He went over to the table beside which Mr. and Mrs. Nelson were sitting and laid the two captured pistols upon the table. Infected by his excitement, the girls crowded around, demanding an explanation.
THE GIRLS CROWDED AROUND, DEMANDING AN EXPLANATION.
The Outdoor Girls in the Saddle. Page 163
"Pistols!" cried Betty, her eyes wide with dislike of the things. "Where did you get them, Allen?"
"Oh, just picked them off the trees by the roadside," said Allen airily. Then, suddenly becoming serious, he laid the scrap of paper beside the weapons on the table. "There," he said, dramatically, "is the key that may open your door to a fortune."
"A map," said Mrs. Nelson, her eyes glistening. "Oh, Allen, you've found out something wonderful. Tell us about it, please."
And so Allen recounted what had taken place during that fruitful half hour in the shadows of the trees. His audience listened breathlessly.
"Then this thing," said Mr. Nelson, taking the bit of paper which was crossed and criss-crossed with a number of lines and dotted with numbers until it seemed more like a jig-saw puzzle than a map, "is supposedly a map which will point out the probable location of gold."
"Yes, sir," said Allen.