“Crullers should not be taken from the jar,” Pee-wee spoke up, “because they’re going to be used for dinner.”
CHAPTER XXXVI
THE LAST DESTINATION
That morning the grove was over-run with treasure hunters. Fuller and Ray had every lady in the house searching. They were a queer looking group of adventurers, but they seemed to enjoy it immensely. It was well on toward dinnertime when dear old Mrs. Alison called for Pee-wee to come over and inspect a discovery she had made on a large poplar. She was beaming delightedly through her gold specks at a steel knitting needle which she had stuck into a little point where the bark curved in. “Oh, I’m afraid it’s too good to be true,” she said sweetly.
As Fuller moved the needle in and out there was a slight metallic sound. “It’s hitting something,” he said. “Yop, sure enough, there’s a nail or something in there. Get a crowbar, Scout, and we’ll jab around here a little. I think we’re on the track of something. Bring a chair for Mrs. Alison to sit on, too.”
The old lady seemed as proud and delighted as a child, while she waited. The others were all expectancy. As for Hope, she danced up and down impatiently. It was the only kind of dancing she thought of now. Pee-wee returned, laboring under a big armchair and wrestling with a crowbar. Following him came Mrs. Skimper, drying her arms on a towel and calling to Mr. Skimper who was in the woodshed. An excited little group stood about while Fuller jabbed with the crowbar, and thrills went through poor old Mrs. Alison when he struck a rock.
“Guess we’ll have to dig,” he said.
“Oh, I can’t wait,” she said.
“Oh, please do hurry,” said Hope; “here, let me dig. You’re just as slow as you can be!”
“It would be really quite thrilling,” said old Mrs. Wade.