but he felt that the
task was like "looking for a needle in a hay-mow," and he abandoned it
before he had made himself ridiculous in his own estimation. He wrote a
letter to the nurse, who had given him her address in New York,
informing her of the ill success of his endeavors. She answered the
letter, giving him further instructions, saying that the money was
buried not more than a foot below the surface of the beach, and near a
projecting rock. Probably when she was less excited than during her
visit to Rockhaven, her memory had recalled some of the statements of
Harvey Barth; for certainly she had said nothing so definite as this
when she was with Leopold.

The young man, aided by these directions, which certainly were not very
precise, made another attempt to find the treasure. There was more than
one "projecting rock," and he dug over all the sand and gravel to the
depth of a foot in the vicinity of every part of the cliff which
answered to the description given. He worked very hard, and the boatmen
who saw him at his labors wondered if he expected to find clams so far
up on the beach.

He found neither clams nor money; and when he had finished the search he
was more than ever dissatisfied with himself for being led away by such
a chimera. He wrote to Miss Liverage again, informing her of the
continued failure of his efforts, and declaring that he would not "fool
with the matter" any longer. The nurse did not answer his last letter
and it was evident that she too had "lost hope." Leopold never heard
anything more from her or about her, and in a few weeks he had forgotten
all about the "hidden treasure of High Rock," for he did not believe
there was any treasure there, and it was not pleasant for him to
remember that he had made a fool of himself.

Leopold and Stumpy went to school together during the winter, and
continued to be as good friends as ever. Mrs. Wormbury struggled with
her hard lot, and Squire Moses still threatened to take possession of
the cottage. The Cliff House prospered in its small way, and the
landlord still nursed his grand project of having a big hotel in
Rockhaven. During the next season Leopold did very well with his boat,
both with the fishing and with the "jobs" from the hotel. He saved his
money and still kept it in the iron safe of Herr Schlager, who was as
proud of and as devoted as ever to his nephew. In the spring, the
question for the name of the new boat came up again, and the s