the story of the treasure seekers-第3部分

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

were　mistaken　…　but　it　is　cowardly　to　do　it　unless　you　are　quite

sure　you　are　in　the　wrong。



'Let　me　go　in　feet　first；'　said　Albert…next…door。　　'I'll　dig　with

my　boots　…　I　will　truly；　honour　bright。'



So　we　let　him　get　in　feet　first　…　and　he　did　it　very　slowly　and　at

last　he　was　in；　and　only　his　head　sticking　out　into　the　hole；　and

all　the　rest　of　him　in　the　tunnel。



'Now　dig　with　your　boots；'　said　Oswald；　'and；　Alice；　do　catch　hold

of　Pincher；　he'll　be　digging　again　in　another　minute；　and　perhaps

it　would　be　uncomfortable　for　Albert　if　Pincher　threw　the　mould

into　his　eyes。'



You　should　always　try　to　think　of　these　little　things。　　Thinking　of

other　people's　comfort　makes　them　like　you。　　Alice　held　Pincher；

and　we　all　shouted；　'Kick！　dig　with　your　feet；　for　all　you're

worth！'



So　Albert…next…door　began　to　dig　with　his　feet；　and　we　stood　on　the

ground　over　him；　waiting　…　and　all　in　a　minute　the　ground　gave　way；

and　we　tumbled　together　in　a　heap：　and　when　we　got　up　there　was　a

little　shallow　hollow　where　we　had　been　standing；　and

Albert…next…door　was　under…　neath；　stuck　quite　fast；　because　the

roof　of　the　tunnel　had　tumbled　in　on　him。　　He　is　a　horribly　unlucky

boy　to　have　anything　to　do　with。



It　was　dreadful　the　way　he　cried　and　screamed；　though　he　had　to　own

it　didn't　hurt；　only　it　was　rather　heavy　and　he　couldn't　move　his

legs。　　We　would　have　dug　him　out　all　right　enough；　in　time；　but　he

screamed　so　we　were　afraid　the　police　would　come；　so　Dicky　climbed

over　the　wall；　to　tell　the　cook　there　to　tell　Albert…next…door's

uncle　he　had　been　buried　by　mistake；　and　to　come　and　help　dig　him

out。



Dicky　was　a　long　time　gone。　　We　wondered　what　had　become　of　him；

and　all　the　while　the　screaming　went　on　and　on；　for　we　had　taken

the　loose　earth　off　Albert's　face　so　that　he　could　scream　quite

easily　and　comfortably。



Presently　Dicky　came　back　and　Albert…next…door's　uncle　came　with

him。　　He　has　very　long　legs；　and　his　hair　is　light　and　his　face　is

brown。　　He　has　been　to　sea；　but　now　he　writes　books。　　I　like　him。



He　told　his　nephew　to　stow　it；　so　Albert　did；　and　then　he　asked　him

if　he　was　hurt　…　and　Albert　had　to　say　he　wasn't；　for　though　he　is

a　coward；　and　very　unlucky；　he　is　not　a　liar　like　some　boys　are。



'This　promises　to　be　a　protracted　if　agreeable　task；'　said

Albert…next…door's　uncle；　rubbing　his　hands　and　looking　at　the　hole

with　Albert's　head　in　it。　　'I　will　get　another　spade；'　so　he

fetched　the　big　spade　out　of　the　next…door　garden　tool…shed；　and

began　to　dig　his　nephew　out。



'Mind　you　keep　very　still；'　he　said；　'or　I　might　chunk　a　bit　out　of

you　with　the　spade。'　　Then　after　a　while　he　said　…



'I　confess　that　I　am　not　absolutely　insensible　to　the　dramatic

interest　of　the　situation。　　My　curiosity　is　excited。　　I　own　that　I

should　like　to　know　how　my　nephew　happened　to　be　buried。　　But　don't

tell　me　if　you'd　rather　not。　　I　suppose　no　force　was　used？'



'Only　moral　force；'　said　Alice。　　They　used　to　talk　a　lot　about

moral　force　at　the　High　School　where　she　went；　and　in　case　you

don't　know　what　it　means　I'll　tell　you　that　it　is　making　people　do

what　they　don't　want　to；　just　by　slanging　them；　or　laughing　at

them；　or　promising　them　things　if　they're　good。



'Only　moral　force；　eh？'　said　Albert…next…door's　uncle。　　'Well？'



'Well；'　Dora　said；　'I'm　very　sorry　it　happened　to　Albert　…　I'd

rather　it　had　been　one　of　us。　　It　would　have　been　my　turn　to　go

into　the　tunnel；　only　I　don't　like　worms；　so　they　let　me　off。　　You

see　we　were　digging　for　treasure。'



'Yes；'　said　Alice；　'and　I　think　we　were　just　coming　to　the

underground　passage　that　leads　to　the　secret　hoard；　when　the　tunnel

fell　in　on　Albert。　　He　is　so　unlucky；'　and　she　sighed。



Then　Albert…next…door　began　to　scream　again；　and　his　uncle　wiped

his　face　…　his　own　face；　not　Albert's　…　with　his　silk　handkerchief；

and　then　he　put　it　in　his　trousers　pocket。　　It　seems　a　strange

place　to　put　a　handkerchief；　but　he　had　his　coat　and　waistcoat　off

and　I　suppose　he　wanted　the　handkerchief　handy。　　Digging　is　warm

work。



He　told　Albert…next…door　to　drop　it；　or　he　wouldn't　proceed　further

in　the　matter；　so　Albert　stopped　screaming；　and　presently　his　uncle

finished　digging　him　out。　　Albert　did　look　so　funny；　with　his　hair

all　dusty　and　his　velvet　suit　covered　with　mould　and　his　face　muddy

with　earth　and　crying。



We　all　said　how　sorry　we　were；　but　he　wouldn't　say　a　word　back　to

us。　　He　was　most　awfully　sick　to　think　he'd　been　the　one　buried；

when　it　might　just　as　well　have　been　one　of　us。　　I　felt　myself　that

it　was　hard　lines。



'So　you　were　digging　for　treasure；'　said　Albert…next…door's　uncle；

wiping　his　face　again　with　his　handkerchief。　　'Well；　I　fear　that

your　chances　of　success　are　small。　　I　have　made　a　careful　study　of

the　whole　subject。　　What　I　don't　know　about　buried　treasure　is　not

worth　knowing。　　And　I　never　knew　more　than　one　coin　buried　in　any

one　garden　…　and　that　is　generally　…　Hullo　…　what's　that？'



He　pointed　to　something　shining　in　the　hole　he　had　just　dragged

Albert　out　of。　　Oswald　picked　it　up。　　It　was　a　half…crown。　　We

looked　at　each　other；　speechless　with　surprise　and　delight；　like　in

books。



'Well；　that's　lucky；　at　all　events；'　said　Albert…next…door's　uncle。



'Let's　see；　that's　fivepence　each　for　you。'




'It's　fourpence　…　something；　I　can't　do　fractions；'　said　Dicky；

'there　are　seven　of　us；　you　see。'



'Oh；　you　count　Albert　as　one　of　yourselves　on　this　occasion；　eh？'



'Of　course；'　said　Alice；　'and　I　say；　he　was　buried　after　all。　　Why

shouldn't　we　let　him　have　the　odd　somethings；　and　we'll　have

fourpence　each。'



We　all　agreed　to　do　this；　and　told　Albert…next…door　we　would　bring

his　share　as　soon　as　we　could　get　the　half…crown　changed。　　He

cheered　up　a　little　at　that；　and　his　uncle　wiped　his　face　again　…

he　did　look　hot　…　and　began　to　put　on　his　coat　and　waistcoat。



When　he　had　done　it　he　stooped　and　picked　up　something。　　He　held　it

up；　and　you　will　hardly　believe　it；　but　it　is　quite　true　…　it　was

another　half…crown！



'To　think　that　there　should　be　two！'　he　said；　'in　all　my　experience

of　buried　treasure　I　never　heard　of　such　a　thing！'



I　wish　Albert…next…door's　uncle　would　come　treasure…seeking　with　us

regularly；　he　must　have　very　sharp　eyes：　for　Dora　says　she　was

looking　just　the　minute　before　at　the　very　place　where　the　second

half…crown　was　picked　up　from；　and　she　never　saw　it。







CHAPTER　3

BEING　DETECTIVES





The　next　thing　that　happened　to　us　was　very　interesting。　　It　was　as

real　as　the　half…crowns　…　not　just　pretending。　　I　shall　try　to

write　it　as　like　a　real　book　as　I　can。　　Of　course　we　have　read　Mr

Sherlock　Holmes；　as　well　as　the　yellow…covered　books　with　pictures

outside　that　are　so　badly　printed；　and　you　get　them　for

fourpence…halfpenny　at　the　bookstall　when　the　corners　of　them　are

beginning　to　curl　up　and　get　dirty；　with　people　looking　to　see　how

the　story　ends　when　they　are　waiting　for　trains。　　I　think　this　is

most　unfair　to　the　boy　at　the　bookstall。　　The　books　are　written　by

a　gentleman　named　Gaboriau；　and　Albert's　uncle　says　they　are　the

worst　translations　in　the　world　…　and　written　in　vile　English。　　Of

course　they're　not　like　Kipling；　but　they're　jolly　good　stories。　

And　we　had　just　been　reading　a　book　by　Dick　Diddlington　…　that's

not　his　right　name；　but　I　know　all　about　libel　actions；　so　I　shall

not　say　what　his　name　is　really；　because　his　books　are　rot。　　Only

they　put　it　into　our　heads　to　do　what　I　am　going　to　narrate。



It　was　in　September；　and　we　were　not　to　go　to　the　seaside　because

it　is　so　expensive；　even　if　you　go　to　Sheerness；　where　it　is　all

tin　cans　and　old　boots　and　no　sand　at　all。　　But　every　one　else

went；　even　the　people　next　door　…　not　Albert's　side；　but　the　other。



Their　servant　told　Eliza　they　were　all　going　to　Scarborough；　and

next　day　sure　enough　all　the　blinds　were　down　and　the　shutters　up；

and　the　milk　was　not　left　any　more。　　There　is　a　big　horse…chestnut

tree　between　their　garden　and　ours；　very　useful　for　getting　conkers

out　of　and　for　making　stuff　to　rub　on　your　chilblains。　　This

prevented　our　seeing　whether　the　blinds　were　down　at　the　back　as

well；　but　Dicky　climbed　to　the　top　of　the　tree　and　looked；　and　they

were。

It　was　jolly　hot　weather；　and　very　stuffy　indoors　…　we　used　to　play

a　good　deal　in　the　garden。　　We　made　a　tent　out　of　the　kitchen

clothes…horse　and　some　blankets　off　our　beds；　and　though　it　was

quite　as　hot　in　the　tent　as　in　the　house　it　was　a　very　different

sort　of　hotness。　　Albert's　uncle　called　it　the　Turkish　Bath。　　It　is

not　nice　to　be　kept　from　the　seaside；　but　we　know　that　we　have　much

to　be　thankful　for。　　We　might　be　poor　little　children　living　in　a

crowded　alley　where　even　at　summer　noon　hardly　a　ray　of　sunlight

penetrates；　clothed　in　rags　and　with　bare　feet　…　though　I　do　not

mind　holes　in　my　clothes　myself；　and　bare　feet　would　not　be　at　all

bad　in　this　sort　of　weather。　　Indeed　we　do；　sometimes；　when　we　are

playing　at　things　which　require　it。　　It　was　shipwrecked　mariners

that　day；　I　remember；　and　we　were　all　in　the　blanket　tent。　　We　had

just　finished　eating　the　things　we　had　saved；　at　the　peril　of　our

lives；　from　the　st…sinking　vessel。　　They　were　rather　nice　things。　

Two…pennyworth　of　coconut　candy　…　it　was　got　in　Greenwich；　where　it

is　four　ounces　a　penny　…　three　apples；　some　macaroni　…　the　straight

sort　that　is　so　useful　to　suck　things　through　…　some　raw　rice；　and

a　large　piece　of　cold　suet　pudding　that　Alice　nicked　from　the

larder　when　she　went　to　get　the　rice　and　macaroni。　　And　when　we　had

finished　some　one　said　…



'I　should　like　to　be　a　detective。'



I　wish　to　be　quite　fair；　but　I　cannot　remember　exactly　who　said　it。



Oswald　thinks　he　said　it；　and　Dora　says　it　was　Dicky；　but　Oswald　is