the story of the treasure seekers-第1部分

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The　Story　of　the　Treasure　Seekers



by　E。　Nesbit







Being　the　adventures　of　the

Bastable　children　in　search　of　a　fortune





TO

OSWALD　BARRON

Without　whom　this　book　could　never　have　been　written

The　Treasure　Seekers　is　dedicated　in

memory　of　childhoods　identical

but　for　the　accidents　of

time　and　space









CONTENTS





1。　　The　Council　of　Ways　and　Means

2。　　Digging　for　Treasure

3。　　Being　Detectives

4。　　Good　Hunting

5。　　The　Poet　and　the　Editor

6。　　Noel's　Princess

7。　　Being　Bandits

8。　　Being　Editors

9。　　The　G。　B。

10。　　Lord　Tottenham

11。　　Castilian　Amoroso

12。　　The　Nobleness　of　Oswald

13。　　The　Robber　and　the　Burglar

14。　　The　Divining…rod

15。　　'Lo；　the　Poor　Indian！'

16。　　The　End　of　the　Treasure…seeking









CHAPTER　1

THE　COUNCIL　OF　WAYS　AND　MEANS





This　is　the　story　of　the　different　ways　we　looked　for　treasure；　and

I　think　when　you　have　read　it　you　will　see　that　we　were　not　lazy

about　the　looking。



There　are　some　things　I　must　tell　before　I　begin　to　tell　about　the

treasure…seeking；　because　I　have　read　books　myself；　and　I　know　how

beastly　it　is　when　a　story　begins；　〃'Alas！〃　said　Hildegarde　with　a

deep　sigh；　〃we　must　look　our　last　on　this　ancestral　home〃'　…　and

then　some　one　else　says　something　…　and　you　don't　know　for　pages

and　pages　where　the　home　is；　or　who　Hildegarde　is；　or　anything

about　it。　　Our　ancestral　home　is　in　the　Lewisham　Road。　　It　is

semi…detached　and　has　a　garden；　not　a　large　one。　　We　are　the

Bastables。　　There　are　six　of　us　besides　Father。　　Our　Mother　is

dead；　and　if　you　think　we　don't　care　because　I　don't　tell　you　much

about　her　you　only　show　that　you　do　not　understand　people　at　all。　

Dora　is　the　eldest。　　Then　Oswald　…　and　then　Dicky。　　Oswald　won　the

Latin　prize　at　his　preparatory　school　…　and　Dicky　is　good　at　sums。　

Alice　and　Noel　are　twins：　they　are　ten；　and　Horace　Octavius　is　my

youngest　brother。　　It　is　one　of　us　that　tells　this　story　…　but　I

shall　not　tell　you　which：　only　at　the　very　end　perhaps　I　will。　

While　the　story　is　going　on　you　may　be　trying　to　guess；　only　I　bet

you　don't。　　It　was　Oswald　who　first　thought　of　looking　for

treasure。　　Oswald　often　thinks　of　very　interesting　things。　　And

directly　he　thought　of　it　he　did　not　keep　it　to　himself；　as　some

boys　would　have　done；　but　he　told　the　others；　and　said　…



'I'll　tell　you　what；　we　must　go　and　seek　for　treasure：　it　is　always

what　you　do　to　restore　the　fallen　fortunes　of　your　House。'



Dora　said　it　was　all　very　well。　　She　often　says　that。　　She　was

trying　to　mend　a　large　hole　in　one　of　Noel's　stockings。　　He　tore　it

on　a　nail　when　we　were　playing　shipwrecked　mariners　on　top　of　the

chicken…house　the　day　H。　O。　fell　off　and　cut　his　chin：　he　has　the

scar　still。　　Dora　is　the　only　one　of　us　who　ever　tries　to　mend

anything。　　Alice　tries　to　make　things　sometimes。　　Once　she　knitted

a　red　scarf　for　Noel　because　his　chest　is　delicate；　but　it　was　much

wider　at　one　end　than　the　other；　and　he　wouldn't　wear　it。　　So　we

used　it　as　a　pennon；　and　it　did　very　well；　because　most　of　our

things　are　black　or　grey　since　Mother　died；　and　scarlet　was　a　nice

change。　　Father　does　not　like　you　to　ask　for　new　things。　　That　was

one　way　we　had　of　knowing　that　the　fortunes　of　the　ancient　House　of

Bastable　were　really　fallen。　　Another　way　was　that　there　was　no

more　pocket…money　…　except　a　penny　now　and　then　to　the　little　ones；

and　people　did　not　come　to　dinner　any　more；　like　they　used　to；　with

pretty　dresses；　driving　up　in　cabs　…　and　the　carpets　got　holes　in

them　…　and　when　the　legs　came　off　things　they　were　not　sent　to　be

mended；　and　we　gave　UP　having　the　gardener　except　for　the　front

garden；　and　not　that　very　often。　　And　the　silver　in　the　big　oak

plate…chest　that　is　lined　with　green　baize　all　went　away　to　the

shop　to　have　the　dents　and　scratches　taken　out　of　it；　and　it　never

came　back。　　We　think　Father　hadn't　enough　money　to　pay　the　silver

man　for　taking　out　the　dents　and　scratches。　　The　new　spoons　and

forks　were　yellowy…white；　and　not　so　heavy　as　the　old　ones；　and

they　never　shone　after　the　first　day　or　two。



Father　was　very　ill　after　Mother　died；　and　while　he　was　ill　his

business…partner　went　to　Spain　…　and　there　was　never　much　money

afterwards。　　I　don't　know　why。　　Then　the　servants　left　and　there

was　only　one；　a　General。　　A　great　deal　of　your　comfort　and

happiness　depends　on　having　a　good　General。　　The　last　but　one　was

nice：　she　used　to　make　jolly　good　currant　puddings　for　us；　and　let

us　have　the　dish　on　the　floor　and　pretend　it　was　a　wild　boar　we

were　killing　with　our　forks。　　But　the　General　we　have　now　nearly

always　makes　sago　puddings；　and　they　are　the　watery　kind；　and　you

cannot　pretend　anything　with　them；　not　even　islands；　like　you　do

with　porridge。



Then　we　left　off　going　to　school；　and　Father　said　we　should　go　to

a　good　school　as　soon　as　he　could　manage　it。　　He　said　a　holiday

would　do　us　all　good。　　We　thought　he　was　right；　but　we　wished　he

had　told　us　he　couldn't　afford　it。　　For　of　course　we　knew。



Then　a　great　many　people　used　to　come　to　the　door　with　envelopes

with　no　stamps　on　them；　and　sometimes　they　got　very　angry；　and　said

they　were　calling　for　the　last　time　before　putting　it　in　other

hands。　　I　asked　Eliza　what　that　meant；　and　she　kindly　explained　to

me；　and　I　was　so　sorry　for　Father。



And　once　a　long；　blue　paper　came；　a　policeman　brought　it；　and　we

were　so　frightened。　　But　Father　said　it　was　all　right；　only　when　he

went　up　to　kiss　the　girls　after　they　were　in　bed　they　said　he　had

been　crying；　though　I'm　sure　that's　not　true。　　Because　only　cowards

and　snivellers　cry；　and　my　Father　is　the　bravest　man　in　the　world。



So　you　see　it　was　time　we　looked　for　treasure　and　Oswald　said　so；

and　Dora　said　it　was　all　very　well。　　But　the　others　agreed　with

Oswald。　　So　we　held　a　council。　　Dora　was　in　the　chair　…　the　big

dining…room　chair；　that　we　let　the　fireworks　off　from；　the　Fifth　of

November　when　we　had　the　measles　and　couldn't　do　it　in　the　garden。　

The　hole　has　never　been　mended；　so　now　we　have　that　chair　in　the

nursery；　and　I　think　it　was　cheap　at　the　blowing…up　we　boys　got

when　the　hole　was　burnt。



'We　must　do　something；'　said　Alice；　'because　the　exchequer　is

empty。'　　She　rattled　the　money…box　as　she　spoke；　and　it　really　did

rattle　because　we　always　keep　the　bad　sixpence　in　it　for　luck。



'Yes　…　but　what　shall　we　do？'　said　Dicky。　　'It's　so　jolly　easy　to

say　let's　do　something。'　　Dicky　always　wants　everything　settled

exactly。　　Father　calls　him　the　Definite　Article。



'Let's　read　all　the　books　again。　　We　shall　get　lots　of　ideas　out　of

them。'　　It　was　Noel　who　suggested　this；　but　we　made　him　shut　up；

because　we　knew　well　enough　he　only　wanted　to　get　back　to　his　old

books。　　Noel　is　a　poet。　　He　sold　some　of　his　poetry　once　…　and　it

was　printed；　but　that　does　not　come　in　this　part　of　the　story。



Then　Dicky　said；　'Look　here。　　We'll　be　quite　quiet　for　ten　minutes

by　the　clock　…　and　each　think　of　some　way　to　find　treasure。　　And

when　we've　thought　we'll　try　all　the　ways　one　after　the　other；

beginning　with　the　eldest。'



'I　shan't　be　able　to　think　in　ten　minutes；　make　it　half　an　hour；'

said　H。　O。　His　real　name　is　Horace　Octavius；　but　we　call　him　H。　O。

because　of　the　advertisement；　and　it's　not　so　very　long　ago　he　was

afraid　to　pass　the　hoarding　where　it　says　'Eat　H。　O。'　　in　big

letters。　　He　says　it　was　when　he　was　a　little　boy；　but　I　remember

last　Christmas　but　one；　he　woke　in　the　middle　of　the　night　crying

and　howling；　and　they　said　it　was　the　pudding。　　But　he　told　me

afterwards　he　had　been　dreaming　that　they　really　had　come　to　eat　H。

O。；　and　it　couldn't　have　been　the　pudding；　when　you　come　to　think

of　it；　because　it　was　so　very　plain。



Well；　we　made　it　half　an　hour　…　and　we　all　sat　quiet；　and　thought

and　thought。　　And　I　made　up　my　mind　before　two　minutes　were　over；

and　I　saw　the　others　had；　all　but　Dora；　who　is　always　an　awful　time

over　everything。　　I　got　pins　and　needles　in　my　leg　from　sitting

still　so　long；　and　when　it　was　seven　minutes　H。　O。　cried　out　…　'Oh；

it　must　be　more　than　half　an　hour！'



H。　O。　is　eight　years　old；　but　he　cannot　tell　the　clock　yet。　　Oswald

could　tell　the　clock　when　he　was　six。



We　all　stretched　ourselves　and　began　to　speak　at　once；　but　Dora　put

up　her　hands　to　her　ears　and　said　…



'One　at　a　time；　please。　　We　aren't　playing　Babel。'　　（It　is　a　very

good　game。　　Did　you　ever　play　it？）



So　Dora　made　us　all　sit　in　a　row　on　the　floor；　in　ages；　and　then

she　pointed　at　us　with　the　finger　that　had　the　brass　thimble　on。　

Her　silver　one　got　lost　when　the　last　General　but　two　went　away。　

We　think　she　must　have　forgotten　it　was　Dora's　and　put　it　in　her

box　by　mistake。　　She　was　a　very　forgetful　girl。　　She　used　to　forget

what　she　had　spent　money　on；　so　that　the　change　was　never　quite

right。



Oswald　spoke　first。　　'I　think　we　might　stop　people　on　Blackheath　…

with　crape　masks　and　horse…pistols　…　and　say　〃Your　money　or　your

life！　　Resistance　is　useless；　we　are　armed　to　the　teeth〃　…　like

Dick　Turpin　and　Claude　Duval。　　It　wouldn't　matter　about　not　having

horses；　because　coaches　have　gone　out　too。'



Dora　screwed　up　her　nose　the　way　she　always　does　when　she　is　going

to　talk　like　the　good　elder　sister　in　books；　and　said；　'That　would

be　very　wrong：　it's　like　pickpocketing　or　taking　pennies　out　of

Father's　great…coat　when　it's　hanging　in　the　hall。'



I　must　say　I　don't　think　she　need　have　said　that；　especially　before

the　little　ones　…　for　it　was　when　I　was　only　four。



But　Oswald　was　not　going　to　let　her　see　he　cared；　so　he　said　…



'Oh；　very　well。　　I　can　think　of　lots　of　other　ways。　　We　could

rescue　an　old　gentleman　from　deadly　Highwaymen。'



'There　aren't　any；'　said　Dora。

'Oh；　well；　it's　all　the　same　…　from　deadly　peril；　then。　　There's

plenty　of　that。　　Then　he　would　turn　out　to　be　the　P