Evening star., 1918-11-10

cryptograms so involved that beside
them the map of the hidden treasure
would be as plain as the grog-red-.
dened nose on old Bill Duff's face.
A sigh of pleasant anticipation
passed old Tom Briggs lips and he
Strengthened himself n little on his
pillows as old Bill Duff took up the
map and adjusted her spectacles
again to study it. Sometimes the
hidden treasure was found almost
without a search.
ut is behind the picture of your
father when he was a little boy"
old Bill Duff would say.
"Yes," old Tom Briggs would an
swer from the bed, regretfuliy. You
guessed 1t the very first time. But
you mustn't call it picture, grand
ma. Don't you remember 1t Is the
crystal cave ten PAGES from the
cocoanut palm?"
But the hidden treasure was seldom
found so easily. That was very rare
indeed with map as cranky and hard
to understand as the map made by
old Peg-Leg Bloodybones.
you'll never guess this time" said
the little boy, joyfully. you'll have
to sail back to Falmouth harbor with
out Il; this time. grandma See II you
"Perhaps 1 will. Tom Briggs" said
the grandmother. "but it will be cruel
hard on me. mate. to do without the
treasure. Let me see. dearie! 1t is
hidden in the crystal cave"
ly. clapping his hands. You can't
even enter the crystal cave. for I am
big black bear that drives you
away
80 you are" said she; And here
is the picture of you on the map"
The little boy leaned over.
mo. that's not the bear" he said.
That's a wild boar That Is the bear
in the other corner"
"Why. SO it is? said the grand
mother. "And very good likeness of
9earfor nuf atlH na t. boy fSr to ,ean 50 YOU
would know" said the little boy: "but
I put b on the boar for boar too.
So that was my mistake. and you
must not mind that you didn't know
which was which. Guess again, grand
ma-old Bill Duff. mean"
ut is-What is the clock this time,
Tom Briggs?"
'The clock is the hollow tree be-
side the burning river" said the boy.
''The mantelpiece is the burning river,
you know"
80 it u.s." said the grandmother.
"and I get across by swinging from
limb to limb. like a monkey. because
I've seen the monkeys cross 1t. SO. I
guess the treasure is in the clock"
,,, No. cried the boy: gleefully.
clock, because I'm \ horde of saw
ages, right in the middle of the map,
and I shoot poisoned arrow in your
arm, and you have to suck out the poi
son. Guess again. grandma"
"Yes; here are the savages, and,
my! what savage savages they are!"
said old Bill Duff, Il guess the treas
ure is in the water pitcher on the
That's the icy lake on top of the
table mountain, you know" said the
Indeed it isl" said the grand
mother. 80 1 climb the mountain
and throw off my clothes and I dive
to to the the t"sao bottom Of the lake. and there
moi" shouted the boy. Not there.
because I'm a hundred awful sea lions
and I gnash your leg, and you have
to flee out Of the lake, and that's
three guesses. grandma, and guessed
in three guesses yesterday"
"Deary me-" said the grandmother.
'"rhe treasure is we'll hidden today.
1t isis 1t in the bookcase?"
1t was not in the bookcase, be-
lion that scratched old Bill Duff's
back until the bones were laid bare,
and only old Tom Briggs, with his
wonderful knowledge Of roots and
as was proved by the picture of the
lion on the map-a frightfully woolly
named lion with frightfuliy wide-
Around and about the island old
Bill Duff struggled, prying stones
from before the mouth Of the dresser,
scaling the blank wall OF a precipice
to reach the ledge where clung the
match box. lowering himself from the
picture rail by means of a rope made
OF twisted vines to reach the picture
of "Rab and his Friends" crawling
through the long black tunnel under
the bed.
None but a hardy old seadog could
have lived through so many cruel
adventures. but he was a tough one:
was old Bill Duff. serpents and
leopards and cougars bit him; wild
boars tore him with their tusks: saw
ages dismembered him ruthlessly: he
fell down precipices and into boiling
springs and into molten lava that
poured from the furnace register, and
the protean Tom Briggs, who was
serpent and leopard and cougar ana
savages and boiling water and molten
lava and some cruel rebuff at every
turn. laughed with glee.
"Well. I declare. dearie." said old
Bill Duff, IT think I have guessed
everything in the ROOM"
"Now cried old Tom Briggs his eyes
sparkling with Joy. mo, you haven't.
grandma! Oh. 4 could guess 1t! It's
right in plain sight And you've had
to guess as many times as that. The
most I ever guessed was fourteen
times. Now, don't be gutter, old
Bill Duff Please don't give up,
grandma. Take a swig Of grog and 2