“That’s it!” cried Kenneth. “I’m almost sure they did. I remember once seeing an old picture of men fighting with bows and arrows, and they were not Indians. They must have been pirates. Hurrah! I guess we are near the treasure now!”
They dug down with new energy, tossing up the shell-earth like beavers. Presently Charlie stooped. “I’ve found something too,” he said; “but I don’t know what it is.” It was a curious round stone, hollow and smooth in the middle.
In a few minutes Tom stooped also. “Here’s something else,” he said, pulling out a very long, three-sided stone roughly sharpened on one edge. “What do you suppose this is?”
“Maybe it is an anchor,” suggested Kenneth. But it did not look much like an anchor. They worked for another ten minutes, then they stopped, for nothing else came to light.
“I don’t think these are much,” said Charlie, kicking the stone things with his foot. “I don’t believe there is anything else here. These old shells go down and down,—to China, I guess. The pirates couldn’t have eaten so many clams, you know. Let’s give it up.”
“Yes, let’s,” agreed Kenneth, tossing away his spade and sitting down to rest. “I’m tired and I’m not going to dig any more.”
“Oh, come! Don’t give up so soon!” begged Tom. “I’m going to work awhile longer.”
Charlie looked at his watch. “It is noon already,” he said. “I’m hungry, and Aunt Mollie doesn’t like us to be late for dinner. Let’s go home. There isn’t anything here but old stone things, and they are no good.”
TOM, CHARLIE, AND KENNETH DIG FOR THE TREASURE