CHAPTER XVI.
KEEN ON THE TRAIL OF THE PUZZLE Breathless with excitement, Dick crouched over the hole in the dirt floor, unwilling to make a move until the other fellows had joined him.
That didn't take long.
Hen Dutcher was one of the first to get a glimpse at what had filled Prescott with so much excitement.
"Gracious! It must be Captain Kidd's treasure!" gasped Hen.
"Guess again," replied Tom Reade.

"A pirate would be doing a poor business who didn't get a bigger lot of loot than that together." "But this is a valuable lot of stuff," argued Harry Hazelton, as he took a look.
"I wonder who could have buried it here ?" demanded Dan.
"I think I know," nodded Dick.

"Now, then, stand back a little and I'll take the stuff out." The first thing that Prescott drew out of the hole was a paper parcel.
This he unwrapped, then gave a whoop of joy.
"The fan I bought mother for Christmas!" he almost shouted.
Something yellowish glinted and caught his eye down in the hole.

Dick fished the object out.
"Who's is this ?" he queried, holding up a curiously engraved gold watch.
"It looks like Dr.Bentley's," replied Dave Darrin, eying the timepiece.
"I saw it often enough when I had diphtheria and he was taking my pulse." "Yes; it's Dr.Bentley's," glowed Dick.

"Won't he be the happy man, though ?" "He will if we manage to get it back to him," assented Tom dryly.
Then a dozen rings, some of them set with gems, and all tied on a string, came to light.