It was late that afternoon when Clifford awoke, and plainly much, refreshed, and improved physically. When he saw the Professor he said: "I have not told you all, but I want the boys here for that purpose, because I know it will interest them."

When the boys arrived they awaited the coming of John, who informed them that Uraso had received word of the capture of Walter, but that he would not arrive until noon.

Clifford greeted them effusively, and it was evident that he had recovered his spirits, and was well on the road to recovery. After some general talk on uninteresting topics, he began his story:

"I was on the vessel with Ephraim when we ran into the monsoon which wrecked the vessel. After days of suffering I became unconscious, and when the spar finally reached the shore, I was aroused sufficiently to save myself, and after wandering around for some time, came up to a tribe of natives, who took good care of me.

"I had no means of determining the latitude or longitude, because I was then only about twenty years of age, and had shipped on the vessel at Shanghai, because I was anxious to return home. I remained with the people about three years, and they were called Osagas."

p. 225

"Why, this town is built in the Osagas' territory," said Harry.

"That may be so, but it is enough for the present to know that it was somewhere on this island that I reached the shore, and that about three years thereafter I was fortunate enough to catch sight of a sailing vessel, and on her I reached San Francisco.

"In course of time I built up a profitable shipping business, and owned several vessels engaged in the coast and Alaska trade. Like all shipping men on the western coast, I learned of the many accounts, most of them fables, concerning the treasures on the islands in the South Seas, but they never had any effect on me until about three years ago, I had a hand in furnishing the outfit for a vessel which departed on such a mission, that sailed some time in December or January, of that year."

"Do you know the name of the vessel?" asked John.

"Yes; the Juan Ferde. Why do you ask?"

"I sailed in that vessel with Blakely, one of the owners."

"Blakely? Blakely, did you say? Why he is the man who purchased all the provisions from me."

"He is here on the island, and now has charge of all the business matters connected with our venture."

"Well, that is remarkable, indeed; but I must proceed. Four months after the Juan Ferde sailed, I came into contact with a peculiar character, who had been all over the southern part of the universe, and he finally interested me sufficiently to look over some peculiar documents which he had, bearing on thep. 226 subject of the lost treasures, and from the information which he gave, it occurred to me that the location could not be far from the island where I was cast ashore.

"With a good business, and entirely free from all family entanglements, I made up my mind that I would accompany him, and finance the undertaking. What induced me more than anything else, was the fact that the stories he told corresponded so nearly with the information which Blakely gave me, although the latter did not go into many details, that I looked on the venture in the nature of a lark. Besides I wanted to meet my old friends on the island, and possibly induce them to gather the products of the island for me.

"We sailed about five months after the Juan Ferde left, and had a quick run to the island where it was supposed I had been left years before. It seems that at the time I landed there the tribe was at war, and we had a terrible time to get away from the people, who, of course, did not remember me, even though the tribe was the same, but of this I had no absolute knowledge at the time.

"Two months after reaching the island, we sailed to the south, in order to explore the second island, noted on the chart, and it was then that the returning monsoon, which usually blows in the opposite direction from the one of six months before, wrecked the vessel, and the next day one of my companions and myself, who were so far as I then knew, the only survivors, reached the southern shore of an island, where we saw high mountains, so unlike those in the island where I was shipwrecked years before."

p. 227

"While I think of it," remarked John, "how did you know about the second island, to which you refer?"

"I learned this from Walter."

"Then did you know anything about the skull on the headland, and the note which Walter left?"

"I knew about the skull, but never heard of the note to which you refer. The discovery of the skull was an accident, and I attached no importance to it at the time. From the southern portion of the island we journeyed along the eastern coast, to the north, skirting a large forest on the way."

The boys looked at each other, significantly, but he did not notice this.

"Then we reached a large river, and to our surprise, found a boat, evidently of native manufacture, and with this floated down the stream to the sea."

"But where did you get the rope that we found in the boat?" asked George, eagerly.

He turned, and answered: "How did you know we put any rope on the boat?"

"Because that was the boat we made, and we found it afterwards, with the strange rope and oars."

"Strange oars. I know nothing about them. We used the oars found in the boat."

"Did you get the boat near a large falls?"

"Yes."

"And on the north side of the river?"

"Yes; but after we reached the sea, it was too rough, and the wind was blowing too heavily from the north to make it safe to navigate in that direction, so we went south, probably ten miles, and drewp. 228 ashore. The next morning when I awoke the boat and my companion were missing."

"Who was your companion?"

"Walter."

John looked indignant, and expressed his opinion very forcibly, but Clifford held up his hand, restrainingly. "Do not be too harsh. I have no ill will toward him. I did not know what to do, nor which way to turn, but went to the west, and before night, came, unexpectedly, on the remains of a fire, which led me to believe that I would find friends in the inhabitants.

"I went on and on, and caught up with the band, and was then horrified to find that they were having a feast, and sacrificing human beings. I saw Walter among the captives, but I could not contrive to let him know of my presence, and left the place as hurriedly as I could.

"After a month of struggling I reached the southern part of the island, and there, to my joy, found three of my companions on a life boat, belonging to a vessel called the Investigator, and together we made a course southeast, and there found the location of the second skull."

"But you knew nothing of that at the time, did you?"

"I did not know what the marks on the skull were for, but the finding of the second one was sufficient to revive in me the hope that, after all, the treasure might be found. One of the men, who was the intimate of Walter, figured out the course to be taken, and we reached the island to the north the second day.

p. 229

"There, to our surprise, we found Walter, and he charged one of the men with me, with trying to secure the treasure, but I finally patched up the matter, and we agreed to work in concert. Then, when the next day, we found that Walter had lost the chart, we felt that it was a trick on his part to deceive us, and we separated. At that time I did not believe he told us the truth.

"Two days afterwards we passed a party of natives, who were not aware of our presence, and then we saw that Walter, and the man with him, had been captured, and later believed that they had been killed. We searched the island, to find the cave, but were unsuccessful and thinking that an error might have been made, we concluded to sail for the island to the south.

"We found a tribe of natives when we landed, and owing to the exposure and the trials we had gone through I was taken ill, and grew worse and worse, and from that time on to the time I recovered two days ago, I had not the slightest idea of what passed."

"When I spoke against Walter a few moments ago," said John, "you said he was not to blame. What did you mean by that?"

"During my wanderings, I found parts of the chart, which, I assumed, had been lost by John, and, probably, destroyed by the natives. The part I recovered was of no value to me, but it entirely changed my opinion of Walter."

But Clifford's story left something to be told. It did not explain why Walter tried to avoid meeting Clifford; or why he was so startled upon seeing thep. 230 two skulls, or the reason for avoiding the reference to the letter to which his name was signed.

The boys were so intensely interested in his story that they did not notice the entrance of Blakely, who had brought Walter back, but when Clifford saw Blakely there was immediate recognition.

Clifford held out his hand to Walter, as he said: "I did wrong in doubting you. I understand from the statement made by Ta Babeda, that they found the chart the next day, after we met them, and that, of course, clears you."

"But I would like to know," said Harry, "what the other part of the inscription on the skulls means?"

"Do you refer to the sign of plus and the V?"

"Yes."

"When you went into the cave, where you found the copper box, how many chambers did you pass before coming to the large room?"

"I am not sure," he answered, "but I think four."

"Yes; and the case was found in the fifth chamber. The Plus sign indicated the cross-shaped cave, did it not?"

"Yes, and there are several other things which interest me," remarked George, gazing at John, as he continued: "Why should the inscriptions have been marked on the skulls?"

John slowly shook his head, as he looked at Clifford. The latter gazed vacantly into space, as though reflecting, and finally said: "I do not know."

It will be remembered that when Walter entered the Professor's room, where Clifford was lying, hep. 231 appeared to be startled at the sight of the skulls. The copper box which held one of them was in the adjoining room.

During the foregoing conversation Walter was mute, nor did he appear interested in the question propounded by George.

"It seems most curious to me that the skull taken from the copper box has the inscription on the right side, whereas the other one has them on the left side," observed Harry.

John and George saw the immediate change in Walter's face while Harry was speaking. His agitation was now plain to all, and the perspiration began to appear on his forehead.

John leaned forward as he said: "Do you know?"

Walter started at the vehemence of the question, and threw back his head, as he answered: "Did you find the copper box?"

"Yes," responded John, with a look of triumph.

Walter's features relaxed, and he seemed to sink down, as he gazed about him with a final look of despair.

"Then the quest is ended!" he muttered.

"What do you mean? Explain!" demanded John.

"When I began the search for the treasure of the caves, I was the owner of the original document written by Juan Guiterez before he died in the Spanish prison. Three attempts had been made to find the island, which contained the secret, and that secret was in the copper box which told of the places and the locations of the other caves. In each case thep. 232 quest failed, and all perished. The peculiar significance arises from the fact that the only directions were given on a human skull by Guiterez himself, who declared that two of the skulls would have the inscriptions on the left side, while the one with the cryptic signs on the right side would be accompanied by the descriptions of the locations of all the Caves on the different islands."

"But why should there be three skulls?" asked George, in great eagerness.

"There were three attempts, each resulting in death. The skull is emblematic of death."

"Will you tell us why you tried to avoid Clifford, and were startled at the sight of the skulls?" asked John.

"If, as you say, you have found the copper box, I have no further reason to remain silent. I found one of the skulls,—the others I could not find, one of which I knew must be in the treasure cave. If I had known you found the one in the cave I should not have tried to get away, as I hoped, finally, to find the cave. Since coming here I learned that you had found the third island; I knew of only two, and supposed that the two skulls were from those two, namely, Wonder and Venture Islands."

"But who placed the skulls there?" queried Harry.

"Ah! No one knows that. The Spaniard Guiterez offers no explanation. All the so-called treasure charts have been made from the accounts which he gave, of the vast amount of gold and silver which is hidden in these natural caches. The place where the copper box was deposited is the grandp. 233 mausoleum. Only those who know the secret could ever reach the vault. All others would perish."

"The carbonic gas!" exclaimed George.

Walter turned to George, as he said this, but did not comprehend what he meant. It was now evident that Walter had tried to conceal his identity, and thereby hide the secret which would enable him alone to find the vast wealth.

"So the letter which we found concealed in the seat of our boat, was written by one of your companions?" asked Harry.

"Yes."

"This clears up the mysterious things which we have tried to fathom for over two years," said John. "The meaning of the letters is now clear."

"From the time we landed on the island," rejoined the Professor, "we found evidences of white people that we could not follow up, and it is now plain that they were in search for the treasure, so we can now comprehend what the notes meant."

There is but little more to add to the chapter pertaining to the experiences of the boys on the islands. Perhaps, at some time in the future, their work on the new islands will be told. What John and the boys found in the Copper box, the historical sketches and the locations of the treasure islands which were pointed out on the parchments found in the compartment below the skull, were amazing revelations of the days of piratical adventures, when the southern half of the world was one vast carnival of crime, in which gold was the only booty and to obtain which the means were always considered to be justified by the end.

p. 234

Our young friends, during their experiences in southern waters, did their part in bringing to the uneducated savages the blessings of civilization and the great boon of peace. To themselves they brought a store of hard-earned knowledge and a memory of things well done that will last them to the end of their days.

THE END