'Now what d’ye think of that!' came from Mary Ellen.
'Father! Have you gone quite mad?' cried Mrs. Pegg. And—'Oh, I say, governor,' stammered the gentleman with the revolver.
Captain Pegg rose to his feet with dignity.
'These young gentlemen,' he said, simply, 'have with my help been able to locate some buried treasure, which was stolen from me years ago by a man named Jenks, and has lain hidden here since two decades. I hereby renounce all claim to it in favor of my three brave friends!'
Mr. Pegg was bent over the treasure.
'Now, look here, sir,' he said, rather sharply, 'some of this seems to be quite valuable stuff—'
'I know the value of it to a penny,' replied his father, with equal asperity, 'and I intend that it shall belong solely and wholly to these boys.'
'Whatever are you rigged up like that for?' demanded his daughter-in-law.
'As gentlemen of spirit,' replied Captain Pegg, patiently, 'we chose to dress the part. We do what we can to keep a little glamour and gayety in the world. Some folk'—he looked at Mrs. Handsomebody—'would like to discipline it all away.'
'I think,' said our governess, 'that considering it is my back yard, I have some claim to—'