talk o'
Dolly's about 'buried treasure.' Somebody's been bamboozlin' her and
this is part of it."

The four heads bent together above the odd little document, which had
been folded and unfolded so often it was quite frayed in places with
even some of the writing gone.

The drawing represented a bit of woodland, with a stream flowing past,
and a ford indicated at one point, with animals drinking. It was
marked by the initials of direction, N, S, E, W; and toward the latter
point a zig-zag line suggested a path. The path ended at the root of a
tree whose branches grew into something like the semblance of a cross.
Unfortunately, the writing was in French, a language not one
understood. But, found as it was, evidently lost by somebody who had
valued it, and taken in conjunction with Dorothy's words--"buried
treasure"--it was enough to set all those young heads afire with
excitement. Even the Captain took the paper and again critically
studied it; remarking as he replaced it in the wallet:

"Dretful sorry I didn't fetch my readin'-specs when I come away from
town. Likely, if I had I could ha' explained its hull meanin'."

"Dreadful sorry it wasn't Greek, or even Latin! I could have ciphered
the meaning then, if it has a meaning. But every-day French, shucks!"

"How do you know it's French if you don't know French?" demanded
Gerry.

"Oh! I've seen it in Dr. Sterling's library. I know a word or two an'
I plan to know more. Don't it beat all? That just a little bit of
ignorance can hide important things from a fellow, that way? I tell
you there never was a truer word spoke than that 'knowledge is
power'."

Melvin cried:

"Come off! That'll do. Once you get talking about learning and you're
no good. Cap'n, you best stow that in your pocket and help us settle
how to 'follow our leaders'. For my part, I've no notion of sleeping
out doors, now that it looks so likely to storm. What'll we do?"

"Hoof it to the Landin' and hire a conveyance. One that'll carry us
an' the boat, too. That's what she says, and if there's a girl in the
hull state o' Maryland, or Annyrunnell, either, that's got more sense
in her little head nor my 'fust mate', Dorothy, you show me the man
'at says so, an' I'll call him a liar to his face."

"That's all right, Cap'n, only don't get so excited about it. Nobody's
trying to take the wind out of Dorothy's sails. So let's get on. I
reckon I can punt along as far as that Landing, even with a cargo o