BeingtheadventuresoftheBastablechildreninsearchofafortuneTO
OSWALDBARRON
WithoutwhomthisbookcouldneverhavebeenwrittenTheTreasureSeekersisdedicatedinmemoryofchildhoodsidenticalbutfortheaccidentsoftimeandspaceCONTENTS
1。TheCouncilofWaysandMeans2。DiggingforTreasure3。BeingDetectives4。GoodHunting5。ThePoetandtheEditor6。Noel’sPrincess7。BeingBandits8。BeingEditors9。TheG。B。
10。LordTottenham11。CastilianAmoroso12。TheNoblenessofOswald13。TheRobberandtheBurglar14。TheDivining—rod15。’Lo，thePoorIndian！’
16。TheEndoftheTreasure—seekingCHAPTER1
THECOUNCILOFWAYSANDMEANS
Thisisthestoryofthedifferentwayswelookedfortreasure，andIthinkwhenyouhavereadityouwillseethatwewerenotlazyaboutthelooking。
TherearesomethingsImusttellbeforeIbegintotellaboutthetreasure—seeking，becauseIhavereadbooksmyself，andIknowhowbeastlyitiswhenastorybegins，\"’Alas！\"saidHildegardewithadeepsigh，\"wemustlookourlastonthisancestralhome\"’—andthensomeoneelsesayssomething—andyoudon’tknowforpagesandpageswherethehomeis，orwhoHildegardeis，oranythingaboutit。OurancestralhomeisintheLewishamRoad。Itissemi—detachedandhasagarden，notalargeone。WearetheBastables。TherearesixofusbesidesFather。OurMotherisdead，andifyouthinkwedon’tcarebecauseIdon’ttellyoumuchaboutheryouonlyshowthatyoudonotunderstandpeopleatall。
Doraistheeldest。ThenOswald—andthenDicky。OswaldwontheLatinprizeathispreparatoryschool—andDickyisgoodatsums。
AliceandNoelaretwins：theyareten，andHoraceOctaviusismyyoungestbrother。Itisoneofusthattellsthisstory—butI
shallnottellyouwhich：onlyattheveryendperhapsIwill。
Whilethestoryisgoingonyoumaybetryingtoguess，onlyIbetyoudon’t。ItwasOswaldwhofirstthoughtoflookingfortreasure。Oswaldoftenthinksofveryinterestingthings。Anddirectlyhethoughtofithedidnotkeepittohimself，assomeboyswouldhavedone，buthetoldtheothers，andsaid—
’I’lltellyouwhat，wemustgoandseekfortreasure：itisalwayswhatyoudotorestorethefallenfortunesofyourHouse。’
Dorasaiditwasallverywell。Sheoftensaysthat。ShewastryingtomendalargeholeinoneofNoel’sstockings。Hetoreitonanailwhenwewereplayingshipwreckedmarinersontopofthechicken—housethedayH。O。felloffandcuthischin：hehasthescarstill。Doraistheonlyoneofuswhoevertriestomendanything。Alicetriestomakethingssometimes。OncesheknittedaredscarfforNoelbecausehischestisdelicate，butitwasmuchwideratoneendthantheother，andhewouldn’twearit。Soweuseditasapennon，anditdidverywell，becausemostofourthingsareblackorgreysinceMotherdied;andscarletwasanicechange。Fatherdoesnotlikeyoutoaskfornewthings。ThatwasonewaywehadofknowingthatthefortunesoftheancientHouseofBastablewerereallyfallen。Anotherwaywasthattherewasnomorepocket—money—exceptapennynowandthentothelittleones，andpeopledidnotcometodinneranymore，liketheyusedto，withprettydresses，drivingupincabs—andthecarpetsgotholesinthem—andwhenthelegscameoffthingstheywerenotsenttobemended，andwegaveUPhavingthegardenerexceptforthefrontgarden，andnotthatveryoften。Andthesilverinthebigoakplate—chestthatislinedwithgreenbaizeallwentawaytotheshoptohavethedentsandscratchestakenoutofit，anditnevercameback。WethinkFatherhadn’tenoughmoneytopaythesilvermanfortakingoutthedentsandscratches。Thenewspoonsandforkswereyellowy—white，andnotsoheavyastheoldones，andtheynevershoneafterthefirstdayortwo。
FatherwasveryillafterMotherdied;andwhilehewasillhisbusiness—partnerwenttoSpain—andtherewasnevermuchmoneyafterwards。Idon’tknowwhy。Thentheservantsleftandtherewasonlyone，aGeneral。AgreatdealofyourcomfortandhappinessdependsonhavingagoodGeneral。Thelastbutonewasnice：sheusedtomakejollygoodcurrantpuddingsforus，andletushavethedishonthefloorandpretenditwasawildboarwewerekillingwithourforks。ButtheGeneralwehavenownearlyalwaysmakessagopuddings，andtheyarethewaterykind，andyoucannotpretendanythingwiththem，notevenislands，likeyoudowithporridge。
Thenweleftoffgoingtoschool，andFathersaidweshouldgotoagoodschoolassoonashecouldmanageit。Hesaidaholidaywoulddousallgood。Wethoughthewasright，butwewishedhehadtoldushecouldn’taffordit。Forofcourseweknew。
Thenagreatmanypeopleusedtocometothedoorwithenvelopeswithnostampsonthem，andsometimestheygotveryangry，andsaidtheywerecallingforthelasttimebeforeputtingitinotherhands。IaskedElizawhatthatmeant，andshekindlyexplainedtome，andIwassosorryforFather。
Andoncealong，bluepapercame;apolicemanbroughtit，andweweresofrightened。ButFathersaiditwasallright，onlywhenhewentuptokissthegirlsaftertheywereinbedtheysaidhehadbeencrying，thoughI’msurethat’snottrue。Becauseonlycowardsandsnivellerscry，andmyFatheristhebravestmanintheworld。
SoyouseeitwastimewelookedfortreasureandOswaldsaidso，andDorasaiditwasallverywell。ButtheothersagreedwithOswald。Soweheldacouncil。Dorawasinthechair—thebigdining—roomchair，thatweletthefireworksofffrom，theFifthofNovemberwhenwehadthemeaslesandcouldn’tdoitinthegarden。
Theholehasneverbeenmended，sonowwehavethatchairinthenursery，andIthinkitwascheapattheblowing—upweboysgotwhentheholewasburnt。
’Wemustdosomething，’saidAlice，’becausetheexchequerisempty。’Sherattledthemoney—boxasshespoke，anditreallydidrattlebecausewealwayskeepthebadsixpenceinitforluck。
’Yes—butwhatshallwedo？’saidDicky。’It’ssojollyeasytosaylet’sdosomething。’Dickyalwayswantseverythingsettledexactly。FathercallshimtheDefiniteArticle。
’Let’sreadallthebooksagain。Weshallgetlotsofideasoutofthem。’ItwasNoelwhosuggestedthis，butwemadehimshutup，becauseweknewwellenoughheonlywantedtogetbacktohisoldbooks。Noelisapoet。Hesoldsomeofhispoetryonce—anditwasprinted，butthatdoesnotcomeinthispartofthestory。
ThenDickysaid，’Lookhere。We’llbequitequietfortenminutesbytheclock—andeachthinkofsomewaytofindtreasure。Andwhenwe’vethoughtwe’lltryallthewaysoneaftertheother，beginningwiththeeldest。’
’Ishan’tbeabletothinkintenminutes，makeithalfanhour，’
saidH。O。HisrealnameisHoraceOctavius，butwecallhimH。O。
becauseoftheadvertisement，andit’snotsoverylongagohewasafraidtopassthehoardingwhereitsays’EatH。O。’inbigletters。Hesaysitwaswhenhewasalittleboy，butIrememberlastChristmasbutone，hewokeinthemiddleofthenightcryingandhowling，andtheysaiditwasthepudding。ButhetoldmeafterwardshehadbeendreamingthattheyreallyhadcometoeatH。
O。，anditcouldn’thavebeenthepudding，whenyoucometothinkofit，becauseitwassoveryplain。
Well，wemadeithalfanhour—andweallsatquiet，andthoughtandthought。AndImadeupmymindbeforetwominuteswereover，andIsawtheothershad，allbutDora，whoisalwaysanawfultimeovereverything。Igotpinsandneedlesinmylegfromsittingstillsolong，andwhenitwassevenminutesH。O。criedout—’Oh，itmustbemorethanhalfanhour！’
H。O。iseightyearsold，buthecannottelltheclockyet。Oswaldcouldtelltheclockwhenhewassix。
Weallstretchedourselvesandbegantospeakatonce，butDoraputupherhandstoherearsandsaid—
’Oneatatime，please。Wearen’tplayingBabel。’（Itisaverygoodgame。Didyoueverplayit？）
SoDoramadeusallsitinarowonthefloor，inages，andthenshepointedatuswiththefingerthathadthebrassthimbleon。
HersilveronegotlostwhenthelastGeneralbuttwowentaway。
WethinkshemusthaveforgottenitwasDora’sandputitinherboxbymistake。Shewasaveryforgetfulgirl。Sheusedtoforgetwhatshehadspentmoneyon，sothatthechangewasneverquiteright。
Oswaldspokefirst。’IthinkwemightstoppeopleonBlackheath—
withcrapemasksandhorse—pistols—andsay\"Yourmoneyoryourlife！Resistanceisuseless，wearearmedtotheteeth\"—likeDickTurpinandClaudeDuval。Itwouldn’tmatteraboutnothavinghorses，becausecoacheshavegoneouttoo。’
Dorascreweduphernosethewayshealwaysdoeswhensheisgoingtotalklikethegoodeldersisterinbooks，andsaid，’Thatwouldbeverywrong：it’slikepickpocketingortakingpenniesoutofFather’sgreat—coatwhenit’shanginginthehall。’
ImustsayIdon’tthinksheneedhavesaidthat，especiallybeforethelittleones—foritwaswhenIwasonlyfour。
ButOswaldwasnotgoingtoletherseehecared，sohesaid—
’Oh，verywell。Icanthinkoflotsofotherways。WecouldrescueanoldgentlemanfromdeadlyHighwaymen。’
’Therearen’tany，’saidDora。
’Oh，well，it’sallthesame—fromdeadlyperil，then。There’splentyofthat。ThenhewouldturnouttobethePrinceofWales，andhewouldsay，\"Mynoble，mycherishedpreserver！Hereisamillionpoundsayear。Riseup，SirOswaldBastable。\"’
Buttheothersdidnotseemtothinkso，anditwasAlice’sturntosay。
Shesaid，’Ithinkwemighttrythedivining—rod。I’msureI
coulddoit。I’veoftenreadaboutit。Youholdastickinyourhands，andwhenyoucometowherethereisgoldunderneaththestickkicksabout。Soyouknow。Andyoudig。’
’Oh，’saidDorasuddenly，’Ihaveanidea。ButI’llsaylast。I
hopethedivining—rodisn’twrong。Ibelieveit’swrongintheBible。’
’Soiseatingporkandducks，’saidDicky。’Youcan’tgobythat。’
’Anyhow，we’lltrytheotherwaysfirst，’saidDora。’Now，H。O。’
’Let’sbeBandits，’saidH。O。’Idaresayit’swrongbutitwouldbefunpretending。’
’I’msureit’swrong，’saidDora。
AndDickysaidshethoughteverythingwrong。Shesaidshedidn’t，andDickywasverydisagreeable。SoOswaldhadtomakepeace，andhesaid—’Doraneedn’tplayifshedoesn’twantto。Nobodyaskedher。And，Dicky，don’tbeanidiot：dodryupandlet’shearwhatNoel’sideais。’
DoraandDickydidnotlookpleased，butIkickedNoelunderthetabletomakehimhurryup，andthenhesaidhedidn’tthinkhewantedtoplayanymore。That’stheworstofit。Theothersaresojollyreadytoquarrel。ItoldNoeltobeamanandnotasnivellingpig，andatlasthesaidhehadnotmadeuphismindwhetherhewouldprinthispoetryinabookandsellit，orfindaprincessandmarryher。
’Whicheveritis，’headded，’noneofyoushallwantforanything，thoughOswalddidkickme，andsayIwasasnivellingpig。’
’Ididn’t，’saidOswald，’Itoldyounottobe。’AndAliceexplainedtohimthatthatwasquitetheoppositeofwhathethought。Soheagreedtodropit。ThenDickyspoke。
’Youmustallofyouhavenoticedtheadvertisementsinthepapers，tellingyouthatladiesandgentlemencaneasilyearntwopoundsaweekintheirsparetime，andtosendtwoshillingsforsampleandinstructions，carefullypackedfreefromobservation。Nowthatwedon’tgotoschoolallourtimeissparetime。SoIshouldthinkwecouldeasilyearntwentypoundsaweekeach。Thatwoulddousverywell。We’lltrysomeoftheotherthingsfirst，anddirectlywehaveanymoneywe’llsendforthesampleandinstructions。AndIhaveanotheridea，butImustthinkaboutitbeforeIsay。’
Weallsaid，’Outwithit—what’stheotheridea？’
ButDickysaid，’No。’ThatisDickyallover。Heneverwillshowyouanythinghe’smakingtillit’squitefinished，andthesamewithhisinmostthoughts。Butheispleasedifyouseemtowanttoknow，soOswaldsaid—
’Keepyoursillyoldsecret，then。Now，Dora，driveahead。We’veallsaidexceptyou。’
ThenDorajumpedupanddroppedthestockingandthethimble（itrolledaway，andwedidnotfinditfordays），andsaid—
’Let’strymywaynow。Besides，I’mtheeldest，soit’sonlyfair。
Let’sdigfortreasure。Notanytiresomedivining—rod—butjustplaindigging。Peoplewhodigfortreasurealwaysfindit。Andthenweshallberichandweneedn’ttryyourwaysatall。Someofthemareratherdifficult：andI’mcertainsomeofthemarewrong—andwemustalwaysrememberthatwrongthings—’
Butwetoldhertoshutupandcomeon，andshedid。
Icouldn’thelpwonderingaswewentdowntothegarden，whyFatherhadneverthoughtofdiggingtherefortreasureinsteadofgoingtohisbeastlyofficeeveryday。
CHAPTER2
DIGGINGFORTREASURE
Iamafraidthelastchapterwasratherdull。Itisalwaysdullinbookswhenpeopletalkandtalk，anddon’tdoanything，butIwasobligedtoputitin，orelseyouwouldn’thaveunderstoodalltherest。Thebestpartofbooksiswhenthingsarehappening。Thatisthebestpartofrealthingstoo。ThisiswhyIshallnottellyouinthisstoryaboutallthedayswhennothinghappened。Youwillnotcatchmesaying，’thusthesaddayspassedslowlyby’—or’theyearsrolledontheirwearycourse’—or’timewenton’—
becauseitissilly;ofcoursetimegoeson—whetheryousaysoornot。SoIshalljusttellyouthenice，interestingparts—andinbetweenyouwillunderstandthatwehadourmealsandgotupandwenttobed，anddullthingslikethat。Itwouldbesickeningtowriteallthatdown，thoughofcourseithappens。IsaidsotoAlbert—next—door’suncle，whowritesbooks，andhesaid，’Quiteright，that’swhatwecallselection，anecessityoftrueart。’
Andheisverycleverindeed。Soyousee。
Ihaveoftenthoughtthatifthepeoplewhowritebooksforchildrenknewalittlemoreitwouldbebetter。IshallnottellyouanythingaboutusexceptwhatIshouldliketoknowaboutifI
wasreadingthestoryandyouwerewritingit。Albert’sunclesaysIoughttohaveputthisinthepreface，butIneverreadprefaces，anditisnotmuchgoodwritingthingsjustforpeopletoskip。I
wonderotherauthorshaveneverthoughtofthis。
Well，whenwehadagreedtodigfortreasureweallwentdownintothecellarandlightedthegas。Oswaldwouldhavelikedtodigthere，butitisstoneflags。Welookedamongtheoldboxesandbrokenchairsandfendersandemptybottlesandthings，andatlastwefoundthespadeswehadtodiginthesandwithwhenwewenttotheseasidethreeyearsago。Theyarenotsilly，babyish，woodenspades，thatsplitifyoulookatthem，butgoodiron，withabluemarkacrossthetopoftheironpart，andyellowwoodenhandles。
Wewastedalittletimegettingthemdusted，becausethegirlswouldn’tdigwithspadesthathadcobwebsonthem。GirlswouldneverdoforAfricanexplorersoranythinglikethat，theyaretoobeastlyparticular。
Itwasnousedoingthethingbyhalves。Wemarkedoutasortofsquareinthemouldypartofthegarden，aboutthreeyardsacross，andbegantodig。Butwefoundnothingexceptwormsandstones—
andthegroundwasveryhard。Sowethoughtwe’dtryanotherpartofthegarden，andwefoundaplaceinthebigroundflowerbed，wherethegroundwasmuchsofter。Wethoughtwe’dmakeasmallerholetobeginwith，anditwasmuchbetter。Wedugandduganddug，anditwasjollyhardwork！Wegotveryhotdigging，butwefoundnothing。
PresentlyAlbert—next—doorlookedoverthewall。Wedonotlikehimverymuch，butwelethimplaywithussometimes，becausehisfatherisdead，andyoumustnotbeunkindtoorphans，eveniftheirmothersarealive。Albertisalwaysverytidy。Hewearsfrillycollarsandvelvetknickerbockers。Ican’tthinkhowhecanbearto。Sowesaid，’Hallo！’Andhesaid，’Whatareyouupto？’
’We’rediggingfortreasure，’saidAlice;’anancientparchmentrevealedtoustheplaceofconcealment。Comeoverandhelpus。
Whenwehavedugdeepenoughweshallfindagreatpotofredclay，fullofgoldandpreciousjewels。’
Albert—next—dooronlysniggeredandsaid，’Whatsillynonsense！’
Hecannotplayproperlyatall。Itisverystrange，becausehehasaveryniceuncle。Yousee，Albert—next—doordoesn’tcareforreading，andhehasnotreadnearlysomanybooksaswehave，soheisveryfoolishandignorant，butitcannotbehelped，andyoujusthavetoputupwithitwhenyouwanthimtodoanything。Besides，itiswrongtobeangrywithpeoplefornotbeingsocleverasyouareyourself。Itisnotalwaystheirfaults。
SoOswaldsaid，’Comeanddig！Thenyoushallsharethetreasurewhenwe’vefoundit。’
Buthesaid，’Ishan’t—Idon’tlikedigging—andI’mjustgoingintomytea。’
’Comealonganddig，there’sagoodboy，’Alicesaid。’Youcanusemyspade。It’smuchthebest—’
Sohecamealonganddug，andwhenoncehewasoverthewallwekepthimatit，andweworkedaswell，ofcourse，andtheholegotdeep。Pincherworkedtoo—heisourdogandheisverygoodatdigging。Hedigsforratsinthedustbinsometimes，andgetsverydirty。Butweloveourdog，evenwhenhisfacewantswashing。
’Iexpectweshallhavetomakeatunnel，’Oswaldsaid，’toreachtherichtreasure。’Sohejumpedintotheholeandbegantodigatoneside。Afterthatwetookitinturnstodigatthetunnel，andPincherwasmostusefulinscrapingtheearthoutofthetunnel—
hedoesitwithhisbackfeetwhenyousay’Rats！’andhedigswithhisfrontones，andburrowswithhisnoseaswell。
Atlastthetunnelwasnearlyayardlong，andbigenoughtocreepalongtofindthetreasure，ifonlyithadbeenabitlonger。NowitwasAlbert’sturntogoinanddig，buthefunkedit。
’Takeyourturnlikeaman，’saidOswald—nobodycansaythatOswalddoesn’ttakehisturnlikeaman。ButAlbertwouldn’t。Sowehadtomakehim，becauseitwasonlyfair。
’It’squiteeasy，’Alicesaid。’Youjustcrawlinanddigwithyourhands。Thenwhenyoucomeoutwecanscrapeoutwhatyou’vedone，withthespades。Come—beaman。Youwon’tnoticeitbeingdarkinthetunnelifyoushutyoureyestight。We’veallbeeninexceptDora—andshedoesn’tlikeworms。’
’Idon’tlikewormsneither。’Albert—next—doorsaidthis;butwerememberedhowhehadpickedafatredandblackwormupinhisfingersandthrownitatDoraonlythedaybefore。Soweputhimin。
Buthewouldnotgoinheadfirst，theproperway，anddigwithhishandsaswehaddone，andthoughOswaldwasangryatthetime，forhehatessnivellers，yetafterwardsheownedthatperhapsitwasjustaswell。Youshouldneverbeafraidtoownthatperhapsyouweremistaken—butitiscowardlytodoitunlessyouarequitesureyouareinthewrong。
’Letmegoinfeetfirst，’saidAlbert—next—door。’I’lldigwithmyboots—Iwilltruly，honourbright。’
Sowelethimgetinfeetfirst—andhediditveryslowlyandatlasthewasin，andonlyhisheadstickingoutintothehole;andalltherestofhiminthetunnel。
’Nowdigwithyourboots，’saidOswald;’and，Alice，docatchholdofPincher，he’llbediggingagaininanotherminute，andperhapsitwouldbeuncomfortableforAlbertifPincherthrewthemouldintohiseyes。’
Youshouldalwaystrytothinkoftheselittlethings。Thinkingofotherpeople’scomfortmakesthemlikeyou。AliceheldPincher，andweallshouted，’Kick！digwithyourfeet，forallyou’reworth！’
SoAlbert—next—doorbegantodigwithhisfeet，andwestoodonthegroundoverhim，waiting—andallinaminutethegroundgaveway，andwetumbledtogetherinaheap：andwhenwegotuptherewasalittleshallowhollowwherewehadbeenstanding，andAlbert—next—doorwasunder—neath，stuckquitefast，becausetheroofofthetunnelhadtumbledinonhim。Heisahorriblyunluckyboytohaveanythingtodowith。
Itwasdreadfulthewayhecriedandscreamed，thoughhehadtoownitdidn’thurt，onlyitwasratherheavyandhecouldn’tmovehislegs。Wewouldhavedughimoutallrightenough，intime，buthescreamedsowewereafraidthepolicewouldcome，soDickyclimbedoverthewall，totellthecooktheretotellAlbert—next—door’sunclehehadbeenburiedbymistake，andtocomeandhelpdighimout。
Dickywasalongtimegone。Wewonderedwhathadbecomeofhim，andallthewhilethescreamingwentonandon，forwehadtakenthelooseearthoffAlbert’sfacesothathecouldscreamquiteeasilyandcomfortably。
PresentlyDickycamebackandAlbert—next—door’sunclecamewithhim。Hehasverylonglegs，andhishairislightandhisfaceisbrown。Hehasbeentosea，butnowhewritesbooks。Ilikehim。
Hetoldhisnephewtostowit，soAlbertdid，andthenheaskedhimifhewashurt—andAlberthadtosayhewasn’t，forthoughheisacoward，andveryunlucky，heisnotaliarlikesomeboysare。
’Thispromisestobeaprotractedifagreeabletask，’saidAlbert—next—door’suncle，rubbinghishandsandlookingattheholewithAlbert’sheadinit。’Iwillgetanotherspade，’sohefetchedthebigspadeoutofthenext—doorgardentool—shed，andbegantodighisnephewout。
’Mindyoukeepverystill，’hesaid，’orImightchunkabitoutofyouwiththespade。’Thenafterawhilehesaid—
’IconfessthatIamnotabsolutelyinsensibletothedramaticinterestofthesituation。Mycuriosityisexcited。IownthatI
shouldliketoknowhowmynephewhappenedtobeburied。Butdon’ttellmeifyou’drathernot。Isupposenoforcewasused？’
’Onlymoralforce，’saidAlice。TheyusedtotalkalotaboutmoralforceattheHighSchoolwhereshewent，andincaseyoudon’tknowwhatitmeansI’lltellyouthatitismakingpeopledowhattheydon’twantto，justbyslangingthem，orlaughingatthem，orpromisingthemthingsifthey’regood。
’Onlymoralforce，eh？’saidAlbert—next—door’suncle。’Well？’
’Well，’Dorasaid，’I’mverysorryithappenedtoAlbert—I’dratherithadbeenoneofus。Itwouldhavebeenmyturntogointothetunnel，onlyIdon’tlikeworms，sotheyletmeoff。Youseewewerediggingfortreasure。’
’Yes，’saidAlice，’andIthinkwewerejustcomingtotheundergroundpassagethatleadstothesecrethoard，whenthetunnelfellinonAlbert。Heissounlucky，’andshesighed。
ThenAlbert—next—doorbegantoscreamagain，andhisunclewipedhisface—hisownface，notAlbert’s—withhissilkhandkerchief，andthenheputitinhistrouserspocket。Itseemsastrangeplacetoputahandkerchief，buthehadhiscoatandwaistcoatoffandIsupposehewantedthehandkerchiefhandy。Diggingiswarmwork。
HetoldAlbert—next—doortodropit，orhewouldn’tproceedfurtherinthematter，soAlbertstoppedscreaming，andpresentlyhisunclefinisheddigginghimout。Albertdidlooksofunny，withhishairalldustyandhisvelvetsuitcoveredwithmouldandhisfacemuddywithearthandcrying。
Weallsaidhowsorrywewere，buthewouldn’tsayawordbacktous。Hewasmostawfullysicktothinkhe’dbeentheoneburied，whenitmightjustaswellhavebeenoneofus。Ifeltmyselfthatitwashardlines。
’Soyouwerediggingfortreasure，’saidAlbert—next—door’suncle，wipinghisfaceagainwithhishandkerchief。’Well，Ifearthatyourchancesofsuccessaresmall。Ihavemadeacarefulstudyofthewholesubject。WhatIdon’tknowaboutburiedtreasureisnotworthknowing。AndIneverknewmorethanonecoinburiedinanyonegarden—andthatisgenerally—Hullo—what’sthat？’
HepointedtosomethingshiningintheholehehadjustdraggedAlbertoutof。Oswaldpickeditup。Itwasahalf—crown。Welookedateachother，speechlesswithsurpriseanddelight，likeinbooks。
’Well，that’slucky，atallevents，’saidAlbert—next—door’suncle。
’Let’ssee，that’sfivepenceeachforyou。’
’It’sfourpence—something;Ican’tdofractions，’saidDicky;
’therearesevenofus，yousee。’
’Oh，youcountAlbertasoneofyourselvesonthisoccasion，eh？’
’Ofcourse，’saidAlice;’andIsay，hewasburiedafterall。Whyshouldn’twelethimhavetheoddsomethings，andwe’llhavefourpenceeach。’
Weallagreedtodothis，andtoldAlbert—next—doorwewouldbringhisshareassoonaswecouldgetthehalf—crownchanged。Hecheeredupalittleatthat，andhisunclewipedhisfaceagain—
hedidlookhot—andbegantoputonhiscoatandwaistcoat。
Whenhehaddoneithestoopedandpickedupsomething。Hehelditup，andyouwillhardlybelieveit，butitisquitetrue—itwasanotherhalf—crown！
’Tothinkthatthereshouldbetwo！’hesaid;’inallmyexperienceofburiedtreasureIneverheardofsuchathing！’
IwishAlbert—next—door’sunclewouldcometreasure—seekingwithusregularly;hemusthaveverysharpeyes：forDorasaysshewaslookingjusttheminutebeforeattheveryplacewherethesecondhalf—crownwaspickedupfrom，andsheneversawit。
CHAPTER3
BEINGDETECTIVES
Thenextthingthathappenedtouswasveryinteresting。Itwasasrealasthehalf—crowns—notjustpretending。IshalltrytowriteitaslikearealbookasIcan。OfcoursewehavereadMrSherlockHolmes，aswellastheyellow—coveredbookswithpicturesoutsidethataresobadlyprinted;andyougetthemforfourpence—halfpennyatthebookstallwhenthecornersofthemarebeginningtocurlupandgetdirty，withpeoplelookingtoseehowthestoryendswhentheyarewaitingfortrains。Ithinkthisismostunfairtotheboyatthebookstall。ThebooksarewrittenbyagentlemannamedGaboriau，andAlbert’sunclesaystheyaretheworsttranslationsintheworld—andwritteninvileEnglish。Ofcoursethey’renotlikeKipling，butthey’rejollygoodstories。
AndwehadjustbeenreadingabookbyDickDiddlington—that’snothisrightname，butIknowallaboutlibelactions，soIshallnotsaywhathisnameisreally，becausehisbooksarerot。OnlytheyputitintoourheadstodowhatIamgoingtonarrate。
ItwasinSeptember，andwewerenottogototheseasidebecauseitissoexpensive，evenifyougotoSheerness，whereitisalltincansandoldbootsandnosandatall。Buteveryoneelsewent，eventhepeoplenextdoor—notAlbert’sside，buttheother。
TheirservanttoldElizatheywereallgoingtoScarborough，andnextdaysureenoughalltheblindsweredownandtheshuttersup，andthemilkwasnotleftanymore。Thereisabighorse—chestnuttreebetweentheirgardenandours，veryusefulforgettingconkersoutofandformakingstufftorubonyourchilblains。Thispreventedourseeingwhethertheblindsweredownatthebackaswell，butDickyclimbedtothetopofthetreeandlooked，andtheywere。
Itwasjollyhotweather，andverystuffyindoors—weusedtoplayagooddealinthegarden。Wemadeatentoutofthekitchenclothes—horseandsomeblanketsoffourbeds，andthoughitwasquiteashotinthetentasinthehouseitwasaverydifferentsortofhotness。Albert’sunclecalledittheTurkishBath。Itisnotnicetobekeptfromtheseaside，butweknowthatwehavemuchtobethankfulfor。Wemightbepoorlittlechildrenlivinginacrowdedalleywhereevenatsummernoonhardlyarayofsunlightpenetrates;clothedinragsandwithbarefeet—thoughIdonotmindholesinmyclothesmyself，andbarefeetwouldnotbeatallbadinthissortofweather。Indeedwedo，sometimes，whenweareplayingatthingswhichrequireit。Itwasshipwreckedmarinersthatday，Iremember，andwewereallintheblankettent。Wehadjustfinishedeatingthethingswehadsaved，attheperilofourlives，fromthest—sinkingvessel。Theywererathernicethings。
Two—pennyworthofcoconutcandy—itwasgotinGreenwich，whereitisfourouncesapenny—threeapples，somemacaroni—thestraightsortthatissousefultosuckthingsthrough—somerawrice，andalargepieceofcoldsuetpuddingthatAlicenickedfromthelarderwhenshewenttogetthericeandmacaroni。Andwhenwehadfinishedsomeonesaid—
’Ishouldliketobeadetective。’
Iwishtobequitefair，butIcannotrememberexactlywhosaidit。
Oswaldthinkshesaidit，andDorasaysitwasDicky，butOswaldistoomuchofamantoquarrelaboutalittlethinglikethat。
’Ishouldliketobeadetective，’said—perhapsitwasDicky，butIthinknot—’andfindoutstrangeandhiddencrimes。’
’Youhavetobemuchclevererthanyouare，’saidH。O。
’Notsovery，’Alicesaid，’becausewhenyou’vereadthebooksyouknowwhatthethingsmean：theredhaironthehandleoftheknife，orthegrainsofwhitepowderonthevelvetcollarofthevillain’sovercoat。Ibelievewecoulddoit。’
’Ishouldn’tliketohaveanythingtodowithmurders，’saidDora;
’somehowitdoesn’tseemsafe—’
’Anditalwaysendsinthepoormurdererbeinghanged，’saidAlice。
Weexplainedtoherwhymurderershavetobehanged，butsheonlysaid，’Idon’tcare。I’msurenoonewouldeverdomurderingtwice。Thinkofthebloodandthings，andwhatyouwouldseewhenyouwokeupinthenight！Ishouldn’tmindbeingadetectivetolieinwaitforagangofcoiners，now，andspringuponthemunawares，andsecurethem—single—handed，youknow，orwithonlymyfaithfulbloodhound。’
ShestrokedPincher’sears，buthehadgonetosleepbecauseheknewwellenoughthatallthesuetpuddingwasfinished。Heisaverysensibledog。
’Youalwaysgetholdofthewrongendofthestick，’Oswaldsaid。
’Youcan’tchoosewhatcrimesyou’llbeadetectiveabout。Youjusthavetogetasuspiciouscircumstance，andthenyoulookforaclueandfollowitup。Whetheritturnsoutamurderoramissingwillisjustafluke。’
’That’soneway，’Dickysaid。’Anotheristogetapaperandfindtwoadvertisementsorbitsofnewsthatfit。Likethis：\"YoungLadyMissing，\"andthenittellsaboutalltheclothesshehadon，andthegoldlocketshewore，andthecolourofherhair，andallthat;andtheninanotherpieceofthepaperyousee，\"Goldlocketfound，\"andthenitallcomesout。’
WesentH。O。forthepaperatonce，butwecouldnotmakeanyofthethingsfitin。ThetwobestwereabouthowsomeburglarsbrokeintoaplaceinHollowaywheretheymadepreservedtonguesandinvaliddelicacies，andcarriedoffalotofthem。Andonanotherpagetherewas，’MysteriousdeathsinHolloway。’
Oswaldthoughttherewassomethinginit，andsodidAlbert’sunclewhenweaskedhim，buttheothersthoughtnot，soOswaldagreedtodropit。Besides，Hollowayisalongwayoff。AllthetimeweweretalkingaboutthepaperAliceseemedtobethinkingaboutsomethingelse，andwhenwehaddoneshesaid—
’Ibelievewemightbedetectivesourselves，butIshouldnotliketogetanybodyintotrouble。’
’Notmurderersorrobbers？’Dickyasked。
’Itwouldn’tbemurderers，’shesaid;’butIhavenoticedsomethingstrange。OnlyIfeelalittlefrightened。Let’saskAlbert’sunclefirst。’
Aliceisajollysighttoofondofaskinggrown—UPpeoplethings。
Andweallsaiditwastommyrot，andshewastotellus。
’Well，promiseyouwon’tdoanythingwithoutme，’Alicesaid，andwepromised。Thenshesaid—’Thisisadarksecret，andanyonewhothinksitisbetternottobeinvolvedinacareerofcrime—
discoveryhadbettergoawayereyetitbetoolate。’
SoDorasaidshehadhadenoughoftents，andshewasgoingtolookattheshops。H。O。wentwithherbecausehehadtwopencetospend。TheythoughtitwasonlyagameofAlice’sbutOswaldknewbythewayshespoke。Hecannearlyalwaystell。AndwhenpeoplearenottellingthetruthOswaldgenerallyknowsbythewaytheylookwiththeireyes。Oswaldisnotproudofbeingabletodothis。Heknowsitisthroughnomeritofhisownthatheismuchclevererthansomepeople。
Whentheyhadgone，therestofusgotclosertogetherandsaid—
’Nowthen。’
’Well，’Alicesaid，’youknowthehousenextdoor？ThepeoplehavegonetoScarborough。Andthehouseisshutup。ButlastnightI
sawalightinthewindows。’
Weaskedherhowandwhen，becauseherroomisinthefront，andshecouldn’tpossiblyhaveseen。Andthenshesaid—
’I’lltellyouifyouboyswillpromisenotevertogofishingagainwithoutme。’Sowehadtopromise。Thenshesaid—
’Itwaslastnight。IhadforgottentofeedmyrabbitsandIwokeupandrememberedit。AndIwasafraidIshouldfindthemdeadinthemorning，likeOswalddid。’
’Itwasn’tmyfault，’Oswaldsaid;’therewassomethingthematterwiththebeasts。Ifedthemrightenough。’
Alicesaidshedidn’tmeanthat，andshewenton—
’Icamedownintothegarden，andIsawalightinthehouse，anddarkfiguresmovingabout。Ithoughtperhapsitwasburglars，butFatherhadn’tcomehome，andElizahadgonetobed，soIcouldn’tdoanything。OnlyIthoughtperhapsIwouldtelltherestofyou。’
’Whydidn’tyoutellusthismorning？’Noelasked。AndAliceexplainedthatshedidnotwanttogetanyoneintotrouble，evenburglars。’Butwemightwatchto—night，’shesaid，’andseeifweseethelightagain。’
’Theymighthavebeenburglars，’Noelsaid。Hewassuckingthelastbitofhismacaroni。’Youknowthepeoplenextdoorareverygrand。Theywon’tknowus—andtheygooutinarealprivatecarriagesometimes。Andtheyhavean\"AtHome\"day，andpeoplecomeincabs。Idaresaytheyhavepilesofplateandjewelleryandrichbrocades，andfursofpriceandthingslikethat。Letuskeepwatchto—night。’
’It’snousewatchingto—night，’Dickysaid;’ifit’sonlyburglarstheywon’tcomeagain。Butthereareotherthingsbesidesburglarsthatarediscoveredinemptyhouseswherelightsareseenmoving。’
’Youmeancoiners，’saidOswaldatonce。’Iwonderwhattherewardisforsettingthepoliceontheirtrack？’
Dickythoughtitoughttobesomethingfat，becausecoinersarealwaysadesperategang;andthemachinerytheymakethecoinswithissoheavyandhandyforknockingdowndetectives。
Thenitwastea—time，andwewentin;andDoraandH。O。hadclubbedtheirmoneytogetherandboughtamelon;quiteabigone，andonlyalittlebitsquashyatoneend。Itwasverygood，andthenwewashedtheseedsandmadethingswiththemandwithpinsandcotton。Andnobodysaidanymoreaboutwatchingthehousenextdoor。
OnlywhenwewenttobedDickytookoffhiscoatandwaistcoat，buthestoppedathisbraces，andsaid—
’Whataboutthecoiners？’
Oswaldhadtakenoffhiscollarandtie，andhewasjustgoingtosaythesame，sohesaid，’OfcourseImeanttowatch，onlymycollar’srathertight，soIthoughtI’dtakeitofffirst。’
Dickysaidhedidnotthinkthegirlsoughttobeinit，becausetheremightbedanger，butOswaldremindedhimthattheyhadpromisedAlice，andthatapromiseisasacredthing，evenwhenyou’dmuchrathernot。SoOswaldgotAlicealoneunderpretenceofshowingheracaterpillar—Doradoesnotlikethem，andshescreamedandranawaywhenOswaldofferedtoshowither。ThenOswaldexplained，andAliceagreedtocomeandwatchifshecould。
Thismadeuslaterthanweoughttohavebeen，becauseAlicehadtowaittillDorawasquietandthencreepoutveryslowly，forfearoftheboardscreaking。Thegirlssleepwiththeirroom—dooropenforfearofburglars。AlicehadkeptonherclothesunderhernightgownwhenDorawasn’tlooking，andpresentlywegotdown，creepingpastFather’sstudy，andoutattheglassdoorthatleadsontotheverandaandtheironstepsintothegarden。Andwewentdownveryquietly，andgotintothechestnut—tree;andthenIfeltthatwehadonlybeenplayingwhatAlbert’sunclecallsourfavouriteinstrument—ImeantheFool。Forthehousenextdoorwasasdarkasdark。Thensuddenlyweheardasound—itcamefromthegateattheendofthegarden。Allthegardenshavegates;
theyleadintoakindoflanethatrunsbehindthem。Itisasortofbackway，veryconvenientwhenyoudon’twanttosayexactlywhereyouaregoing。Weheardthegateattheendofthenextgardenclick，andDickynudgedAlicesothatshewouldhavefallenoutofthetreeifithadnotbeenforOswald’sextraordinarypresenceofmind。OswaldsqueezedAlice’sarmtight，andwealllooked;andtheotherswereratherfrightenedbecausereallywehadnotexactlyexpectedanythingtohappenexceptperhapsalight。
Butnowamuffledfigure，shroudedinadarkcloak，cameswiftlyupthepathofthenext—doorgarden。Andwecouldseethatunderitscloakthefigurecarriedamysteriousburden。Thefigurewasdressedtolooklikeawomaninasailorhat。
Weheldourbreathasitpassedunderthetreewherewewere，andthenittappedverygentlyonthebackdoorandwasletin，andthenalightappearedinthewindowofthedownstairsbackbreakfast—room。Buttheshutterswereup。
Dickysaid，’Myeye！’andwouldn’ttheothersbesicktothinktheyhadn’tbeeninthis！ButAlicedidn’thalflikeit—andassheisagirlIdonotblameher。Indeed，Ithoughtmyselfatfirstthatperhapsitwouldbebettertoretireforthepresent，andreturnlaterwithastronglyarmedforce。
’It’snotburglars，’Alicewhispered;’themysteriousStrangerwasbringingthingsin，nottakingthemout。Theymustbecoiners—
andoh，Oswald！—don’tlet’s！Thethingstheycoinwithmusthurtverymuch。Dolet’sgotobed！’
ButDickysaidhewasgoingtosee;iftherewasarewardforfindingoutthingslikethishewouldliketohavethereward。
’Theylockedthebackdoor，’hewhispered，’Ihearditgo。AndI
couldlookinquitewellthroughtheholesintheshuttersandbebackoverthewalllongbeforethey’dgotthedooropen，eveniftheystartedtodoitatonce。’
Therewereholesatthetopoftheshutterstheshapeofhearts，andtheyellowlightcameoutthroughthemaswellasthroughthechinksoftheshutters。
OswaldsaidifDickywentheshould，becausehewastheeldest;andAlicesaid，’Ifanyonegoesitoughttobeme，becauseIthoughtofit。’
SoOswaldsaid，’Well，gothen’;andshesaid，’Notforanything！’
Andshebeggedusnotto，andwetalkedaboutitinthetreetillwewereallquitehoarsewithwhispering。
Atlastwedecidedonaplanofaction。
Alicewastostayinthetree，andscream’Murder！’ifanythinghappened。DickyandIweretogetdownintothenextgardenandtakeitinturnstopeep。
Sowegotdownasquietlyaswecould，butthetreemademuchmorenoisethanitdoesintheday，andseveraltimeswepaused，fearingthatallwasdiscovered。Butnothinghappened。
Therewasapileofredflower—potsunderthewindowandoneverylargeonewasonthewindow—ledge。ItseemedasifitwasthehandofDestinyhadplaceditthere，andthegeraniuminitwasdead，andtherewasnothingtostopyourstandingonit—soOswalddid。
Hewentfirstbecauseheistheeldest，andthoughDickytriedtostophimbecausehethoughtofitfirstitcouldnotbe，onaccountofnotbeingabletosayanything。
SoOswaldstoodontheflower—potandtriedtolookthroughoneoftheholes。Hedidnotreallyexpecttoseethecoinersattheirfellwork，thoughhehadpretendedtowhenweweretalkinginthetree。Butifhehadseenthempouringthebasemoltenmetalintotinmouldstheshapeofhalf—crownshewouldnothavebeenhalfsoastonishedashewasatthespectaclenowrevealed。
Atfirsthecouldseelittle，becausetheholehadunfortunatelybeenmadealittletoohigh，sothattheeyeofthedetectivecouldonlyseetheProdigalSoninashinyframeontheoppositewall。
ButOswaldheldontothewindow—frameandstoodontiptoeandthenhesaw。
Therewasnofurnace，andnobasemetal，nobeardedmeninleathernapronswithtongsandthings，butjustatablewithatable—clothonitforsupper，andatinofsalmonandalettuceandsomebottledbeer。Andthereonachairwasthecloakandthehatofthemysteriousstranger，andthetwopeoplesittingatthetablewerethetwoyoungestgrown—updaughtersoftheladynextdoor，andoneofthemwassaying—
’SoIgotthesalmonthree—halfpencecheaper，andthelettucesareonlysixapennyintheBroad—way，justfancy！Wemustsaveasmuchaseverwecanonourhousekeepingmoneyifwewanttogoawaydecentnextyear。’
Andtheothersaid，’Iwishwecouldallgoeveryyear，orelse—
Really，Ialmostwish—’
AndallthetimeOswaldwaslookingDickywaspullingathisjackettomakehimgetdownandletDickyhaveasquint。Andjustasshesaid’Ialmost，’DickypulledtoohardandOswaldfelthimselftopplingonthegiddyvergeofthebigflower—pots。Puttingforthallhisstrengthourherostrovetorecoverhisequi—
what’s—its—name，butitwasnowlostbeyondrecall。
’You’vedoneitthistime！’hesaid，thenhefellheavilyamongtheflower—potspiledbelow。Heheardthemcrashandrattleandcrack，andthenhisheadstruckagainstanironpillarusedforholdingupthenext—doorveranda。Hiseyesclosedandheknewnomore。
NowyouwillperhapsexpectthatatthismomentAlicewouldhavecried’Murder！’Ifyouthinksoyoulittleknowwhatgirlsare。
DirectlyshewasleftaloneinthattreeshemadeabolttotellAlbert’suncleallaboutitandbringhimtoourrescueincasethecoiner’sgangwasaverydesperateone。AndjustwhenIfell，Albert’sunclewasgettingoverthewall。AliceneverscreamedatallwhenOswaldfell，butDickythinksheheardAlbert’sunclesay，’Confoundthosekids！’whichwouldnothavebeenkindorpolite，soIhopehedidnotsayit。
Thepeoplenextdoordidnotcomeouttoseewhattherowwas。
Albert’suncledidnotwaitforthemtocomeout。HepickedupOswaldandcarriedtheinsensiblebodyofthegallantyoungdetectivetothewall，laiditonthetop，andthenclimbedoverandborehislifelessburdenintoourhouseandputitonthesofainFather’sstudy。Fatherwasout，soweneedn’thavecreptsowhenweweregettingintothegarden。ThenOswaldwasrestoredtoconsciousness，andhisheadtiedup，andsenttobed，andnextdaytherewasalumponhisyoungbrowasbigasaturkey’segg，andveryuncomfortable。
Albert’sunclecameinnextdayandtalkedtoeachofusseparately。ToOswaldhesaidmanyunpleasantthingsaboutungentlemanlytospyonladies，andaboutmindingyourownbusiness;andwhenIbegantotellhimwhatIhadheardhetoldmetoshutup，andaltogetherhemadememoreuncomfortablethanthebumpdid。
Oswalddidnotsayanythingtoanyone，butnextday，astheshadowsofevewerefalling，hecreptaway，andwroteonapieceofpaper，’Iwanttospeaktoyou，’andshoveditthroughtheholelikeaheartinthetopofthenext—doorshutters。
Andtheyoungestyoungladyputaneyetotheheart—shapedhole，andthenopenedtheshutterandsaid’Well？’verycrossly。ThenOswaldsaid—
’Iamverysorry，andIbegyourpardon。Wewantedtobedetectives，andwethoughtagangofcoinersinfestedyourhouse，sowelookedthroughyourwindowlastnight。Isawthelettuce，andIheardwhatyousaidaboutthesalmonbeingthree—halfpencecheaper，andIknowitisverydishonourabletopryintootherpeople’ssecrets，especiallyladies’，andIneverwillagainifyouwillforgivemethisonce。’
Thentheladyfrownedandthenshelaughed，andthenshesaid—
’Soitwasyoutumblingintotheflower—potslastnight？Wethoughtitwasburglars。Itfrightenedushorribly。Why，whatabumponyourpoorhead！’
Andthenshetalkedtomeabit，andpresentlyshesaidsheandhersisterhadnotwishedpeopletoknowtheywereathome，because—
Andthenshestoppedshortandgrewveryred，andIsaid，’I
thoughtyouwereallatScarborough;yourservanttoldElizaso。
Whydidn’tyouwantpeopletoknowyouwereathome？’
Theladygotredderstill，andthenshelaughedandsaid—
’Nevermindthereasonwhy。Ihopeyourheaddoesn’thurtmuch。
Thankyouforyournice，manlylittlespeech。You’venothingtobeashamedof，atanyrate。’Thenshekissedme，andIdidnotmind。
Andthenshesaid，’Runawaynow，dear。I’mgoingto—I’mgoingtopulluptheblindsandopentheshutters，andIwanttodoitatonce，beforeitgetsdark，sothateveryonecanseewe’reathome，andnotatScarborough。’
CHAPTER4
GOODHUNTING
Whenwehadgotthatfourshillingsbydiggingfortreasureweought，byrights，tohavetriedDicky’sideaofansweringtheadvertisementaboutladiesandgentlemenandsparetimeandtwopoundsaweek，buttherewereseveralthingsweratherwanted。
Dorawantedanewpairofscissors，andshesaidshewasgoingtogetthemwithhereight—pence。ButAlicesaid—
’Yououghttogetherthose，Oswald，becauseyouknowyoubrokethepointsoffhersgettingthemarbleoutofthebrassthimble。’
Itwasquitetrue，thoughIhadalmostforgottenit，butthenitwasH。O。whojammedthemarbleintothethimblefirstofall。SoIsaid—
’It’sH。O。’sfaultasmuchasmine，anyhow。Whyshouldn’thepay？’
Oswalddidn’tsomuchmindpayingforthebeastlyscissors，buthehatesinjusticeofeverykind。
’He’ssuchalittlekid，’saidDicky，andofcourseH。O。saidhewasn’talittlekid，anditverynearlycametobeingarowbetweenthem。ButOswaldknowswhentobegenerous;sohesaid—
’Lookhere！I’llpaysixpenceofthescissors，andH。O。shallpaytherest，toteachhimtobecareful。’
H。O。agreed：heisnotatallameankid，butIfoundoutafterwardsthatAlicepaidhisshareoutofherownmoney。
Thenwewantedsomenewpaints，andNoElwantedapencilandahalfpennyaccount—booktowritepoetrywith，anditdoesseemhardnevertohaveanyapples。So，somehoworothernearlyallthemoneygotspent，andweagreedthatwemustlettheadvertisementrunloosealittlelonger。
’Ionlyhope，’Alicesaid，’thattheywon’thavegotalltheladiesandgentlementheywantbeforewehavegotthemoneytowriteforthesampleandinstructions。’
AndIwasalittleafraidmyself，becauseitseemedsuchasplendidchance;butwelookedinthepapereveryday，andtheadvertisementwasalwaysthere，sowethoughtitwasallright。
Thenwehadthedetectivetry—on—anditprovednogo;andthen，whenallthemoneywasgone，exceptahalfpennyofmineandtwopenceofNoel’sandthree—penceofDicky’sandafewpenniesthatthegirlshadleft，weheldanothercouncil。
DorawassewingthebuttonsonH。O。’sSundaythings。Hegothimselfaknifewithhismoney，andhecuteverysingleoneofhisbestbuttonsoff。You’venoideahowmanybuttonsthereareonasuit。Doracountedthem。Therearetwenty—four，countingthelittleonesonthesleevesthatdon’tundo。
AlicewastryingtoteachPinchertobeg;buthehastoomuchsensewhenheknowsyou’vegotnothinginyourhands，andtherestofuswereroastingpotatoesunderthefire。Wehadmadeafireonpurpose，thoughitwasratherwarm。Theyareverygoodifyoucutawaytheburntparts—butyououghttowashthemfirst，oryouareadirtyboy。
’Well，whatcanwedo？’saidDicky。’Youaresofondofsaying\"Let’sdosomething！\"andneversayingwhat。’
’Wecan’ttrytheadvertisementyet。Shallwetryrescuingsomeone？’saidOswald。Itwashisownidea，buthedidn’tinsistondoingit，thoughheisnexttotheeldest，forheknowsitisbadmannerstomakepeopledowhatyouwant，whentheywouldrathernot。
’WhatwasNoel’splan？’Aliceasked。
’APrincessorapoetrybook，’saidNoelsleepily。Hewaslyingonhisbackonthesofa，kickinghislegs。’OnlyIshalllookforthePrincessallbymyself。ButI’llletyouseeherwhenwe’remarried。’
’Haveyougotenoughpoetrytomakeabook？’Dickyaskedthat，anditwasrathersensibleofhim，becausewhenNoelcametolooktherewereonlysevenofhispoemsthatanyofuscouldunderstand。
Therewasthe’WreckoftheMalabar’，andthepoemhewrotewhenElizatookustoheartheRevivingPreacher，andeverybodycried，andFathersaiditmusthavebeenthePreacher’sEloquence。SoNoelwrote：
OEloquenceandwhatartthou？
Aywhatartthou？becausewecriedAndeverybodycriedinsideWhentheycameouttheireyeswerered—
AnditwasyourdoingFathersaid。
ButNoeltoldAlicehegotthefirstlineandahalffromabookaboyatschoolwasgoingtowritewhenhehadtime。Besidesthistherewerethe’LinesonaDeadBlackBeetlethatwaspoisoned’：
BeetlehowIweeptoseeTheelyingonthypoorback！
Itissoverysadindeed。
Youweresoshinyandblack。
IwishyouwerealiveagainButElizasayswishingitisnonsenseandashame。
Itwasverygoodbeetlepoison，andtherewerehundredsofthemlyingdead—butNoelonlywroteapieceofpoetryforoneofthem。
Hesaidhehadn’ttimetodothemall，andtheworstofitwashedidn’tknowwhichonehe’dwrittenitto—soAlicecouldn’tburythebeetleandputthelinesonitsgrave，thoughshewantedtoverymuch。
Well，itwasquiteplainthattherewasn’tenoughpoetryforabook。
’Wemightwaitayearortwo，’saidNoel。’Ishallbesuretomakesomemoresometime。Ithoughtofapieceaboutaflythismorningthatknewcondensedmilkwassticky。’
’Butwewantthemoneynow，’saidDicky，’andyoucangoonwritingjustthesame。Itwillcomeinsometimeorother。’
’There’spoetryinnewspapers，’saidAlice。’Down，Pincher！you’llneverbeacleverdog，soit’snogoodtrying。’
’Dotheypayforit？’Dickythoughtofthat;heoftenthinksofthingsthatarereallyimportant，eveniftheyarealittledull。
’Idon’tknow。ButIshouldn’tthinkanyonewouldletthemprinttheirpoetrywithout。Iwouldn’tIknow。’ThatwasDora;butNoelsaidhewouldn’tmindifhedidn’tgetpaid，solongashesawhispoetryprintedandhisnameattheend。
’Wemighttry，anyway，’saidOswald。Heisalwayswillingtogiveotherpeople’sideasafairtrial。
Sowecopiedout’TheWreckoftheMalabar’andtheothersixpoemsondrawing—paper—Doradidit，shewritesbest—andOswalddrewapictureoftheMalabargoingdownwithallhands。Itwasafull—riggedschooner，andalltheropesandsailswerecorrect;
becausemycousinisintheNavy，andheshowedme。
Wethoughtalongtimewhetherwe’dwritealetterandsenditbypostwiththepoetry—andDorathoughtitwouldbebest。ButNoElsaidhecouldn’tbearnottoknowatonceifthepaperwouldprintthepoetry，Sowedecidedtotakeit。
IwentwithNoel，becauseIamtheeldest，andheisnotoldenoughtogotoLondonbyhimself。Dickysaidpoetrywasrot—andhewasgladhehadn’tgottomakeafoolofhimself。thatwasbecausetherewasnotenoughmoneyforhimtogowithus。H。O。couldn’tcomeeither，buthecametothestationtoseeusoff，andwavedhiscapandcalledout’Goodhunting！’asthetrainstarted。
Therewasaladyinspectaclesinthecorner。Shewaswritingwithapencilontheedgesoflongstripsofpaperthathadprintalldownthem。Whenthetrainstartedsheasked—
’Whatwasthathesaid？’
SoOswaldanswered—
’Itwas\"Goodhunting\"—it’soutofthejunglebook！’
’That’sverypleasanttohear，’theladysaid;’Iamverypleasedtomeetpeoplewhoknowtheirjunglebook。Andwhereareyouoffto—theZoologicalGardenstolookforBagheera？’
Wewerepleased，too，tomeetsomeonewhoknewthejunglebook。
SoOswaldsaid—
’WearegoingtorestorethefallenfortunesoftheHouseofBastable—andwehaveallthoughtofdifferentways—andwe’regoingtotrythemall。Noel’swayispoetry。Isupposegreatpoetsgetpaid？’
Theladylaughed—shewasawfullyjolly—andsaidshewasasortofpoet，too，andthelongstripsofpaperweretheproofsofhernewbookofstories。Becausebeforeabookismadeintoarealbookwithpagesandacover，theysometimesprintitallonstripsofpaper，andthewritermakemarksonitwithapenciltoshowtheprinterswhatidiotstheyarenottounderstandwhatawritermeanstohaveprinted。
Wetoldherallaboutdiggingfortreasure，andwhatwemeanttodo。ThensheaskedtoseeNoel’spoetry—andhesaidhedidn’tlike—soshesaid，’Lookhere—ifyou’llshowmeyoursI’llshowyousomeofmine。’Soheagreed。
ThejollyladyreadNoEl’spoetry，andshesaidshelikeditverymuch。AndshethoughtagreatdealofthepictureoftheMalabar。
Andthenshesaid，’Iwriteseriouspoetrylikeyoursmyself;too，butIhaveapieceherethatIthinkyouwilllikebecauseit’saboutaboy。’Shegaveittous—andsoIcancopyitdown，andIwill，foritshowsthatsomegrown—upladiesarenotsosillyasothers。IlikeitbetterthanNoEl’spoetry，thoughItoldhimI
didnot，becausehelookedasifhewasgoingtocry。Thiswasverywrong，foryoushouldalwaysspeakthetruth，howeverunhappyitmakespeople。AndIgenerallydo。ButIdidnotwanthimcryingintherailwaycarriage。Thelady’spieceofpoetry：
OhwhenIwakeupinmybedAndseethesunallfatandred，I’mgladtohaveanotherdayForallmydifferentkindsofplay。
Therearesomanythingstodo—
Thethingsthatmakeamanofyou，Ifgrown—upsdidnotgetsovexedAndwonderwhatyouwilldonext。
IoftenwonderwhethertheyEvermadeupourkindsofplay—
IftheywerealwaysgoodasgoldAndonlydidwhattheyweretold。
TheylikeyoubesttoplaywithtopsAndtoysinboxes，boughtinshops;
TheydonotevenknowthenamesOfreallyinterestinggames。