“Then I guess it’s a good thing you looked,” Bill told him. “Well, there might have been a hole there,” Gordon insisted. “Sure, but I told you there wasn’t, didn’t I?” “Believe you did say something to that effect.” “Well, now that it’s settled, suppose we continue,” Rogers suggested. They went on for perhaps a quarter of a mile without seeing anything which even suggested a cave in the rocks and finally Rogers gave it as his opinion that they’d better turn back. “We’ve got to hurry now if we don’t want to get our feet wet,” he declared. But they got back without having to run and Gordon grumbled over the fact that they would have to wait six hours before they could do any more exploring. “That’s the worst of a tide,” he told them. “Up in God’s country you don’t have to wait for them. The water always stays put and you know where it is any time of the day or night.” “Some people would grumble if they were going to be hanged,” Bill remarked. “Who wouldn’t,” Gordon retorted. “I suppose we could take the plane and fly along by the cliff and see what we could find,” Bill suggested as they reached camp. “Say, that wouldn’t be a bad idea,” Gordon declared. “It’ll kill time anyhow.” “I’m voting for it,” Rogers added. “All right, then. Wait a minute till I get a couple of cells,” Bill said as he pulled out the stone which hid the hiding place. He reached his hand in and a look first of amazement and then of incredulity spread over his face. “Say,” he called, “Isn’t this the place where we hid them?” “Of course it is,” Gordon told him. “Don’t tell me they aren’t there.” “I’ve got to,” Bill gasped turning about and facing them. “Nonsense. Of course they’re there,” Gordon cried. “Feel for yourself.” Gordon felt and was obliged to acknowledge that the cells were gone. “What do you know about that?” he cried as he straightened up. “Someone must have been watching us when we hid them,” Rogers told them. “See if there are any foot prints,” Bill ordered. But the sand of the bowl was too thoroughly covered with their own marks to yield anything and outside there were too many rocks. “See if any of the other stuff is gone,” Gordon suggested, and they all rushed to the place where they had cached their provisions. But nothing, so far as they could tell, had been disturbed and for a moment they stood and looked at each other speechless. “Can you beat it?” Gordon finally gasped. “Looks as though——” Bill began and then broke off sharp. “Wait a minute,” he cried as he started for the plane. They saw him jump into the cockpit and bend over the driver’s seat. For a moment he rummaged in the small compartment and then straightened up with a cry of triumph. “Oh, baby,” Gordon shouted as he saw that Bill was holding up two of the precious cells. “How’d they happen to be in there?”