But with his calm doggedness Cuthbert began again—­“I was a bit afraid the old place would have seemed too quiet and dull to you—­” when the day was saved and my interruption strangely justified by a shrill outcry from the camp.

I knew that high falsetto tone.  It was the voice of Mr. Tubbs, but pitched in a key of quite insane excitement.  I sprang up and ran, Crusoe and the Honorable Cuthbert at my heels.  There in the midst of the camp Mr. Tubbs stood, the center of a group who were regarding him with astonished looks.  Mr. Shaw and the captain had left their tinkering, Cookie his saucepans, and Aunt Jane and Violet had come hurrying from the hut.  Among us all stood Mr. Tubbs with folded arms, looking round upon the company with an extraordinary air of complacency and triumph.

“What is it, oh, what is it, Mr. Tubbs?” cried Aunt Jane, fluttering with the consciousness of her proprietorship.

But Mr. Tubbs glanced at her as indifferently as a sated turkey-buzzard at a morsel which has ceased to tempt him.

“Mr. Tubbs,” commanded Violet, “speak—­explain yourself!”

“Come, out with it, Tubbs,” advised Mr. Shaw.

Then the lips of Mr. Tubbs parted, and from them issued this solitary word: 

“Eureka!”

“What?” screamed Miss Higglesby-Browne. “You have found it?”

Solemnly Mr. Tubbs inclined his head.

“Eureka!” he repeated.  “I have found it!”

Amidst the exclamations, the questions, the general commotion which ensued, I had room for only one thought—­that Mr. Tubbs had somehow discovered the treasure in the cabin of the Island Queen.  Indeed, I should have shrieked the words aloud, but for a providential dumbness that fell upon me.  Meanwhile Mr. Tubbs had unfolded his arms from their Napoleonic posture on his bosom long enough to wave his hand for silence.

“Friends,” he began, “it has been known from the start that there was a landmark on this little old island that would give any party discovering the same a line on that chest of money right away.  There’s been some that was too high up in the exploring business to waste time looking for landmarks.  They had ruther do more fancy stunts, where what with surf, and sharks, and bangin’ up the boat, they could make a good show of gettin’ busy.  But old Ham Tubbs, he don’t let on to be a hero.  Jest a plain man o’ business—­that’s old H. H. Consequence is, he leaves the other fellers have the brass band, while he sets out on the q. t. to run a certain little clue to earth.  And, ladies and gentlemen, he’s run it!”

“You have found—­you have found the treasure!” shrilled Aunt Jane.

Contrary to his bland custom, Mr. Tubbs frowned at her darkly.

“I said I found the clue,” he corrected.  “Of course, it’s the same thing.  Ladies and gentlemen, not to appear to be a hot-air artist, I will tell you in a word, that I have located the tombstone of one William Halliwell, deceased!”