They walked a few blocks more in silence, then he said:
“I think _Dan_ ought to be an honary member.”
It was Georgina’s turn to ask why.
“Aw, you know why! Taking the blame on himself the way he did and everything.”
“But he made just as bad times for Uncle Darcy and Aunt Elspeth as he made good times for Mr. Potter and Emmett. I don’t think he has any right to belong at all.”
They argued the question hotly for a few minutes, coming nearer to a quarrel than they had ever been before, and only dropping it as they crossed to a side street which led into the dunes.
“Let’s turn here and go home this way,” suggested Richard. “Let’s go look at the place where we buried the pouch and see if the sand has shifted any.”
Nothing was changed, however, except that the holes they had dug were filled to the level now, and the sand stretched an unbroken surface as before the day of their digging.
“Cousin James says that if ever the gold comes to the top we can have it, because he paid the woman. But if it ever does I won’t be here to see it. I’ve got to go home in eight more days.”
He stood kicking his toes into the sand as he added dolefully, “Here it is the end of the summer and we’ve only played at being pirates. We’ve never gone after the real stuff in dead earnest, one single time.”