“Fellows, the tree’s blown down! Gee, but I’m sorry. I liked that tree; it was such a plucky little old chap. And I suppose it was our fault, too. We dug around the roots and weakened it.”
Bee walked across to where the apple tree lay on its side on the sand, uprooted, its leaves already limp and withered. He viewed it sorrowfully for a moment and then turned away to overtake the others. As he did so his gaze encountered something which protruded from the soil in the hole left by the uptorn tree. For a moment he stared unbelievingly. Then, with a shout of triumph, he jumped into the depression and when the others looked around he was half out of sight and a perfect stream of sand was flying through the air! When Hal and Jack, hurrying back, reached the scene Bee already uncovered one end of an iron chest. “Quick!” he panted. “Get the shovels! I’ve found the treasure!”
CHAPTER XXVII
Treasure Trove!
Jack ran for the shovels and in a moment, breathless and excited, the three boys were laboring mightily, getting in each other’s way and taking a quarter of an hour at least to do what might have been accomplished calmly by one worker in ten minutes! But at last the chest lay exposed. It was over two feet in length by some eighteen inches wide and of about the same depth. It appeared to be made of sheet iron and was reinforced on the edges. There was a handle at one end and traces of one at the other. It was covered with red rust and as they lifted it from the hole it threatened to fall to pieces in their hands. There were two simple hasp locks in front, one near each end. The boys laid the chest on the ground and looked at each other in triumph.
“I told you we’d find it!” exulted Bee, his eyes sparkling. “And we have!”
“And it isn’t ours,” mourned Hal. “What do you suppose is in it? It feels heavy enough!”
“I mean to find out,” responded Bee. “Let’s take it up to the tent, fellows.”
“What’s the use?” asked Jack. “It isn’t ours. It belongs to Bill Glass and we might as well dump it into the launch and take it to him.”