the story of the treasure seekers-第4部分

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

too　much　of　a　man　to　quarrel　about　a　little　thing　like　that。



'I　should　like　to　be　a　detective；'　said　…　perhaps　it　was　Dicky；　but

I　think　not　…　'and　find　out　strange　and　hidden　crimes。'



'You　have　to　be　much　cleverer　than　you　are；'　said　H。　O。



'Not　so　very；'　Alice　said；　'because　when　you've　read　the　books　you

know　what　the　things　mean：　the　red　hair　on　the　handle　of　the　knife；

or　the　grains　of　white　powder　on　the　velvet　collar　of　the　villain's

overcoat。　　I　believe　we　could　do　it。'



'I　shouldn't　like　to　have　anything　to　do　with　murders；'　said　Dora；

'somehow　it　doesn't　seem　safe　…'



'And　it　always　ends　in　the　poor　murderer　being　hanged；'　said　Alice。



We　explained　to　her　why　murderers　have　to　be　hanged；　but　she　only

said；　'I　don't　care。　　I'm　sure　no　one　would　ever　do　murdering

twice。　　Think　of　the　blood　and　things；　and　what　you　would　see　when

you　woke　up　in　the　night！　　I　shouldn't　mind　being　a　detective　to

lie　in　wait　for　a　gang　of　coiners；　now；　and　spring　upon　them

unawares；　and　secure　them　…　single…handed；　you　know；　or　with　only

my　faithful　bloodhound。'



She　stroked　Pincher's　ears；　but　he　had　gone　to　sleep　because　he

knew　well　enough　that　all　the　suet　pudding　was　finished。　　He　is　a

very　sensible　dog。

'You　always　get　hold　of　the　wrong　end　of　the　stick；'　Oswald　said。　

'You　can't　choose　what　crimes　you'll　be　a　detective　about。　　You

just　have　to　get　a　suspicious　circumstance；　and　then　you　look　for

a　clue　and　follow　it　up。　　Whether　it　turns　out　a　murder　or　a

missing　will　is　just　a　fluke。'



'That's　one　way；'　Dicky　said。　　'Another　is　to　get　a　paper　and　find

two　advertisements　or　bits　of　news　that　fit。　　Like　this：　〃Young

Lady　Missing；〃　and　then　it　tells　about　all　the　clothes　she　had　on；

and　the　gold　locket　she　wore；　and　the　colour　of　her　hair；　and　all

that；　and　then　in　another　piece　of　the　paper　you　see；　〃Gold　locket

found；〃　and　then　it　all　comes　out。'



We　sent　H。　O。　for　the　paper　at　once；　but　we　could　not　make　any　of

the　things　fit　in。　　The　two　best　were　about　how　some　burglars　broke

into　a　place　in　Holloway　where　they　made　preserved　tongues　and

invalid　delicacies；　and　carried　off　a　lot　of　them。　　And　on　another

page　there　was；　'Mysterious　deaths　in　Holloway。'



Oswald　thought　there　was　something　in　it；　and　so　did　Albert's　uncle

when　we　asked　him；　but　the　others　thought　not；　so　Oswald　agreed　to

drop　it。　　Besides；　Holloway　is　a　long　way　off。　　All　the　time　we

were　talking　about　the　paper　Alice　seemed　to　be　thinking　about

something　else；　and　when　we　had　done　she　said　…



'I　believe　we　might　be　detectives　ourselves；　but　I　should　not　like

to　get　anybody　into　trouble。'



'Not　murderers　or　robbers？'　Dicky　asked。



'It　wouldn't　be　murderers；'　she　said；　'but　I　have　noticed　something

strange。　　Only　I　feel　a　little　frightened。　　Let's　ask　Albert's

uncle　first。'



Alice　is　a　jolly　sight　too　fond　of　asking　grown…UP　people　things。　

And　we　all　said　it　was　tommyrot；　and　she　was　to　tell　us。



'Well；　promise　you　won't　do　anything　without　me；'　Alice　said；　and

we　promised。　　Then　she　said　…　'This　is　a　dark　secret；　and　any　one

who　thinks　it　is　better　not　to　be　involved　in　a　career　of　crime…

discovery　had　better　go　away　ere　yet　it　be　too　late。'



So　Dora　said　she　had　had　enough　of　tents；　and　she　was　going　to　look

at　the　shops。　　H。　O。　went　with　her　because　he　had　twopence　to

spend。　　They　thought　it　was　only　a　game　of　Alice's　but　Oswald　knew

by　the　way　she　spoke。　　He　can　nearly　always　tell。　　And　when　people

are　not　telling　the　truth　Oswald　generally　knows　by　the　way　they

look　with　their　eyes。　　Oswald　is　not　proud　of　being　able　to　do

this。　　He　knows　it　is　through　no　merit　of　his　own　that　he　is　much

cleverer　than　some　people。



When　they　had　gone；　the　rest　of　us　got　closer　together　and　said　…

'Now　then。'



'Well；'　Alice　said；　'you　know　the　house　next　door？　　The　people　have

gone　to　Scarborough。　　And　the　house　is　shut　up。　　But　last　night　I

saw　a　light　in　the　windows。'



We　asked　her　how　and　when；　because　her　room　is　in　the　front；　and

she　couldn't　possibly　have　seen。　　And　then　she　said　…



'I'll　tell　you　if　you　boys　will　promise　not　ever　to　go　fishing

again　without　me。'　　So　we　had　to　promise。　　Then　she　said　…



'It　was　last　night。　　I　had　forgotten　to　feed　my　rabbits　and　I　woke

up　and　remembered　it。　　And　I　was　afraid　I　should　find　them　dead　in

the　morning；　like　Oswald　did。'



'It　wasn't　my　fault；'　Oswald　said；　'there　was　something　the　matter

with　the　beasts。　　I　fed　them　right　enough。'



Alice　said　she　didn't　mean　that；　and　she　went　on　…



'I　came　down　into　the　garden；　and　I　saw　a　light　in　the　house；　and

dark　figures　moving　about。　　I　thought　perhaps　it　was　burglars；　but

Father　hadn't　come　home；　and　Eliza　had　gone　to　bed；　so　I　couldn't

do　anything。　　Only　I　thought　perhaps　I　would　tell　the　rest　of　you。'





'Why　didn't　you　tell　us　this　morning？'　Noel　asked。　　And　Alice

explained　that　she　did　not　want　to　get　any　one　into　trouble；　even

burglars。　　'But　we　might　watch　to…night；'　she　said；　'and　see　if　we

see　the　light　again。'



'They　might　have　been　burglars；'　Noel　said。　　He　was　sucking　the

last　bit　of　his　macaroni。　　'You　know　the　people　next　door　are　very

grand。　　They　won't　know　us　…　and　they　go　out　in　a　real　private

carriage　sometimes。　　And　they　have　an　〃At　Home〃　day；　and　people

come　in　cabs。　　I　daresay　they　have　piles　of　plate　and　jewellery　and

rich　brocades；　and　furs　of　price　and　things　like　that。　　Let　us　keep

watch　to…night。'



'It's　no　use　watching　to…night；'　Dicky　said；　'if　it's　only　burglars

they　won't　come　again。　　But　there　are　other　things　besides　burglars

that　are　discovered　in　empty　houses　where　lights　are　seen　moving。'



'You　mean　coiners；'　said　Oswald　at　once。　　'I　wonder　what　the　reward

is　for　setting　the　police　on　their　track？'



Dicky　thought　it　ought　to　be　something　fat；　because　coiners　are

always　a　desperate　gang；　and　the　machinery　they　make　the　coins　with

is　so　heavy　and　handy　for　knocking　down　detectives。



Then　it　was　tea…time；　and　we　went　in；　and　Dora　and　H。　O。　had

clubbed　their　money　together　and　bought　a　melon；　quite　a　big　one；

and　only　a　little　bit　squashy　at　one　end。　　It　was　very　good；　and

then　we　washed　the　seeds　and　made　things　with　them　and　with　pins

and　cotton。　　And　nobody　said　any　more　about　watching　the　house　next

door。



Only　when　we　went　to　bed　Dicky　took　off　his　coat　and　waistcoat；　but

he　stopped　at　his　braces；　and　said　…



'What　about　the　coiners？'



Oswald　had　taken　off　his　collar　and　tie；　and　he　was　just　going　to

say　the　same；　so　he　said；　'Of　course　I　meant　to　watch；　only　my

collar's　rather　tight；　so　I　thought　I'd　take　it　off　first。'



Dicky　said　he　did　not　think　the　girls　ought　to　be　in　it；　because

there　might　be　danger；　but　Oswald　reminded　him　that　they　had

promised　Alice；　and　that　a　promise　is　a　sacred　thing；　even　when

you'd　much　rather　not。　　So　Oswald　got　Alice　alone　under　pretence　of

showing　her　a　caterpillar　…　Dora　does　not　like　them；　and　she

screamed　and　ran　away　when　Oswald　offered　to　show　it　her。　　Then

Oswald　explained；　and　Alice　agreed　to　come　and　watch　if　she　could。　

This　made　us　later　than　we　ought　to　have　been；　because　Alice　had　to

wait　till　Dora　was　quiet　and　then　creep　out　very　slowly；　for　fear

of　the　boards　creaking。　　The　girls　sleep　with　their　room…door　open

for　fear　of　burglars。　　Alice　had　kept　on　her　clothes　under　her

nightgown　when　Dora　wasn't　looking；　and　presently　we　got　down；

creeping　past　Father's　study；　and　out　at　the　glass　door　that　leads

on　to　the　veranda　and　the　iron　steps　into　the　garden。　　And　we　went

down　very　quietly；　and　got　into　the　chestnut…tree；　and　then　I　felt

that　we　had　only　been　playing　what　Albert's　uncle　calls　our

favourite　instrument　…　I　mean　the　Fool。　　For　the　house　next　door

was　as　dark　as　dark。　　Then　suddenly　we　heard　a　sound　…　it　came　from

the　gate　at　the　end　of　the　garden。　　All　the　gardens　have　gates；

they　lead　into　a　kind　of　lane　that　runs　behind　them。　　It　is　a　sort

of　back　way；　very　convenient　when　you　don't　want　to　say　exactly

where　you　are　going。　　We　heard　the　gate　at　the　end　of　the　next

garden　click；　and　Dicky　nudged　Alice　so　that　she　would　have　fallen

out　of　the　tree　if　it　had　not　been　for　Oswald's　extraordinary

presence　of　mind。　　Oswald　squeezed　Alice's　arm　tight；　and　we　all

looked；　and　the　others　were　rather　frightened　because　really　we　had

not　exactly　expected　anything　to　happen　except　perhaps　a　light。　

But　now　a　muffled　figure；　shrouded　in　a　dark　cloak；　came　swiftly　up

the　path　of　the　next…door　garden。　　And　we　could　see　that　under　its

cloak　the　figure　carried　a　mysterious　burden。　　The　figure　was

dressed　to　look　like　a　woman　in　a　sailor　hat。



We　held　our　breath　as　it　passed　under　the　tree　where　we　were；　and

then　it　tapped　very　gently　on　the　back　door　and　was　let　in；　and

then　a　light　appeared　in　the　window　of　the　downstairs　back

breakfast…room。　　But　the　shutters　were　up。



Dicky　said；　'My　eye！'　and　wouldn't　the　others　be　sick　to　think　they

hadn't　been　in　this！　　But　Alice　didn't　half　like　it　…　and　as　she　is

a　girl　I　do　not　blame　her。　　Indeed；　I　thought　myself　at　first　that

perhaps　it　would　be　better　to　retire　for　the　present；　and　return

later　with　a　strongly　armed　force。

'It's　not　burglars；'　Alice　whispered；　'the　mysterious　Stranger　was

bringing　things　in；　not　taking　them　out。　　They　must　be　coiners　…

and　oh；　Oswald！　…　don't　let's！　　The　things　they　coin　with　must　hurt

very　much。　　Do　let's　go　to　bed！'



But　Dicky　said　he　was　going　to　see；　if　there　was　a　reward　for

finding　out　things　like　this　he　would　like　to　have　the　reward。



'They　locked　the　back　door；'　he　whispered；　'I　heard　it　go。　　And　I

could　look　in　quite　well　through　the　holes　in　the　shutters　and　be

back　over　the　wall　long　before　they'd　got　the　door　open；　even　if

they　started　to　do　it　at　once。'



There　wer