Page:The Eight-Oared Victors.djvu/64

52 Frank. "When the boat struck on the rocks, and split, the things in the lockers may have floated one way or the other."

"If they didn't sink," put In Tom. "A box of jewelry would be pretty heavy."

"If it sank, so much the better," declared the Big Callfornlan. "Then it would lodge, and when the waters went down, as they did after the flood, it would still stay there. Scatter and hunt."

They took his advice, and for an hour or more searched. Then Tom, who was with Frank, on the eastern shore, sprang toward a clump of bushes in which was caught some driftwood.

"I've found something!" he cried. "It looks like the seat lockers of a motor-boat."

"It is," declared his chum, as he hurried to Tom's side. There, in the debris that had settled around the roots of the bush when the waters had subsided, was part of a boat locker. It was split and broken, but the cover was still on it. Eagerly Tom lifted it and, as he did so he uttered a cry of delight.

"Here it is!" he shouted. "The jeweler's box! It has his name on it!"

"Open it!" exclaimed Frank, as Sid and Phil came hurrying to join their two chums.

Tom lifted the cover.

"Empty!" he cried, blankly.