ar broken to make reply. But to my relief I saw that
in leaving the beach Edgar had some second purpose. With each heavy step
he was drawing toward two high banks of sand in a hollow behind which,
protected by the banks, were three stunted, wind-driven pines. His words
came back to me.

"So many what-you-may-call-'ems." Were these pines the three somethings
from something, the what-you-may-call-'ems? The thought chilled me to
the spine. I gazed at them fascinated. I felt like falling on my knees
in the sand and tearing their secret from them with my bare hands. I
was strong enough to dig them up by the roots, strong enough to dig the
Panama Canal! I glanced tremulously at Edgar. His eyes were wide open
and, eloquent with dismay, his lower jaw had fallen. He turned and
looked at me for the first time with consideration. Apology and remorse
were written in every line of his countenance.

I'm sorry, he stammered. I had a cruel premonition. I exclaimed with
distress.

"You have lost the map!" I hissed.

"No, no," protested Edgar; "but I entirely forgot to bring any lunch!"

With violent mutterings I tore off my upper and outer garments and
tossed them into the hack.

"Where do I begin?" I asked.

Edgar pointed to a spot inside the triangle formed by the three trees
and equally distant from each.

"Put that horse behind the bank," I commanded, "where no one can see
him! And both you and Rupert keep off the sky-line!" From the north and
south we were now all three hidden by the two high banks of sand; to the
east lay the beach and the Atlantic Ocean, and to the west stretches
of marshes that a mile away met a wood of pine trees and the railroad
round-house.

I began to dig. I knew that weary hours lay before me, and I attacked
the sand leisurely and with deliberation. It was at first no great
effort; but as the hole grew in depth, and the roots of the trees were
exposed, the work was sufficient for several men. Still, as Edgar had
said, it is not every day that one can dig for treasure, and in thinking
of what was to come I forgot my hands that quickly blistered, and my
breaking back. After an hour I insisted that Edgar should take a turn;
but he made such poor headway that my patience could not contain me, and
I told him I was sufficiently rested and would continue. With alacrity
he scrambled out of the hole, and, taking a cigar from my case, seated
himself comfortably in the hack. I took my comfort in anticipatin