CHAPTER XXXVIII—THE ONLY WAY
The next afternoon we got to Indianapolis and Harry treated us all to sodas. Then we bought a map that showed the Ohio River. We made a camp about ten miles east of Indianapolis and had a dandy camp-fire. While we were there we studied the map and, good night, there was Snake Creek as plain as day running into it from the north. It ran into it about fifteen miles north of Wheeling.
Harry said, “That’s enough for us; the treasure is ours.”
Pee-wee said, “I’m sorry now we didn’t get some more sodas as long as we’re going to be rich.”
Harry said, “Never mind, we’ll have sodas and ice cream and things in every town between here and Wheeling; I’ll advance the money. What are a few dollars against maybe several millions?”
Pee-wee said, “Sure, and we can afford some jaw-breakers, too.”
“All you want,” Harry said.
“Won’t it spoil our appetites for the pie?” Brent wanted to know. But just the same he was interested.
Now there’s no use telling you about our journey from Indianapolis to Wheeling—that’s about eight or nine hundred miles, roughly speaking; only scouts don’t speak roughly. They have to be polite. On that journey we passed through Springfield and Columbus and a lot of other big places, and all the people stared at us. Every night we camped in the country, because we didn’t like staying in cities.
Gee, I thought we’d never get to Wheeling but after a few days we got there, and then we put our machines up to get all greased and have some repairs made. I don’t mean us, I mean the machines.
Then we hired a big launch and started up the Ohio River. About ten miles up, Snake Creek flows into it. It flows in through the north shore. Up Snake Creek about ten miles is Skeleton Cove, I bet you’re getting awful anxious, hey?
Harry said, “Boys, the fun isn’t in getting money; the fun is in finding treasure. Why wouldn’t it be a good idea to send a couple of thousand, say, to those little fellows back at Grumpy’s Cross-roads?”
“Let’s give five thousand to the Boy Scout drive,” I said.
Brent said, “All I want for myself is the pie; I’m hungry.”
Now when we got to Skeleton Cove we saw it was all shady and spooky, like. The water was black and the place was dark just like a cave. It was awful still in there. I bet you’re crazy to know what comes next, hey?
Over against the shore was the wreck of an old motor-boat; I guess it got smashed by the rocks there. We chugged over to where it was and Tom Slade climbed out and stepped across it.
Harry said, “What do you think it means, Tommy boy?”
Tom was kneeling on the old deck and looking over the edge. All of a sudden he said, “Now I know; I was a fool not to think of it before. The name of this boat is the Treasure.”
Harry said, “What?”
I said, “What?”
Will Dawson shouted, “On the level?”
“On the bow,” Tom said.
Pee-wee piped up, “What do you mean?”
Brent said, “Dear me; foiled again.”
Tom said, “Now I know what it means. The boys from the Geological Survey were here. All that had me guessing was the word treasure. A pie is a topographic mark; it shows where government land ends. Cons means contours. They staked their measurings. They were just measuring this cove and the creek so as to make government maps. T.W. means tide water.”
Harry said, awful funny like, “If it wouldn’t be asking too much, will you please tell me what it means where it says, ‘Treasure at HW limit indicated at AN stake.’ Can you answer that?”
Tom said in that sober way of his, “I think it means something about this boat, the Treasure being at high water limit as indicated at anchorage stake. I can’t tell just exactly what that memorandum means, because I never worked in the survey, but I guess the survey boys weren’t doing any harm out at Deacon Snookbeck’s. They were probably lining up the contours on his farm. Anyway, all they were doing here was taking the contours and the water lines for the government maps. The only thing that puzzled me was the word treasure.”
“And there is no pie here?” Brent said.
“A pie is a government mark,” Tom said; “it means the government owns the land to that point—where the pie is. See?”
Oh, boy, Harry didn’t say a word. None of the rest of us said a word—only Brent.
He said, “Then I have been deceived by a scarecrow! This ends my quest of adventure; I am through. I am going home and to the only refuge where real adventure can be found—the movies. I am through with the boy scouts. Perhaps with William S. Hart or Douglas Fairbanks I can find the life I crave. There I can find cliffs to jump off, roofs to leap from, people to kill who are worthy of being killed—not scarecrows——”
“And floods to get caught in!” Pee-wee yelled.
Brent said, “Yes, and jails to escape from——”
“And ships to get wrecked in!” the kid shouted.
“I know all about the movies I’ll go with you! I’ll go with you——”
Gee whiz, but that kid is a scream.
THE END
This Isn’t All!
Would you like to know what became of the good friends you have made in this book?
Would you like to read other stories continuing their adventures and experiences, or other books quite as entertaining by the same author?
On the reverse side of the wrapper which comes with this book, you will find a wonderful list of stones which you can buy at the same store where you got this book.
Don’t throw away the Wrapper
Use it as a handy analog of the books you want some day to have. But in case you do mislay it, write to the Publishers for a complete catalog.
THE ROY BLAKELEY BOOKS
By PERCY KEESE FITZHUGH
Author of “Tom Slade,” “Pee-wee Harris,”
“Westy Martin,” Etc.
Illustrated. Picture Wrappers in Color.
Every Volume Complete in Itself.
In the character and adventures of Roy Blakeley are typified the very essence of Boy life. He is a real boy, as real as Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer. He is the moving spirit of the troop of Scouts of which he is a member, and the average boy has to go only a little way in the first book before Roy is the best friend he ever had, and he is willing to part with his best treasure to get the next book in the series.
ROY BLAKELEY
ROY BLAKELEY’S ADVENTURES IN CAMP
ROY BLAKELEY, PATHFINDER
ROY BLAKELEY’S CAMP ON WHEELS
ROY BLAKELEY’S SILVER FOX PATROL
ROY BLAKELEY’S MOTOR CARAVAN
ROY BLAKELEY, LOST, STRAYED OR STOLEN
ROY BLAKELEY’S BEE-LINE HIKE
ROY BLAKELEY AT THE HAUNTED CAMP
ROY BLAKELEY’S FUNNY BONE HIKE
ROY BLAKELEY’S TANGLED TRAIL
ROY BLAKELEY ON THE MOHAWK TRAIL
ROY BLAKELEY’S ELASTIC HIKE
ROY BLAKELEY’S ROUNDABOUT HIKE
GROSSET & DUNLAP, Publishers, NEW YORK
THE PEE-WEE HARRIS BOOKS
By PERCY KEESE FITZHUGH
Author of “Tom Slade,” “Roy Blakeley,”
“Westy Martin,” Etc.
Illustrated. Individual Wrappers in Color.
Every Volume Complete in Itself.
All readers of the Tom Slade and the Roy Blakeley books are acquainted with Pee-wee Harris. These stories record the true facts concerning his size (what there is of it) and his heroism (such as it is), his voice, his clothes, his appetite, his friends, his enemies, his victims. Together with the thrilling narrative of how he foiled, baffled, circumvented and triumphed over everything and everybody (except where he failed) and how even when he failed he succeeded. The whole recorded in a series of screams and told with neither muffler nor cut-out.
PEE-WEE HARRIS
PEE-WEE HARRIS ON THE TRAIL.
PEE-WEE HARRIS IN CAMP
PEE-WEE HARRIS IN LUCK
PEE-WEE HARRIS ADRIFT
PEE-WEE HARRIS F. O. B. BRIDGEBORO
PEE-WEE HARRIS FIXER
PEE-WEE HARRIS: AS GOOD AS HIS WORD
PEE-WEE HARRIS: MAYOR FOR A DAY
PEE-WEE HARRIS AND THE SUNKEN TREASURE
GROSSET & DUNLAP, Publishers, NEW YORK
GARRY GRAYSON FOOTBALL STORIES
By ELMER A. DAWSON
Individual Colored Wrapper and Illustration by
WALTER S. ROGERS
Every Volume Complete in Itself
Football followers all over the country will hail with delight this new and thoroughly up-to-date line of gridiron tales.
Garry Grayson is a football fan, first, last, and all the time. But more than that, he is a wideawake American boy with a “gang” of chums almost as wideawake as himself.
How Garry organized the first football eleven his grammar school had, how he later played on the High School team, and what he did on the Prep School gridiron and elsewhere, is told in a manner to please all readers and especially those interested in watching a rapid forward pass, a plucky tackle, or a hot run for a touchdown.
Good, clean football at its best—and in addition, rattling stories of mystery and schoolboy rivalries.
GARRY GRAYSON’S HILL STREET ELEVEN;
or, The Football Boys of Lenox.
GARRY GRAYSON AT LENOX HIGH;
or, The Champions of the Football League.
GARRY GRAYSON’S FOOTBALL RIVALS;
or, The Secret of the Stolen Signals.
GARRY GRAYSON SHOWING HIS SPEED;
or, A Daring Run on the Gridiron.
GARRY GRAYSON AT STANLEY PREP;
or, The Football Rivals of Riverview.
GROSSET & DUNLAP, Publishers, NEW YORK
THE TOM SLADE BOOKS
By PERCY KEESE FITZHUGH
Author of “Roy Blakeley,” “Pee-wee Harris,”
“Westy Martin,” Etc.
Illustrated. Individual Picture Wrappers in Color.
Every Volume Complete in Itself.
“Let your boy grow up with Tom Slade,” is a suggestion which thousands of parents have followed during the past, with the result that the TOM SLADE BOOKS are the most popular boys’ books published today. They take Tom Slade through a series of typical boy adventures through his tenderfoot days as a scout, through his gallant days as an American doughboy in France, back to his old patrol and the old camp ground at Black Lake, and so on.
TOM SLADE, BOY SCOUT
TOM SLADE AT TEMPLE CAMP
TOM SLADE ON THE RIVER
TOM SLADE WITH THE COLORS
TOM SLADE ON A TRANSPORT
TOM SLADE WITH THE BOYS OVER THERE
TOM SLADE, MOTORCYCLE DISPATCH BEARER
TOM SLADE WITH THE FLYING CORPS
TOM SLADE AT BLACK LAKE
TOM SLADE ON MYSTERY TRAIL
TOM BLADE’S DOUBLE DARE
TOM SLADE ON OVERLOOK MOUNTAIN
TOM SLADE PICKS A WINNER
TOM SLADE AT BEAR MOUNTAIN
TOM SLADE: FOREST RANGER
TOM SLADE IN THE NORTH WOODS
GROSSET & DUNLAP, Publishers, NEW YORK
Jerry Todd and Poppy Ott Series
BY LEO EDWARDS
Durably Bound. Illustrated. Individual Colored Wrappers.
Every Volume Complete in Itself.
Hundreds of thousands of boys who laughed until their sides ached over the weird and wonderful adventures of Jerry Todd and his gang demanded that Leo Edwards, the author, give them more books like the Jerry Todd stories with their belt-bursting laughs and creepy shivers. So he took Poppy Ott, Jerry Todd’s bosom chum and created the Poppy Ott Series, and if such a thing could be possible—they arc even more full of fun and excitement than the Jerry Todds.
THE POPPY OTT SERIES
POPPY OTT AND THE STUTTERING PARROT
POPPY OTT AND THE SEVEN LEAGUE STILTS
POPPY OTT AND THE GALLOPING SNAIL
POPPY OTT’S PEDIGREED PICKLES
THE JERRY TODD BOOKS
JERRY TODD AND THE WHISPERING MUMMY
JERRY TODD AND THE ROSE-COLORED CAT
JERRY TODD AND THE OAK ISLAND TREASURE
JERRY TODD AND THE WALTZING HEN
JERRY TODD AND THE TALKING FROG
JERRY TODD AND THE PURRING EGG
JERRY TODD IN THE WHISPERING CAVE
GROSSET & DUNLAP, Publishers, NEW YORK
Football and Baseball Stories
Durably Bound. Illustrated. Individual Colored Wrappers.
Every Volume Complete in Itself.
THE RALPH HENRY BARBOUR BOOKS FOR BOYS
In these up-to-the-minute, spirited genuine stories of boy life there is something which will appeal to every boy with love of manliness, cleanness and sportsmanship in his heart.
LEFT END EDWARDS
LEFT TACKER THAYER
LEFT GUARD GILBERT
CENTER RUSH ROWLAND
FULLBACK FOSTER
LEFT HALF HARMON
RIGHT END EMERSON
RIGHT GUARD GRANT
QUARTERBACK BATES
RIGHT TACKLE TODD
RIGHT HALF ROLLINS
THE CHRISTY MATHEWSON BOOKS FOR BOYS
Every boy wants to know how to play ball in the fairest and squarest way. These books about boys and baseball are full of wholesome and manly interest and information.
PITCHER POLLOCK
CATCHER CRAIG
FIRST BASE FAULKNER
SECOND BASE SLOAN
PITCHING IN A PINCH
THIRD BASE THATCHER, By Everett Scott
GROSSET & DUNLAP, Publishers, NEW YORK
THE FLYAWAYS STORIES
By ALICE DALE HARDY
Author of The Riddle Club Books
Individual Colored Jackets and Colored Illustrations by
WALTER S. ROGERS
A splendid new line of interesting tales for the little ones, introducing many of the well known characters of fairyland in a series of novel adventures. The Flyaways are a happy family and every little girl and boy will want to know all about them.
THE FLYAWAYS AND CINDERELLA
How the Flyaways went to visit Cinderella only to find that Cinderella’s Prince had been carried off by the Three Robbers, Rumbo, Hibo and Jobo. “I’ll rescue him!” cried Pa Flyaway and then set out for the stronghold of the robbers. A splendid continuation of the original story of Cinderella.
THE FLYAWAYS AND LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD
On their way to visit Lillte Red Riding Hood the Flyaways fell in with Tommy Tucker and The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe. They told Tommy about the Magic Button on Red Riding Hood’s cloak. How the wicked Wolf stole the Magic Button and how the wolves plotted to eat up Little Red Riding Hood and all her family, and how the Flyaways and King Cole lent the wolves flying, makes a story no children will want to miss.
THE FLYAWAYS AND GOLDILOCKS
The Flyaways wanted to see not only Goldilocks but also the Three Bears and then took a remarkable journey through the air to do so. Tommy even rode on a Rocket and met the monstrous Blue Frog. When they arrived at Goldilock’s house they found that the Three Bears had been there before them and mussed everything up, mich to Goldilock’s despair. “We must drive those bears out of the country!” said Pa Flyaway. Then they journeyed underground to the Yellow Palace, and oh! so many things happened after that!
GROSSET & DUNLAP, Publishers, NEW YORK
THE TOM SWIFT SERIES
By VICTOR APPLETON
Uniform Style of Binding. Individual Colored Wrappers.
Every Volume Complete in Itself
Every boy possesses some form of inventive genius. Tom Swift is a bright, ingenious boy and his inventions and adventures make the most interesting kind of reading.
TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR CYCLE
TOM SWIFT AND HIS MOTOR BOAT
TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIRSHIP
TOM SWIFT AND HIS SUBMARINE BOAT
TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RUNABOUT
TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIRELESS MESSAGE
TOM SWIFT AMONG THE DIAMOND MAKERS
TOM SWIFT IN THE CAVES OF ICE
TOM SWIFT AND HIS SKY RACER
TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC RIFLE
TOM SWIFT IN THE CITY OF GOLD
TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR GLIDER
TOM SWIFT IN CAPTIVITY
TOM SWIFT AND HIS WIZARD CAMERA
TOM SWIFT AND HIS GREAT SEARCHLIGHT
TOM SWIFT AND HIS GIANT CANNON
TOM SWIFT AND HIS PHOTO TELEPHONE
TOM SWIFT AND HIS AERIAL WARSHIP
TOM SWIFT AND HIS BIG TUNNEL
TOM SWIFT IN THE LAND OF WONDERS
TOM SWIFT AND HIS WAR TANK
TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIR SCOUT
TOM SWIFT AND HIS UNDERSEA SEARCH
TOM SWIFT AMONG THE FIRE FIGHTERS
TOM SWIFT AND HIS ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE
TOM SWIFT AND HIS FLYING BOAT
TOM SWIFT AND HIS GREAT OIL GUSHER
TOM SWIFT AND HIS CHEST OF SECRETS
TOM SWIFT AND HIS AIRLINE EXPRESS
GROSSET & DUNLAP, Publishers, NEW YORK
THE DON STURDY SERIES
By VICTOR APPLETON
Individual Colored Wrappers and Text Illustrations by
WALTER S. ROGERS
Every Volume Complete in Itself
In company with his uncles, one a mighty hunter and the other a noted scientist, Don Sturdy travels far and wide, gaining much useful knowledge and meeting many thrilling adventures.
DON STURDY ON THE DESERT OF MYSTERY
An engrossing tale of the Sahara Desert, of encounters with wild animals and crafty Arabs.
DON STURDY WITH THE BIG SNAKE HUNTERS
Don’s uncle, the hunter, took an order for some of the biggest snakes to be found in South America—to be delivered alive!
DON STURDY IN THE TOMBS OF GOLD
A fascinating tale of exploration and adventure in the Valley of Kings in Egypt.
DON STURDY ACROSS THE NORTH POLE
A great polar blizzard nearly wrecks the airship of the explorers.
DON STURDY IN THE LAND OF VOLCANOES
An absorbing tale of adventures among the volcanoes of Alaska.
DON STURDY IN THE PORT OF LOST SHIPS
This story is just full of exciting and fearful experiences on the sea.
DON STURDY AMONG THE GORILLAS
A thrilling story of adventure in darkest Africa. Don is carried over a mighty waterfall into the heart of gorilla land.
GROSSET & DUNLAP, Publishers, NEW YORK
THE RADIO BOYS SERIES
By ALLEN CHAPMAN
Author of the “Railroad Series,” Etc.
Individual Colored Wrappers. Illustrated.
Every Volume Complete in Itself
A new series for boys giving full details of radio work, both in sending and receiving—telling how small and large amateur sets can be made and operated, and how some boys got a lot of fun and adventure out of what they did. Each volume from first to last is so thoroughly fascinating, so strictly up-to-date and accurate, we feel sure all lads will peruse them with great delight.
Each volume has a Foreword by Jack Binns, the well-known radio expert.
THE RADIO BOYS’ FIRST WIRELESS
THE RADIO BOYS AT OCEAN POINT
THE RADIO BOYS AT THE SENDING STATION
THE RADIO BOYS AT MOUNTAIN PASS
THE RADIO BOYS TRAILING A VOICE
THE RADIO BOYS WITH THE FOREST RANGERS
THE RADIO BOYS WITH THE ICEBERG PATROL
THE RADIO BOYS WITH THE FLOOD FIGHTERS
THE RADIO BOYS ON SIGNAL ISLAND
THE RADIO BOYS IN GOLD VALLEY
GROSSET & DUNLAP, Publishers, NEW YORK