Tom Fairfield in Camp; or, The Secret of the Old Mill

see, or for whatever might happen, the boys peered anxio

x leaped into view and then, seeing

ared Jack. "I sure thought it was the

re seekers,

Bert. "That is, if Tom is done taki

r now, though I may want some from

wharf, the four lads climbed out and

a weak plank you're stepping on, Jack.

ers, had stepped on a board of the wharf that was but a mere rotten shell, and, an instant later

iousness. "One foot's in the water,

t?" asked Be

kinned all the way up I'm a

k started towar

ll all be through. Wait until I can lay another plank dow

ntial board, and then, stepping on this they managed to pull Jac

m, when they had all made their

is well soaked, but it's warm weather and I guess I won't get the e

inned and bruised, where it had scraped on the edges of t

an extra handkerchief on the worst cut of his chum's leg. "Do

not going to let a little thing like a game leg sta

d Bert. "You'll get the bes

somewhere, and, as this is his property, he'd be justified in making a r

sort of basement, on a level with the lower ground, where it was evident that wagons had driven in to receive their loads of grain. Here too, w

here the treasure would be buri

" spoke Tom. "It's

arder it is to find it, sometimes. Nothing is more difficult to pick u

Bert. "Did you ever p

is it?"

a name printed in very small type, but those who know select a name printed in big letters, that take up half the map, maybe. And it most al

one has had a try for the treasure here, at

many places stones had been knocked out of the thick wa

things go right we may later. Let's go up on the m

ied Jack, holdi

y n

umble. Let's go outside and around on the solid earth. I don't want to put my oth

ad evidently been the main entrance to the ancient structure. It

rooms, opening one into the other, now that the doors had fallen from their hinges, and here were holes that went thr

re almost anywhere," remark

ed the insides out of the mill looking for it. I suppose old Wallace has cut

Dick. "The stone walls are thick.

to be a job to take them apart all right," and he looked at the stones

and looked for a place to ascend to the

d make it," said Tom. "We

to get up there to f

, and when it catches, crossways, in one of

let's see if we can find where old Wallace hangs ou

proceeded to visit them. They had evidently been the living apart

pared here," commented Tom. "It smells as mu

I'll wager,

s he get up?

ed Tom. "We'll have to get a rope an

Bert. "Old Wallace may come along and nab us. We'

ld," said Jack. "I want to

t I think it might be a good idea to look outside a bit. Maybe there's some outbuilding

s!" suggested Jack. "I'm as h

e for the reputed treasure. Holes innumerable were on every side, but the attempts

they started for the dock where their

the river. As they approached their boat Tom, who was slightly in advance, utt

it?" as

r. "Old Wallace! We g

xclaimed Jack, in a hoarse

d Tom. "Wonders will never

of it the boys hurried behind a screen of bu

again. "They're going

ere the path widened. It was in a little glade, and, sitting down beneath the trees, the two men, one of whom

ct that interested them both, for they held their heads close together as if

ey doing now

as some sort of a

ng it to Mr. Sk

map to tell where the tre

ofessor?" asked Tom. "If he wants to keep it

ommented Jack. "

and the hermit leaped to their feet and gazed do