“She’s going to the beach where I found the chest in the hiding-place in the rocks. Her crew are after that chest, I’ll bet you a fiver!”
The three stared at him in surprise. “What makes you so certain?” asked Tuckerman.
“Because I know. I have reasons for knowing. They’re after that chest. They think it’s the Cotterell treasure, just as I thought it was.”
“You mean they’re going to land on our beach and carry off our chest under our very noses?” demanded Tom.
“They are unless we stop them,” nodded Ben.
“Then,” said David, “I’m going to stop them. Seems to me there was an old musket somewhere around here.”
There was an old musket in the corner of the attic; there were two, in fact; and a fowling-piece and a couple of antique duelling-pistols. The boys and Tuckerman seized on all the firearms, regardless of the rust that came off on their clothes, and hurried into the hall.
Down the stairs they went, making a great noise. And the clatter of their feet was so loud that the gentleman in buff and all his friends ran out from the dining-room to see what was the matter.
“Why, it’s an army coming!” cried Peter Cotterell in great surprise.
The four halted in the front hall.