Greg Holmes suggested.

"That doesn't sound quite reasonable," Dick replied slowly. "Neither
Dodge nor Bayliss amount to much, and both fellows are pretty
mean; but do you imagine they would dare do anything that might
come very close to murder? I don't."

"Oh, well, open the box, then," Dave agreed. "Whatever may be
in it of a dangerous nature, I'll stand by and take my share of it."

"A few minutes won't make any difference," said Dick, rising and
dropping hammer and chisel. "We'll wait until the rest of the
fellows come in, and then we'll hold a pow-wow and vote on what's
to be done."

"Tom! Oh, Tom! Fellows! Hoo-hoo!" roared Greg, making a megaphone
of his hands.

"Wha-at's wa-anted?" came Reade's hail, still from a distance.

"Hurry up!" yelled Greg. "Hustle. Big doings here!"

"Have you found a boat?" came Tom's query.

"No! But---hustle! Run!"

Greg was alive with curiosity. He could not wait. If the box
were to be opened only after a pow-wow, then the sooner the council
were held the sooner the mystery of the box's contents would be
solved.