But where did it come from ?" "It was like the flash of a bicycle gas lamp," said Tom.
"There are no bicycles on this trail," said Dick.
"I know that, too, Dick.

But it was like that kind of a lamp." Just then the flash of light reappeared, and now they saw it came from a point on the trail ahead of them.

They listened intently and heard somebody approaching.
"Several men are coming!" whispered Dick.
"Not from our yacht ?" said Tom.
"I don't think so." "Can they be from the _Josephine_ ?" asked Sam.
"That remains to be seen." "If they are from the _Josephine_ what shall we do ?" "I think the best thing we can do is to keep out of sight and watch them." "But they may locate the cave and take the treasure away," said Tom.
"We have got to run that risk unless we want to fight them." "Oh, if only we could get our crowd here to help us!" murmured Sam.
"We may be mistaken and they may be strangers to us.

Come, let us hide." Losing no time, the three Rover boys stepped into the bushes beside the trail.

As they did so the other party came closer, and the lads saw that they carried not only an acetylene gas lamp, but also a ship's lantern and several other things.