Flivver making port.
Yo ho, Messmates:—
After a rough and stormy voyage, made port of Steuben Junction safely. Natives-friendly. Were tossed at the mercy of rocks and breakers on road through woods. Water ran out—of radiator. Had to take some out of springs to keep from famishing. Springs were no good anyway. They wouldn’t spring—not even in the springtime. Had to man pumps—tires were leaking so badly. Cap blew out—also two tires.
Breakers broke pretty nearly everything, including brakes. Leaks gained fast—carburetor flooded. Mutiny on board. Seaman Wide-Awake in irons. Also chains and wheels. Tried to clutch a floating log, but clutch wouldn’t work. Ship in dry dock in back of stationery store.
Are starting to follow railroad tracks into woods. Will leave sign alongside tracks where you are to turn in. Will blaze trees to our camp. Follow signs. Look out for spies—keep away from ice-cream parlor. Suspicious. Beware of poisoned gum drops. The treasure will be ours, but have a care. Efforts are being made to foil us—two Spanish onions were seen in Steuben Junction, loitering near post office.
Hurry, B. G.
When we had read the letter, Harry said, “The plot grows thicker; we haven’t a minute to spare. We must moor our ship and be on the trail. I wonder where that stationery store is. I think that Brent has not told us all. You’d better keep your hand on that rolling-pin, Scout Harris, and hang onto that coffee strainer, in case we should want to sift any evidence.”
CHAPTER XXXII—WE HIT THE TRAIL
I guess we were all pretty excited on account of at last being right up in the neighborhood of that treasure, and near the very place where the train with that old car of ours was held up.
Anyway, you would have said we meant business if you had see Pee-wee unloading the auto in that shed behind the stationery store. Brent’s car was in there, too. Our young hero had two shovels and a pickaxe and a couple of big burlap bags, and he looked like a striking miner as he trudged up the road with all that junk over his shoulders. Pretty soon we took some of the things from him. But he kept the rolling-pin and a big saucepan; hanged if I know what the saucepan was for.