the story of the treasure seekers-第2部分

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plenty　of　that。　　Then　he　would　turn　out　to　be　the　Prince　of　Wales；

and　he　would　say；　〃My　noble；　my　cherished　preserver！　　Here　is　a

million　pounds　a　year。　　Rise　up；　Sir　Oswald　Bastable。〃'



But　the　others　did　not　seem　to　think　so；　and　it　was　Alice's　turn　to

say。



She　said；　'I　think　we　might　try　the　divining…　rod。　　I'm　sure　I

could　do　it。　　I've　often　read　about　it。　　You　hold　a　stick　in　your

hands；　and　when　you　come　to　where　there　is　gold　underneath　the

stick　kicks　about。　　So　you　know。　　And　you　dig。'



'Oh；'　said　Dora　suddenly；　'I　have　an　idea。　　But　I'll　say　last。　　I

hope　the　divining…rod　isn't　wrong。　　I　believe　it's　wrong　in　the

Bible。'



'So　is　eating　pork　and　ducks；'　said　Dicky。　　'You　can't　go　by　that。'



'Anyhow；　we'll　try　the　other　ways　first；'　said　Dora。　　'Now；　H。　O。'



'Let's　be　Bandits；'　said　H。　O。　'I　dare　say　it's　wrong　but　it　would

be　fun　pretending。'



'I'm　sure　it's　wrong；'　said　Dora。



And　Dicky　said　she　thought　everything　wrong。　　She　said　she　didn't；

and　Dicky　was　very　disagreeable。　　So　Oswald　had　to　make　peace；　and

he　said　…　'Dora　needn't　play　if　she　doesn't　want　to。　　Nobody　asked

her。　　And；　Dicky；　don't　be　an　idiot：　do　dry　up　and　let's　hear　what

Noel's　idea　is。'



Dora　and　Dicky　did　not　look　pleased；　but　I　kicked　Noel　under　the

table　to　make　him　hurry　up；　and　then　he　said　he　didn't　think　he

wanted　to　play　any　more。　　That's　the　worst　of　it。　　The　others　are

so　jolly　ready　to　quarrel。　　I　told　Noel　to　be　a　man　and　not　a

snivelling　pig；　and　at　last　he　said　he　had　not　made　up　his　mind

whether　he　would　print　his　poetry　in　a　book　and　sell　it；　or　find　a

princess　and　marry　her。



'Whichever　it　is；'　he　added；　'none　of　you　shall　want　for　anything；

though　Oswald　did　kick　me；　and　say　I　was　a　snivelling　pig。'



'I　didn't；'　said　Oswald；　'I　told　you　not　to　be。'　　And　Alice

explained　to　him　that　that　was　quite　the　opposite　of　what　he

thought。　　So　he　agreed　to　drop　it。　　Then　Dicky　spoke。



'You　must　all　of　you　have　noticed　the　advertisements　in　the　papers；

telling　you　that　ladies　and　gentlemen　can　easily　earn　two　pounds　a

week　in　their　spare　time；　and　to　send　two　shillings　for　sample　and

instructions；　carefully　packed　free　from　observation。　　Now　that　we

don't　go　to　school　all　our　time　is　spare　time。　　So　I　should　think

we　could　easily　earn　twenty　pounds　a　week　each。　　That　would　do　us

very　well。　　We'll　try　some　of　the　other　things　first；　and　directly

we　have　any　money　we'll　send　for　the　sample　and　instructions。　　And

I　have　another　idea；　but　I　must　think　about　it　before　I　say。'



We　all　said；　'Out　with　it　…　what's　the　other　idea？'



But　Dicky　said；　'No。'　　That　is　Dicky　all　over。　　He　never　will　show

you　anything　he's　making　till　it's　quite　finished；　and　the　same

with　his　inmost　thoughts。　　But　he　is　pleased　if　you　seem　to　want　to

know；　so　Oswald　said　…



'Keep　your　silly　old　secret；　then。　　Now；　Dora；　drive　ahead。　　We've

all　said　except　you。'



Then　Dora　jumped　up　and　dropped　the　stocking　and　the　thimble　（it

rolled　away；　and　we　did　not　find　it　for　days）；　and　said　…



'Let's　try　my　way　now。　　Besides；　I'm　the　eldest；　so　it's　only　fair。



Let's　dig　for　treasure。　　Not　any　tiresome　divining…rod　…　but　just

plain　digging。　　People　who　dig　for　treasure　always　find　it。　　And

then　we　shall　be　rich　and　we　needn't　try　your　ways　at　all。　　Some　of

them　are　rather　difficult：　and　I'm　certain　some　of　them　are　wrong

…　and　we　must　always　remember　that　wrong　things　…'



But　we　told　her　to　shut　up　and　come　on；　and　she　did。



I　couldn't　help　wondering　as　we　went　down　to　the　garden；　why　Father

had　never　thought　of　digging　there　for　treasure　instead　of　going　to

his　beastly　office　every　day。







CHAPTER　2

DIGGING　FOR　TREASURE





I　am　afraid　the　last　chapter　was　rather　dull。　　It　is　always　dull　in

books　when　people　talk　and　talk；　and　don't　do　anything；　but　I　was

obliged　to　put　it　in；　or　else　you　wouldn't　have　understood　all　the

rest。　　The　best　part　of　books　is　when　things　are　happening。　　That

is　the　best　part　of　real　things　too。　　This　is　why　I　shall　not　tell

you　in　this　story　about　all　the　days　when　nothing　happened。　　You

will　not　catch　me　saying；　'thus　the　sad　days　passed　slowly　by'　…　or

'the　years　rolled　on　their　weary　course'　…　or　'time　went　on'　…

because　it　is　silly；　of　course　time　goes　on　…　whether　you　say　so　or

not。　　So　I　shall　just　tell　you　the　nice；　interesting　parts　…　and　in

between　you　will　understand　that　we　had　our　meals　and　got　up　and

went　to　bed；　and　dull　things　like　that。　　It　would　be　sickening　to

write　all　that　down；　though　of　course　it　happens。　　I　said　so　to

Albert…next…door's　uncle；　who　writes　books；　and　he　said；　'Quite

right；　that's　what　we　call　selection；　a　necessity　of　true　art。'　

And　he　is　very　clever　indeed。　　So　you　see。



I　have　often　thought　that　if　the　people　who　write　books　for

children　knew　a　little　more　it　would　be　better。　　I　shall　not　tell

you　anything　about　us　except　what　I　should　like　to　know　about　if　I

was　reading　the　story　and　you　were　writing　it。　　Albert's　uncle　says

I　ought　to　have　put　this　in　the　preface；　but　I　never　read　prefaces；

and　it　is　not　much　good　writing　things　just　for　people　to　skip。　　I

wonder　other　authors　have　never　thought　of　this。



Well；　when　we　had　agreed　to　dig　for　treasure　we　all　went　down　into

the　cellar　and　lighted　the　gas。　　Oswald　would　have　liked　to　dig

there；　but　it　is　stone　flags。　　We　looked　among　the　old　boxes　and

broken　chairs　and　fenders　and　empty　bottles　and　things；　and　at　last

we　found　the　spades　we　had　to　dig　in　the　sand　with　when　we　went　to

the　seaside　three　years　ago。　　They　are　not　silly；　babyish；　wooden

spades；　that　split　if　you　look　at　them；　but　good　iron；　with　a　blue

mark　across　the　top　of　the　iron　part；　and　yellow　wooden　handles。　

We　wasted　a　little　time　getting　them　dusted；　because　the　girls

wouldn't　dig　with　spades　that　had　cobwebs　on　them。　　Girls　would

never　do　for　African　explorers　or　anything　like　that；　they　are　too

beastly　particular。



It　was　no　use　doing　the　thing　by　halves。　　We　marked　out　a　sort　of

square　in　the　mouldy　part　of　the　garden；　about　three　yards　across；

and　began　to　dig。　　But　we　found　nothing　except　worms　and　stones　…

and　the　ground　was　very　hard。　　So　we　thought　we'd　try　another　part

of　the　garden；　and　we　found　a　place　in　the　big　round　flower　bed；

where　the　ground　was　much　softer。　　We　thought　we'd　make　a　smaller

hole　to　begin　with；　and　it　was　much　better。　　We　dug　and　dug　and

dug；　and　it　was　jolly　hard　work！　　We　got　very　hot　digging；　but　we

found　nothing。



Presently　Albert…next…door　looked　over　the　wall。　　We　do　not　like

him　very　much；　but　we　let　him　play　with　us　sometimes；　because　his

father　is　dead；　and　you　must　not　be　unkind　to　orphans；　even　if

their　mothers　are　alive。　　Albert　is　always　very　tidy。　　He　wears

frilly　collars　and　velvet　knickerbockers。　　I　can't　think　how　he　can

bear　to。　　So　we　said；　'Hallo！'　　And　he　said；　'What　are　you　up　to？'



'We're　digging　for　treasure；'　said　Alice；　'an　ancient　parchment

revealed　to　us　the　place　of　concealment。　　Come　over　and　help　us。　

When　we　have　dug　deep　enough　we　shall　find　a　great　pot　of　red　clay；

full　of　gold　and　precious　jewels。'



Albert…next…door　only　sniggered　and　said；　'What　silly　nonsense！'



He　cannot　play　properly　at　all。　　It　is　very　strange；　because　he　has

a　very　nice　uncle。　　You　see；　Albert…next…door　doesn't　care　for

reading；　and　he　has　not　read　nearly　so　many　books　as　we　have；　so　he

is　very　foolish　and　ignorant；　but　it　cannot　be　helped；　and　you　just

have　to　put　up　with　it　when　you　want　him　to　do　anything。　　Besides；

it　is　wrong　to　be　angry　with　people　for　not　being　so　clever　as　you

are　yourself。　　It　is　not　always　their　faults。



So　Oswald　said；　'Come　and　dig！　　Then　you　shall　share　the　treasure

when　we've　found　it。'



But　he　said；　'I　shan't　…　I　don't　like　digging　…　and　I'm　just　going

in　to　my　tea。'



'Come　along　and　dig；　there's　a　good　boy；'　Alice　said。　　'You　can　use

my　spade。　　It's　much　the　best　…'



So　he　came　along　and　dug；　and　when　once　he　was　over　the　wall　we

kept　him　at　it；　and　we　worked　as　well；　of　course；　and　the　hole　got

deep。　　Pincher　worked　too　…　he　is　our　dog　and　he　is　very　good　at

digging。　　He　digs　for　rats　in　the　dustbin　sometimes；　and　gets　very

dirty。　　But　we　love　our　dog；　even　when　his　face　wants　washing。



'I　expect　we　shall　have　to　make　a　tunnel；'　Oswald　said；　'to　reach

the　rich　treasure。'　　So　he　jumped　into　the　hole　and　began　to　dig　at

one　side。　　After　that　we　took　it　in　turns　to　dig　at　the　tunnel；　and

Pincher　was　most　useful　in　scraping　the　earth　out　of　the　tunnel　…

he　does　it　with　his　back　feet　when　you　say　'Rats！'　and　he　digs　with

his　front　ones；　and　burrows　with　his　nose　as　well。



At　last　the　tunnel　was　nearly　a　yard　long；　and　big　enough　to　creep

along　to　find　the　treasure；　if　only　it　had　been　a　bit　longer。　　Now

it　was　Albert's　turn　to　go　in　and　dig；　but　he　funked　it。



'Take　your　turn　like　a　man；'　said　Oswald　…　nobody　can　say　that

Oswald　doesn't　take　his　turn　like　a　man。　　But　Albert　wouldn't。　　So

we　had　to　make　him；　because　it　was　only　fair。



'It's　quite　easy；'　Alice　said。　　'You　just　crawl　in　and　dig　with

your　hands。　　Then　when　you　come　out　we　can　scrape　out　what　you've

done；　with　the　spades。　　Come　…　be　a　man。　　You　won't　notice　it　being

dark　in　the　tunnel　if　you　shut　your　eyes　tight。　　We've　all　been　in

except　Dora　…　and　she　doesn't　like　worms。'



'I　don't　like　worms　neither。'　　Albert…next…door　said　this；　but　we

remembered　how　he　had　picked　a　fat　red　and　black　worm　up　in　his

fingers　and　thrown　it　at　Dora　only　the　day　before。　　So　we　put　him

in。



But　he　would　not　go　in　head　first；　the　proper　way；　and　dig　with　his

hands　as　we　had　done；　and　though　Oswald　was　angry　at　the　time；　for

he　hates　snivellers；　yet　afterwards　he　owned　that　perhaps　it　was

just　as　well。　　You　should　never　be　afraid　to　own　that　perhaps　you

were　mistaken　…　but　it　is　cowardly　to　do　it　unl