_Bart and Pat take a Walk.--A Conversation.--Pat makes a Suggestion.--Bart adopts it.--A Tunnel to the Treasure of the Sea.--A Plot kepi secret from the others.--Plans for Aspotogon.--Keeping their own Council.--Bart and Pat set forth.--Stealing a Boat.--The Search for the Treasure Island.--The Intelligent Native.--A new Way of getting at the Treasure.--Blood and Thunder!--Once more on the Way.--The Pirates’ Isle!_ THE landlord’s story had produced a very profound impression upon the minds of the boys, and the reiterated emphasis which he placed upon the treasure supposed to be buried there did not fail to kindle their imaginations to a wonderful degree. But together with this excitement, and astonishment at the magnitude of the supposed treasure, there were also other feelings, which latter tended to repel them as much as the former tended to attract them. These feelings consisted of discouragement and disappointment, at learning the insuportable difficulties that lay in in the way, and at hearing the story of repeated failures. Efforts had been made, as they now know, far greater than any which were possible to their feeble arms; and in every case the money diggers, whether digging in person or by deputy, had failed utterly and miserably, each one only learning of some new difficulty which necessitated still more arduous toils. As the landlord strolled off, Bart and Pat moved away also up the hill towards the back part of the town; and here they sat on a secluded grassy slope, looking down into the back bay, whose blue waters lay at their feet. “Sure an it’s a great thing entirely, so it is,” said Pat, “an that’s all about it.” “I hadn’t any idea,” said Bart, “that people knew so much about it I didn’t imagine that any body had tried to dig there.” “Sure an it’s natural enough for them to do that same, if they thought there was money in it.” “Of course it was, an that’s the very thing we haven’t been taking into account.” “Faith, an that same’s true for you, thin; niver a bit did we take it into account. Haven’t we been making a wonderful secret of it, when all the wurruld knows it like A, B, C.” “Yes, and what’s worse, at this very moment they are sending out agents in all directions, all over the province, I dare say, to try to get people to take stock in the new mining company. Why, every body must know all about Oak Inland. I don’t see how we never heard of it before.” “Deed, thin, an I think they must have kept it all to thimselves here in Cheater, so I do, or else we’d have heard some talk about it at school, so we would; an if there’s any talk about it now through the country, it’s something new entirely, so it is, and is the doin of this new company, sure.” “I don’t see what we can do,” said Bart, in a dejected tone; “we can’t do a single thing.” “Sure, thin,” said Pat, “but it’s meself that’s boon thinkin different; an I don’t know now but what the chances for us are better thin they were before.”