“Not yet, Mars Sam. Dey very bad mans, down dere. Dey kill you quick if dey find you.” “We’ve got the gold, Bry!” “I know. I see you in de wood; I follow your footprints all way home; I see you climbin’ up rock. Den I see de sand been dig up, so I knew you got gold.” “Did they suspect us at all, Bry?” “No, Mars Sam. Dey too busy tryin’ to kill each other. All want to have gold for himself, so all try to kill everyone else. Very bad mans, Mars Sam.” “They’re going to take you on the ship, and make you sail it,” said I. Bry laughed, silently. “I stay with them now, so they not find you,” he said. “But when right time come I steal away an’ come back to you. Did you fill sack with sand, Mars Sam?” glancing enquiringly at the stuffed trousers. “Yes.” “That good,” said Bry, approvingly. “They dig up one, when they come back, to see if all safe. Then they hide it again. Very good way to fool bad mans.” “But we can’t leave here until they go away,” I remarked. “No. Must be careful. Tomorrow they finish raft. Tomorrow night they go to ship. You stay here and hide till then. After de bad mans go, I come back to you, and we go to camp again.” “All right, Bry,” said I, as cheerfully as possible. Then the black bade us good-bye and returned to the cave to report to Daggett that no one was to be seen anywhere about. And now Nux and I, wearied by the adventures of the day, but buoyed by the hope that we might finally escape with the recovered gold, lay down upon the rocky eminence and, bathed by the moon’s silver rays, slept peacefully until morning. CHAPTER XIII. THE CATASTROPHE. I was awakened by the voices of the robbers, who were leaving the cave early in order to complete their raft by nightfall. It was evident that they had not suspected our intrusion into their retreat, or the fact that their stolen treasure had been taken from them. Indeed, they seemed in high spirits, especially Larkin and Judson, who were doubtless eager to carry out their nefarious plan of murdering their comrades as soon as the work on the raft was finished. Daggett might also harbor a conspiracy to secure the bulk of the treasure and probably all the members of the evil band were looking forward to this coming night to end their suspense and give them an advantage one over the other. “Honor among thieves” has often been quoted; but in this instance, as in many others that could be mentioned, the thieves were as lacking in honor as they were in honesty. From my elevated perch I watched them file along the ledge to the sands, and upon reaching the level set off toward the forest. Not till they were well out of sight did Nux or I venture to rise upright and stretch our limbs. The morning was warm and sultry. The sun gleamed hot in a cloudless sky and not a breath of air stirred the leaves of the three tall trees that stood at the edge of our towering rock.