“you’re a calf,” was his polite reply to tom as he vaulted over the fence. “who’s goin’ to foller me?”
they all followed, even tom parker. they advanced cautiously. willie’s temerity was moderating and he waited for the rest to come up with him. they advanced in a semicircle. as the wavering line was within ten yards of the box that object seemed to lift itself from the ground and a deep groan arose as from the bowels of the earth. oh what a fright was that—my faithful banders! in a moment the fence seemed alive with terrified [44] and struggling boys. mr. murphy crawled out of his cramped quarters and went home.
the boys had, of course, been properly sworn to secrecy, but somehow, the next day an uneasy feeling pervaded the village. no one seemed to possess any definite information, but there were rumors to the effect that there were peculiar folks now in the neighborhood; people weren’t really safe and mrs. white could tell a good deal if she would. that lady had exercised a good deal of prudence and had said very little about the boulbys, but the day after the boys’ adventure she was credited with volumes.
it was not long before the strong minded mother of a member of the faithful band had obtained from him enough to warrant her sending to all the matrons of the village a pressing invitation to tea that afternoon. it was a formidable group that foregathered that afternoon. the discoveries and adventures of the band were duly narrated and embellished.
out of the chaos of frightful tales that flourished exceedingly and waxed more and more fearful, one could have deduced the fact that the boulbys were nothing more or less than modern blue-beards.
well, their families had to be protected, and if they told the men all they knew it would be all over the country in no time, and for some reason [45] they didn’t think that would be well. as far as they could see the best thing to be done was for them to investigate for themselves that very night.
and so it was that for the third time the boulbys were to undergo a night attack.
miss katherine was not the sort of woman to be caught sleeping. she had been unable to continue the excavation, owing to a slight attack of rheumatism. she felt uneasy about so vast a treasure lying unguarded and begged joseph to make himself some sort of shelter in the garden and keep watch during the night.
“you wouldn’t have to keep awake all the time,” she said, “you’d hear any noise in your sleep and it would do you good to sleep out in the fresh air.”
but joseph was not a fresh air enthusiast, and the very idea of sleeping in the garden gave him rheumatic twinges. however, miss katherine was not to be balked. she took the faithful old dog bruno by the collar and led him to the garden where she pointed out the box and explained his duty to him. bruno understood and consented.
“a woman has always one she can depend on, if she has a dog,” miss katherine cuttingly remarked as she re-entered the house.
just a word about mr. murphy before we proceed with the night attack.
[46] he had been very busy all day, walking about the village, chatting with the boys and gossiping with the women. there might have been method in his gossip, as he seemed to elicit just what he desired. towards evening he took a walk along the shore and held communion with himself.
“i don’t think she’d call it chivalrous to scare them. but she’d rate it pretty high if i kept watch to come to the rescue of the besieged or the besiegers, whichever needs help.”
as mr. murphy has reached this satisfactory conclusion we will leave him and return to follow the female posse across the fields to the boulbys’ garden.
when the group of trembling females had reached the garden fence they beheld the confirmation of the boy’s story.
there was a whispered discussion of the advisability of further investigation. the pros won and the means to this end now stared them in the face.
the picket fence had presented no difficulties to the boys but it was a great obstacle to their mothers. to climb it was impossible. the only other way was to make a breach wide enough to admit a portly form. one picket was gone and they began loosening several on each side of the opening. it was difficult to do this and prevent the loosening [47] nails from screeching. the process was a very slow one as such care had to be exercised.
meanwhile bruno was quite cognizant of their presence and with bristling hair and bared teeth was crouching for an attack when further provocation should be given.
the boulbys had retired early, as neither was feeling very well, but towards midnight miss katherine awoke and began to think of poor old bruno. she thought she would get up and peek out to see if he were all right.
the trespassers were making sure but slow progress and were still hanging on the pickets with their whole weight as miss katherine looked out of the window. she was not at all alarmed. she understood her own sex, her faithful dog and her own resources.
the heaviest of the group had now been pressed into service as weights on the loosening pickets which suddenly surrendered with a frightful wrenching sound. simultaneously with this noise there arose from the box a savage growl and a great, black beast threw himself into the air like an imprisoned spirit released from hades. from the window had come a sharp report and from the opposite fence a yell that must have been emitted from a savage throat.
at the too sudden surrender of the pickets four heavy females were precipitated against their [48] companions and the whole posse fell in an inextricable mass upon the ground.
miss katherine let the burst paper bag flutter to the ground as she hung upon the window curtain, helpless with laughter.
mr. murphy scudded away from behind the fence ejaculating,
“bully for her! she doesn’t need a protector. it’s no wonder she’s set her heart on a romantic man.”
when morning came and they could speak more calmly concerning their bruises the same females were again met in conclave.
some were for placing the matter in the hands of the constable, but this did not meet with unanimous approval.
“poor old constable wilson couldn’t get up enough courage to go there,” said one.
“it would be a shame to ask him,” said another. “everybody knows he isn’t expected to look after anything dangerous. such a thing as this was never heard of before in this neighborhood, so they just put in old man wilson for he could keep the boys out of the orchards and ’tend pound and that’s about all there is to do in this neighborhood. now isn’t there somebody that could handle them boulbys?”
“i’ve got a plan,” began an earnest faced matron. “i think mr. horton’s the man to see to this. [49] if he can’t exhort the evil spirit to come out of them boulbys, nobody can. and he ain’t afraid of anything either. it’s his duty, too, to look after things like this, for we all know that the evil one has taken control of the boulbys, body and soul. but we won’t have to do any urging to get mr. horton to do his duty. just last sunday he said in his sermon that the scent of the battle and the battle cry was like perfume to his nostrils and music in his ears, when he could wage war upon the forces of evil.”
“that’s a good plan,” agreed a sister in the church. “you’re right in saying he ain’t afraid of anything. his sermon last sunday was a splendid one. i thought he’d break the old pulpit to pieces, he was that earnest. he preached about gideon and gideon always makes a good subject. do you remember that he said that when he felt he was armed with the sword of the lord and of gideon he could face ten thousand foes?”
it was agreed that this fearless spirit would be undaunted by this task and a committee was appointed to place the matter before him.
mr. horton was a man, who, had he been of another religious persuasion, would have made one of alva’s fiercest bloodhounds. he was untiring in his zeal for the cause he espoused. he knew not mercy and he gave no quarter in the battle. and so he listened with hardening face to the tale poured [50] forth by the suffering females, the most faithful of his flock. no need to urge him forward on the path of duty. he gave his word that he would go forth without delay to wrestle with the evil spirit that possessed these unfortunate people.
and thus it was that joseph caught sight of the ministerial form stalking up the walk just as his sister was concluding a recital of the events of the night before.
“the minister’s coming,” he warned miss katherine. “don’t let him hear you laughing about scaring those women—likely it’s that he’s coming about.”
“nonsense!” exclaimed his sister. “i’d pretty soon tell him to mind his own business.”
grim and undaunted mr. horton stood upon the verandah, awaiting admittance. not even the pleasant, welcoming smile upon joseph’s mild and open countenance softened his austerity.
“a wolf in sheep’s clothing, no doubt,” he said to himself.
it was well that he had steeled his heart, for miss katherine was at her pleasantest this morning, and she was very charming in that mood. but even she could not soften that heart of adamant.
when he had seated himself he calmly began a searching scrutiny of the two faces before him. perhaps he was a student of natural history and had learned that this was one way of taming wild [51] animals, and as he had come to cage the roaring lion that walked up and down the world seeking whom he could devour, it would be well to follow approved methods.
mr. horton was not a man to hesitate when his duty lay plain before him, so he informed the brother and sister that he had come to inquire after the welfare of their souls and to save them if they felt themselves lost and guilty sinners condemned to a fearful punishment.
under this attack joseph was more nettled than his sister. miss katherine told herself that he must be a religious fanatic and as they hadn’t yet attended church in ocean view, he believed them to be godless people.
“i have every sympathy with religious enthusiasm,” she gently informed mr. horton, “but, of course, i don’t feel as strongly on the subject as you do.”
this remark confirmed his wolf theory and he began to fear that he had to deal with the wiliest of satan’s lieutenants. he thought he had better strengthen himself by a word of prayer so informed them that they must kneel with him.
joseph’s face grew dark, but miss katherine imperatively motioned to him to be silent and passive. mr. horton implored aid in the task he had undertaken and begged that he might be the instrument to bring these poor, lost, guilty souls [52] to repentance. under shelter of this storm of words miss katherine whispered to her brother that he must control himself and must not be violent.
when they rose from their knees, mr. horton was breathless, so miss katherine had him at her mercy. she politely asked him to excuse her brother as he was not feeling well, at which joseph gratefully withdrew.
“a guilty soul is a terrible thing, miss boulby,” said mr. horton mopping his forehead.
“yes, i suppose it must be,” she returned calmly, “but what is even worse is to have a mind that is constantly imagining evil in others. now, mr. horton, the ladies of your church have quite ignored us since we came, but i should be very much pleased if mrs. horton and some of the prominent ladies in the church would call and we can discuss what i can do and where i can fit in in church work.”
mr. horton fairly shone with triumph. here was a repentant sinner.
“there is joy among—” he began but that was too much for miss katherine.
about this time mr. murphy was giving the pebbles on the shore the benefit of one of his frequent monologues: “i’ve seen them taken with it before,” he informed himself, “but [53] never so bad as she’s got it. treasure hunting is like yellow fever. you’ve got to let it burn itself up. i should think her treasure hunting fever would be about cured, but you never can tell with a woman. perhaps she’s onto a new place by this time. i hope she won’t go tearing the place down to see if there’s a secret chamber anywhere. i like her to enjoy herself, but she’s apt to get into trouble with skinner if she destroys much property. i’ll have to think up some way of satisfying her or she’ll land in the penitentiary.
“i wonder if she’s found any more qualities in the old cap’s picture? i think the picture’s got all the strength when she’s around, for darn me if i ain’t as weak as water when she goes talking about him being the kind of man she admires! for i know that there’s just so many qualities that i’ll begin to dig up out of me or to plant in me. but she might come to the end of the choicest characteristics soon and give a feller time to cultivate a few.”
the captain tugged at a large volume in his pocket. he succeeded in tearing it out. the place where he had been reading was marked by a slip of paper upon which was a long list of books written in a feminine hand. the name of the volume mr. murphy was reading was the twenty-first on the slip and was ‘treasure island.’
[54] “if i’d ever had a villain like that silver around me i’d ’ve strung him up. such dilly-dallying around makes me sick,” commented the reader.
“why, mr. murphy, do you talk to yourself or are you reading aloud? your expression is wonderful if you were reading,” said the pleasant voice of miss boulby who had quite innocently chosen for her afternoon walk mr. murphy’s usual direction.
that gentleman jumped to his feet in great trepidation. what had he been saying?
“oh—why—i believe i was reading aloud. i get so interested in those books you were telling me about—the ones the captain read so much, you know, that i read aloud before i think.”
miss katherine seated herself and motioned to mr. murphy to do the same. she picked up the book which had fallen in the reader’s surprise.
“treasure island! that is a most delightful book. i am so glad you enjoy it. i do think that a man who can, as it were, live these adventures with stevenson’s characters is as delightful and interesting a person as,—as even old john silver himself,” said miss katherine with enthusiasm.
“a-hem,” mr. murphy cleared his throat and rubbed his chin. “do you like john silver?”
“i think he’s just fascinating, don’t you?” returned miss katherine.
“exactly, miss boulby. fascinating’s the word [55] i was hunting for just before you came up. but it’s the subject of the book itself that fetches me. i was always after hidden treasure, captain kidd’s and so on. i don’t suppose you were ever taken that way?”
miss katherine looked at her questioner out of the corner of her eye, but he was gazing abstractedly over the water.
“well, yes, i must confess that i have been rather interested in hidden treasures. but, of course, i have never done any actual hunting as i have never had any clues. but i should think it would be very interesting. did you mean that you have actually sought a specific treasure?”
“not exactly that,” explained mr. murphy, “at least not till i came here.”
miss katherine’s eyes grew wide.
“i haven’t done any real diggin’ here yet,” he went on, “but i hope to begin soon. now i don’t mind telling you for i’d like a partner, one who thinks as i do about it, you understand. it isn’t for the love of the money, you know, but the romance, that’s it, the romance. now you know all about captain kidd?”
miss katherine nodded.
“well, i’ve figured it out pretty well, and it’s my opinion that some of his hoard lies right along this shore and not very far from here.” mr. murphy’s [56] imagination was pretty well exhausted so he stopped to recuperate.
“along this shore and not far from here!” exclaimed miss katherine. “dear me! who’d have thought it? but have you any maps or plans or charts or whatever tells you where to look?”
mr. murphy’s imagination had taken a new lease on life.
“i’ve got them hidden carefully in my rooms,” he explained. “i have been comparing them with the physiognomy of the shore here and i believe with a little help on the subject which you can supply i would be able to identify the spot to-morrow.”
“i should love to help you,” exclaimed miss katherine. “it’s so very kind of you.”
“oh, no, no!” returned mr. murphy. “it’s only just now since you told me that you were interested in treasure seeking that i have really enjoyed thinking about it.”
“you said you had always been interested in hidden treasures,” miss katherine reminded him.
mr. murphy’s face grew red. he hastened to explain:
“i mean that the books that i’ve been reading under your direction have been so interesting that i couldn’t bear to stop reading and look for the treasure.”
miss katherine beamed.
[57] “we will search together,” she said coyly.
as they were walking home together, mr. murphy observed casually—
“a friend of mine who was a great friend of captain shannon’s told me once that the captain had produced a new species of rose and that he had been awarded a gold medal by the american horticultural society. the captain told my friend that he used to wear it on his chain but he lost it while working in his garden here. wasn’t it a pity? i don’t suppose you have ever come across it?”
“not that i know of,” returned miss katherine composedly.
when she got home she went immediately to the library and to the drawer that held the ancient golden coin that joseph had found. she took it to the kitchen where she scraped and brushed it well. behold! there was the name of the american horticultural society on one side and on the other the inscription:
“consequitur quodcunque petit!”
when mr. horton returned from his visit to the boulbys, he told his wife of the gratifying results and of miss boulby’s wish that she and other church workers would call upon her.
