glow before I turn in,"
thought Rob to himself.
With this intention in mind he left the cave. He did not take long to reach the top of the cone. Moonlight flooded it, and the surrounding forest. Rob looked about him. It was a lovely scene, but somehow its beauty didn"t impress him much just then. All at once he became aware of two figures below the cone gazing curiously up at it. One was oddly familiar to him. In fact they both were.
"Who is it?" he asked, feeling that there was no danger in speaking clearly.
"Hush!" came up the answer in Tubby"s voice, in a low, but penetrating whisper, "it"s me, Tubby. Jumbo"s with me. How under the canopy did you get up there?"
"It"s a long story," responded Rob, in the same cautious tones; "the question is how are we going to get down again?"
"Gee whiz! that"s so. There"s no way of clambering down the sides. If only we had a rope."
"We"ve got one. The canoe ropes joined together would be long and strong enough," said Rob, "but how could you get them up to us? No trees grow close enough. I don"t see how----"
He stopped short. Tubby had suddenly begun to execute a grotesque sort of war-dance. His figure capered oddly about in the moonlight.
"Wait there till I come back!" he exclaimed, and suddenly darted off, followed by Jumbo.
"Well, if that isn"t just like Tubby," said Rob; "what in the world is he up to now?"
But Rob knew Tubby well enough to divine that the lad would not have told him to wait if there had not been some good reason for it. So he sat down with what patience he could. It was some time before Tubby reappeared.
When he did, he had something in his hands.
"Watch out!" he cried to Rob.
The leader of the Eagle Patrol watched his Scout carefully. Suddenly he realized what Tubby was doing. He had made a bow and arrow out of springy wood. Then he had attached one end of a light string to the arrow. To the other extremity of the string, which was long enough to reach the summit of the cone, was attached the knotted lengths of canoe and pack rope. Rob had hardly time to take in the details of this clever trick before the arrow came whizzing by his ear. He grabbed the string as it followed and began hauling in.
Before long he had reached its end, and started pulling on the rope. He made one end fast about a projecting pinnacle of rock, and then called down his congratulations to Tubby in a low but hearty voice.
"I always told you I could do something else than fall in," was the message Tubby sent back as he strutted about below.
Rob"s next act was to arouse the sleepers and Major Dangerfield. They were all naturally warm in praise of Tubby"s clever device. It was tested by Rob who slid down it in perfect safety, but landed with barked shins and sc.r.a.ped hands. That was a cheap price to pay for deliverance, though, and the others, when they followed him, felt the same way about it.
"Now what are we going to do?" said the major as they all stood in a group on the ground.