REATHLESS with excitement, Dick crouched over the hole in the dirt floor, unwilling to make a move until the other fellows had joined him. That didn't take long.
Hen Dutcher was one of the first to get a glimpse at what had filled Prescott with so much excitement.
"Gracious! It must be Captain Kidd's treasure!" gasped Hen.
"Guess again," replied Tom Reade. "A pirate would be doing a poor business who didn't get a bigger lot of loot than that together."
"But this is a valuable lot of stuff," argued Harry Hazelton, as he took a look.
"I wonder who could have buried it here?" demanded Dan.
"I think I know," nodded Dick. "Now, then, stand back a little and I'll take the stuff out."
The first thing that Prescott drew out of the hole was a paper parcel. This he unwrapped, then gave a whoop of joy.
"The fan I bought mother for Christmas!" he almost shouted.
Something yellowish glinted and caught his eye down in the hole. Dick fished the object out.