At that moment Billy Patten poked his head into the corridor.
"The old man at the tunnel. He says for the girls to come quick."
"Something important has happened!" insisted Kit. "Hurry up, let's go!"
Colonel Baxter hurried to his horse and followed after the girls. His mind was not, for the moment, on possible treasure, he was overwhelmed by the magnitude of the hills, their rugged outlines and the blazing sun that beat down upon them.
When they reached the summit, the girls spurred their horses across the flat.
What they saw was an excited little old man, waving his arms and dancing about a huge box.
As the girls approached, he cried.
"Come quickly. It's a brass-bound chest. It's the treasure!"
Tommy Sharpe pried the rusty lock, and as the cover was swung back, the girls gave a gasp of astonishment and dismay.
The chest was empty!