s a bag of gold
coins hidden in the wall of the hut. I don't know whether the story is
true or not, but the closet in the wall is there and might have held
treasure," explained Bet.

"Some say he starved to death with all that money right there!" said
Joy contemptuously. "Wasn't he crazy?"

"There's no sign of treasure there now," declared Bet. "They have
ripped up the floors and the walls and dug all around the hut to see if
he didn't _bury_ some money as well."

"That's not likely!" Kit took Bet's arm. "Come on up there, I want to
see the hut."

"There isn't much to see," returned her chum, as they climbed the small
hill to the old cabin.

The wind was getting stronger and when the girls reached the Hermit's
Hut, a tumble-down shack half hidden in the brush, they gladly took
shelter there from the wind.

"Now bring on your treasure closet," exclaimed Kit. "Where's your
show?"

Bet pointed to the wall. "That's funny," she exclaimed, "that closet
used to be right there. Someone has nailed it up." And Bet tapped the
wall with her hard little knuckles.

"It sounds hollow! Maybe some other hermit has fastened it up again,"
suggested the quiet Shirley.

"Hidden treasure!" exclaimed Joy.

"You can have all the treasure you find," laughed Shirley. "I'm off to
find deer tracks."

"Usually I'm not a curious person," began Kit.

"You don't say so! Do tell us more about yourself!" Joy was always
teasing and the girls were used to her ways. Kit leaned over the door
sill, grabbed a handful of snow, aimed it at Joy, then continued her
sentence:

"This interests me, and I'm going to investigate. Perhaps some one has
hidden away another fortune in the wall."

"I think this hermit must have had a repair-man's mania, the way this
board is nailed on! Get your hatchet Kit, and we'll investigate." Bet
held out her hand toward the pack.

No one paid any attention to Shirley, who had found a treasure of her
own, some deer tracks in the snow outside the hut. "Here's where I'll
put my camera," she said to herself. "Oh I do hope I get a good
picture!"

"She's raving again, girls, don't cross her!" called Joy from the
doorway.

"I'm not listening!" said Shirley, with a toss of her head. She placed
the camera, cleverly concealed it with evergreen boughs, and put into
position the device that set off the flash powder and released the
shutter. A wire extended out into the snow at some distance so that