le far at the back--not a big hole--where I
used to put pretty pebbles and play I was Captain Kidd with my pockets
full of diamonds. The hole was there, but stuffed up with stones. I
pulled them all out. And behind I saw a box--a queer old oak box. But
oh, Molly, I have seen that box before, it was only a few days ago!"

"Not _possible_!" I cried, anxious to defend poor Peter and his quixotic
plot.

"You would say not. Yet it is so. I saw the box--or its twin box--at
that dear old Robinson house which is made into a curiosity shop at
Bennington."

"You must have been dreaming," said Jack, backing me up.

"No. I saw it. But Mr. Storm did not know I saw it, because he did think
I was not in the room where it was. He thought I was always with Mr.
Caspian. And so I was, except for a minute. I went to look for you, in a
back room. You were not there. You must have gone upstairs----"

"I did, to see a table Miss Robinson spoke of," I admitted.

"Only Mr. Storm was in the back room. He had in his hand the box, with a
large date carved in the wood. If he bought it I am not sure, for I went
away quickly when I saw he was alone. And after, there was nothing in
his hand. But maybe when he wanted an old box with a date of 1669--yes,
that _particular_ date of _all_ others!--he remembered, and went back to
Bennington--or sent."

"Good gracious, but why a box of that 'particular' date?" I wanted to
know. Which was stupid of me. I ought to have recalled at once the fact
that Captain Kidd was supposed to be burying treasure in 1669.

"It was the year of Captain Kidd!" Pat reminded me; and went on, as if
in desperation: "In the hole of _our_ cave, to-day, was _that_ box, from
Miss Robinson's house in Bennington. There was no lock to it; and I
suppose Mr. Storm could not wait to have one made. He was in a hurry. I
understand why, but I cannot tell you that. All I can tell is, _it was
there_. I pulled it out from the hole--it was not so heavy!--and not
more than thirty centimetres long. Inside was sand, and mixed up with
the sand many, many jewels--oh, a fortune in jewels. I know, because I
took the box to my room--nobody was up, so no one saw me. I spread on
the floor a bed-coverlet and poured out the sand on it. Then I could
count the beautiful stones without the fear they would roll away. There
are a hundred pearls, oh, but large ones, big as peas; and some rubies,
and diamonds in the dozen--emeralds, too. I do not know too much