"Mrs. Handsomebody's back yard!" We chanted the words in utter amazement.
"Just that," affirmed Captain Pegg solemnly. "Jenks found out that I owned the house next door but he dared not bury the treasure there because the yard was smoothly sodded, and would show up any disturbance; while Mrs. Handsomebody's yard, being covered with planks, was just the thing. So he simply raised one of the planks, dug a hole, and deposited the sack containing the last of the treasure, and wrote me his confession. And there you are!"
He smiled benignly on us. I longed to hug him.
The March wind swooped and whistled down the alley, and the starling gave little sharp twittering noises and cocked his head.
"When, oh when—" we burst out—"tonight? May we search for it tonight, Captain Pegg?"
He reflected. "No-o. Not tonight. Jenks, you see, sent me a plan of the yard with a cross to mark where the treasure lies, and I'll have to hunt it up so as not to waste our time turning up the whole yard. But tomorrow night—yes, tomorrow at midnight we'll start the search!"
At dinner that day the rice pudding had the
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