They were caught on some
projections which had prevented them from being washed out.
"Maybe they looted the whole safe," suggested Tom. "We'd better
have a look."
He tried to pull out one of the many boxes set in tiers in the
safe, but it was beyond his strength.
"Me do!" murmured Koku.
It was easy for the giant to pry out one of the boxes with his
iron bar, and with another blow from his bar he opened the cover.
"Gold!" cried Ned, as he saw a gleam of yellow showing in the
glow from his torch. "There's the gold!"
There was a table in the purser's cabin, made fast to the floor
so it had not floated away. At a sign from Tom, the giant turned
the box bottom side up on this table.
And then a murmur of wonder came from all who saw the result.
For aside from the top layer of gold pieces, the box was filled
with iron disks cut to the size of twenty-dollar gold pieces. In
an instant it was borne to all what this meant.
"A fake!" exclaimed Tom Swift. "If all the boxes are like this
there isn't enough gold on the treasure ship to pay the expenses
of this trip! Somebody has been fooled! Open another box, Koku!"
CHAPTER XXV
THE STEEL BOX
Perhaps the least of all affected by what had taken place was
the giant.
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