But when Masterson begged them to get them out of their predicament and take them back to Yuma, Jack felt that it was time to put them through a cross examination.

“You followed us here to try to cut out some ground from under our feet, Masterson,” he said, “and you know you told me in Nestorville you wanted to get even with me.”

“Don’t rub it in, Chadwick,” said the humbled Masterson.  “I’ll do anything you say if you’ll only get us out of this terrible place.  I can hardly walk, and my hands feel as if they’d been burned in a fire.”

“How did you know our destination?” asked Tom.  Masterson made a full confession and at the end begged forgiveness.

“This ought to be a good lesson to you to mind your own affairs,” said Jack as he concluded.

“I know a man who made a big fortune just minding his business,” said Dick.  “For my part,” he went on, “I’ll forgive you, but I want you to sign a paper promising not to publish anything about this expedition.”

“I will—­oh, I will,” said Masterson.  And then he wrote as Dick dictated.  The boys witnessed and signed the paper.

“And now you’d better eat breakfast,” said Jack.

Three days later, the Wondership made two trips to Yuma.  On the first she took the original party with the addition of the insane Foxy, who was placed in an asylum.  He never recovered his reason but died in the institution.  Also, there was carried a part of the leaden carboys which they had filled.

Masterson and his cronies had been left behind on the island to pack up the camping equipment and thus make themselves useful.  Zeb went to the U.S.  Assay Office and formally filed their claim to the island and its riches.  In the meantime, the professor took charge of Foxy and turned him over to the authorities.

As for the boys, they sailed back to Rattlesnake Island, after sending a telegram to Mr. Chadwick.  It was brief.

“We win,” was all it said.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

THE HOMECOMING.

The next day Masterson and his companions, very much subdued, boarded the Wondership as passengers.  All of them were still suffering painfully from the effects of the burns, their only reward from their ill-advised raid on the black barren.

“Boys,” asked Masterson, “can’t you take our camping equipment along?  It’s a shame to have it rot here.”

“All right,” said Jack.  “I think we may be able to sell it for you.  Come on, we’ll get to work now!”

“You’re not such a bad chap,” said Eph when he heard Jack agree to Masterson’s suggestion.

“He’s the finest chap on earth!” exclaimed Tom.

“That he is,” added Dick Donovan.

“He is a model young man,” declared Professor Jenks, overhearing Tom’s last remark.

Jack flushed with pleasure and embarrassment.  It was very gratifying to know that his friends thought highly of him, but at the same time he wished they would not give him that uneasy feeling with their sincere compliments.  So he hurried away, asking the others to follow him toward getting together Masterson’s outfit.