have no idea what trouble it can cause."

The choice was difficult. There were so many coins, all of them with
queer writing and heads of unknown gods and kings. David finally
picked out four gold pieces and tied them up in his handkerchief.
Then the Sea Monster swept the rest of the treasure into the hole.
They all pushed sand in on top of it and jumped on the mound till it
was level with the rest of the beach.

The Phoenix turned to the Sea Monster and said solemnly: "Monster, old
fellow, I knew you would not fail us. You stood forth in our hour of
need, and we shall not forget."

And David echoed, "Thank you, Monster."

The Sea Monster ducked its head and blushed. A wave of fiery red
started at its nose, traveled rapidly back over its ears, down its
neck, along the body, and fanned out to the tips of its flippers and
the extreme end of the barb in its tail.

Even its whiskers turned pink.

"Well--uh--glad to help--uh--nothing to it, really," it mumbled. Then
it turned abruptly, galloped down to the sea, plunged into the surf,
and was gone.

7: _In Which the Phoenix's Plan Is Carried Out, and There Are More
Alarums and Excursions in the Night_

[Illustration]

"Now, my boy," said the Phoenix, when they got back to the ledge that
afternoon, "are the shops still open?"

"I think they're open till six," said David, shaking the sand out of
his shoes. "Are we going to buy something?"

"Precisely, my boy. A hardware store should have what we need. Now,
you will take our gold and purchase the following." And the Phoenix
listed the things it wanted, and told David which to bring to the
ledge and which to leave below.

"... and a hatchet," the Phoenix concluded.

"We have one at home already," said David. "Now, listen, Phoenix,
_can't_ you tell me what all this is for? What are we going to do with
it?"

"My boy, the feline's existence was terminated as a direct result of
its inquisitiveness."

"What did you say?"

"Curiosity killed the cat," explained the Phoenix.

"Oh. But--"

"Now, run along, my boy. A very important Thought has just come to me.
I must Meditate a while." The Phoenix glanced at the thicket and hid a
yawn behind one wing.

"Oh, all _right_," said David. "I'll see you in the morning, then."

It wasn't until he got home that he thought of something. He couldn't
spend pirate gold pieces, or even show them to anyone, without being
asked a lot of embarrassing questions. What to d