“And enormous chests of drawers,” continued Tom.
“Full of all kinds of clothes,” Tuckerman added. “Ladies’ laces and muslins, shawls, mantillas, gentlemen’s pantaloons, neckerchiefs, and what waistcoats!”
“Funny old kitchen,” said Tom. “With a fireplace as big as a cabin.”
“And a crane and a hob and a whole fleet of earthenware crocks,” Tuckerman supplemented.
“I say, Mr. Tuckerman,” cried David, “why don’t you turn the place into a museum? All the people who tour through Barmouth in the summer would jump out of their skins to see such a place as that.”
“What I want to know,” said Ben, “is whether you got any clue to the Cotterell treasure.”
Tuckerman shook his head. “Rome wasn’t built in a day, Benjamin; and a treasure that’s been hidden for over a century doesn’t come to light in twenty-four hours.”
“Ah, just you wait till our Benjie gets busy,” said David, waving his finger wisely. “There’s the bright lad for you. While you two pottered about those gigantic bedsteads and chests of drawers and fireplaces, what did our Benjie discover?” He paused to heighten his announcement. “Benjamin Sully discovered a pair of gigantic footprints!”
It took a moment for this to sink in.
“Footprints?” said Tuckerman, puzzled.