“Surest thing! One time old Caleb Roundtree owned pretty nigh the whole side of the river up that way, but he’d sold off a lot of it himself before he died. She owned a good patch for a while, though, several hundred acres, I guess. But she hain’t got nothin’ but what lies right around the house, now.”
“Didn’t you ever hear what happened to the brother?” demanded Doris.
“Never a thing. He dropped out of life here as neatly and completely as if he’d suddenly been dropped into the sea. And by the time I’d got back from my voyage the nine-days’ wonder about it all was over, and I never could find out any more on the subject. Never was particularly interested to, either. Miss Camilla hain’t nothin’ to me. She’s always kept to herself and so most folks have almost forgotten who she is.”
As the Captain had evidently reached the end of his information on the subject, Doris rose to take her leave and Sally followed her eagerly.
“Well, did you find out what you wanted?” she cried, as soon as they were once more out on the river in old “45.”
“I found out enough,” answered Doris very seriously, “to make me feel pretty sure I’m right. Of course, I can only guess at lots of it, but one thing I’m certain of: that cave had nothing to do with smugglers or pirates—or anything of that sort!”
Sally dropped her oars with a smothered cry of utmost disappointment.
“I can’t believe it!” she cried. “I just can’t. I’ve counted on it so long—finding treasure or something like that, I mean. I just can’t believe it isn’t so.”
“It may be something far more interesting,” Doris replied soothingly. “But there’s just one trouble about it. If it’s what I think it is, and concerns Miss Camilla, I’ve begun to feel that we haven’t any business meddling with it now. We oughtn’t even to go into it.”
Sally uttered a moan of absolute despair. “I thought it would be that way,” she muttered, half to herself, “if I shared the secret. I knew they’d take it away from me!” She shipped her oars and buried her face in her hands. After a moment she raised her head defiantly. “Why, I don’t even know why you say so. You haven’t told me yet a single thing of what it’s all about. Why should I stay away from that place?”