"I found Montresor's gold mine, Paw!"
It hit the mark! In the shock the news made upon the Brewsters, no one noticed Polly's slip on the old pet title. After a long tense period of silence, however, Sam Brewster said: "Daughter, it can't be true!"
"'Tis, though, Mr. Brewster! Polly and I crawled through the tunnel until we came out into that marvelous cavern of gold," and Eleanor sighed audibly as she thought of that sight.
"What cavern! You-all must be clean locoed with the blizzard and the long ride!" cried Mr. Brewster, testily.
The girls laughed appreciatively, for they understood just how those who remained at home would feel at such news!
So Polly sat upon her father's knee and told him the story of the mine, from the time Choko fell over the cliff until they left the panther at the foot of the tree.
"And here's the plan and claim, and there's the gold!"
Polly drew the nuggets from her dress and took the papers from her sombrero, and placed them in her father's hands.
Mrs. Brewster dropped upon her knees to the floor to look at the map and the ore, while her husband was examining the large nugget. The four girls had no idea how anxious they were about this ore until they saw Mr. Brewster carefully looking it over with the eye of an expert miner.
His first words were a decided shock.