“I—I’ll vote last. You say what you’ll do, Phil.”
“Oh, well, if you want my decision, I’ll say yes.” Phil here grinned openly at Paul. “I’m fond of our youngest comrade and I want to please him whether we find anything or not.”
All looked at Dave, who at first looked foolish, but straightway an open smile wreathed his ruddy Scotch face as he said:
“I’m with you, Phil! Paul sometimes acts the fool, but he means well all the same. Here’s for the treasure! If we don’t get it, maybe we’ll have some fun out of it after all.”
CHAPTER XI
PASSING THE LOAD OF HAY
Later that morning the Big Six was spinning over the road eastward from the small village where the preceding debate had occurred. Before starting Phil had asked their host if he knew of an old inn some miles ahead that had formerly been prosperous during the old stage-coaching days, before the advent of the railroads. The tavern keeper scratched his head as he reflected. Finally he said:
“Can’t think of nary place onless it’s what they used to call the Ghost Tavern, but—law me! That place must ’a’ rotted down before now.”
Phil intimated that this might be what he was after, asking how far the inn with the foreboding name might be.