“Sure, read it,” Tom answered.  “Read it aloud and we’ll all hear.”

“What’s this?” gasped Harry.  “Listen, you fellows!  Here’s the secret of the whole thing!  Hear this!”

“Well, read it,” impatiently cried Arnold.  “I’m dying to hear.”

“Get the Fortuna and crew!” read Harry.  “They know about the Spanish Chest.  They’re after it.  Sink them if you have to.”

As he finished reading he glanced at each of his chums in amazement.  Their faces were pictures of dismay and amazement.

“What does that mean?” Arnold cried in tones of wonder.  “What does it mean when it says, ‘Get the Fortuna and crew?’”

“The last part explains that,” answered Jack.  “It means that some one or more people are after us and will sink the Fortuna if they have to in order to ‘get’ us.  It listens like desperate characters were following us all right.  We must remember our motto, boys, and ‘Be Prepared.’  We know they’re after us.”

“Yes, ‘Be Prepared’ for what?” questioned Tom.  “Who’re after us and why?  What does that mean about the Spanish Chest?”

“I see it’s time to let you fellows in on the whole thing,” declared Jack.  “I had hoped it would not be necessary to say anything for a long while yet for the moon isn’t full until nearly a week from now, but this has precipitated matters.  Now, listen!

“You all know Lawyer Geyer of Chicago.  His offices are in the Masonic Temple.  He and my father are very close friends—­in fact they were schoolmates.  Lawyer Geyer offered me a commission for him and fitted out this vessel and is paying our expenses.  He also offered us half the reward if we were successful.”

“What reward?” interrupted Arnold.  “Why don’t you hurry?”

“Keep still, rattle-head!” admonished Tom.  “He’s hurrying.”

“Well,” continued Jack, “it is said that years and years ago the Spaniards had a fortress built on what is known as Biloxi Bay.  It seems they wanted to fortify this section of country and built a fine place there.  As time went on and the country became settled, this fort was quite a refuge for settlers in times of trouble.  It is said that once a commander of the fort was wicked enough to turn against his own people and that he incited the Indians to rise against the settlers.  After they had taken refuge in the fort he got them to put all their gold and jewelry into his strong box which was a stout oak chest, and then he planned to get away with it.”

“The piker!” cried Tom.  “I think he should have been shot.”

“He was,” continued Jack, “or so the story goes.  Some say he was shot by his own people who discovered his treachery and some say he fell defending the fort and incidentally the gold against an attack by Indians.  But whichever way it happened, report says that the gold was buried in the fort by the survivors and has never been unearthed since.  Many people have tried to get it, but it is reported that a curse hangs over this wealth and that no human being will be permitted to recover it, unless related to the officer.”