“That ground’s too hard for currant bushes,” he said to the astonished boy. “We won’t work any more to-day.”
However, Willie felt he had no cause for complaint, as Joseph gave him a whole day’s pay and Miss Katherine filled his pockets with cookies.
Brother and sister now held a consultation and decided that they must be up and doing. Miss Katherine believed that they were in imminent danger of having their treasure looted.
“I know boys,” she said, “they’re all eyes and ears. He saw what you found before you did and he’ll tell all the rest of the boys and they’ll come in the night and carry the whole thing away. I think we’d better not go out to that spot again to-day for you can depend upon it, he’s watching. He’ll forget about it by night and then we can go out with the lantern.”
Now, Willie Brown was like all other boys. After being dismissed by Mr. Boulby he sat down in the corner of a fence and thought. A light broke in upon him after a few moments of silent meditation.
“I’ll bet yuh anything!” he almost yelled, slapping his leg, “that’s it!”
True to the terrible oath he had sworn, he was off like a shot to rally the Faithful Band. It happened that he met Mr. Murphy before any of the Band.
“I thought you were helping Mr. Boulby,” said Mr. Murphy.
“So I was but—but—.” Willie’s pride in his secret and mystery was his downfall. From that moment he was an empty vessel in Mr. Murphy’s sight.
That night found the brother and sister plying their spades in the garden. Their lantern was burning dimly, but it gave sufficient light to show the boys all they wished to see.