University of Virginia Library

CHAPTER VI.
ELMER EXPLAINS.

"ROD, the time has come when I feel that I ought to take you into my confidence more than I have up to now."

Elmer said this as he dropped down alongside his chum, who had been writing on one side of the camp-fire, while Rooster, Hanky Panky and Josh were engaged in a discussion on the other side, sometimes introducing considerable fun into their remarks, and again being serious enough.

Rod looked up and smiled.

"That is just as you think best, Elmer," he said, softly. "I've been satisfied with the way things have been going on; and I knew that when the right time came along you'd tell me more about your

mission down here in old Tennessee. If you feel that time has arrived, all right, go ahead and spin the yarn. I'm sure I'll be deeply interested, and you know without my saying it that you can count on me to stand by you, through thick and thin. Yes, and the other fellows will say just the same, when you choose to tell them the story."

The warm-hearted Southern boy thrust out his hand toward his chum as Rod said this.

"I've known all along I could count on the lot of you to help me out, if it came to it; and it's been a blessing to feel that I had such good chums with me," he went on to say. "I meant to come down here alone, and see if there was anything in that fancy of mine; but when you heard me say as much, you insisted on keeping me company, and said the other boys would be hurt if I left them out. And indeed, Rod, it's the finest thing I know to have you-all along."

"Please cut that out, Elmer, and get right down to hard pan," said the other, who disliked to be praised for anything he had ever done.

"Then listen," Elmer observed, growing serious again, as he contemplated the matter that had been the cause of his making this long pilgrimage. "You know, Rod, that all of my earlier years were spent down here, not a great many miles away from the city of Chattanooga. My folks were in the army that fought your general Grant when he came down

heah, and started Sherman on his famous march through Georgia to the sea.

"We owned a fine place, let me tell you, suh, and in the old days kept fifty slaves on our plantation. Even after the war our family prospered, and my grandfather was considered a wealthy gentleman. You have met him many times, Rod; and know that since our coming No'th he's never been in his right mind.

"We were forced to leave our old home down heah by a series of unfortunate circumstances. The old gentleman had invested most of his money in certain securities, and hid the same away. Then he had a fall from his hoss, and was brought home fo' dead, but we managed to save his life, though from that day he was never the same; and try as we could it was utterly impossible, suh, for any of us to get him to tell where he had put away the valuable securities.

"In the end we had to let our home go to strangers, and proceed to emigrate to the No'th. How we came to Garland you already know, because your folks had something to do with it; but that is a matter apart from the subject we are talking about now, which concerns my reasons for wanting to return to my former home here, without any one knowing about it.

"Now listen closely, Rod, fo' here lies the meat in the cocoanut. About three weeks ago I happened

to heah my grandfather talking in his sleep, and listening, at first out of mere curiosity, I soon felt myself thrilled by words he kept repeating over and over again. This was what he was saying to himself, Rod:

"'The stone is very heavy. It makes me strain every muscle to lift it. But under there they will surely be safe! But I must always be sure to remove every trace of its having been moved. There, no one would ever suspect they were so near. It is as secure as a locker in a safe deposit company's vault, and ever so much cheaper.'

"Each time he would laugh softly to himself, as if he thought it quite a joke. And you can imagine how it made me shake all over as I remembered about those long missing securities, which he had hidden away just befo' he was stricken."

Elmer seemed shaken by the memory of it all, for when Rod put his hand on that of his best chum he felt the other quivering like a leaf.

"I can understand it, Elmer," he said, with an encouraging nod. "You believed, and rightly too, I think, that in his sleep memory was taking your grandfather back once more to where he hid those papers. It was under a large stone, judging from what he said; and I take it you've got a pretty good idea you know where that same stone may be right now."

Rod himself showed signs of excitement by this

time. There is always something very exhilarating about a search for treasure, no matter where located; and boy though Rod might be, he could feel the deepest interest in this mission of his chum.

"I am positive I do," the other went on to say. "For days and days I've been almost unable to think of anything else, and I believe I'd go crazy if the chance hadn't come fo' me to run down here, and put it all to the test."

"Tell me more about it, Elmer, now that you've gone so far," urged Rod.

"I remembered that in our former home there was just such a big stone forming the hearth in the great living-room, where I spent so many happy days years ago. And the more I got to thinking about it, the stronger became my conviction that he must have hidden the papers under that, believing them perfectly safe there. I know it is an old story, and that others have done the same thing; but then that wouldn't have kept my grandfather from trying it. He was old-fashioned anyhow. Now, what do you think about it, Chum Rod?"

"Just as you do," replied the other, hastily and eagerly; "that the chances are three to one it's going to turn out as you say. But perhaps you'd better go slow, and not feel too sure, because the disappointment would be bitter if they didn't happen to be there when you came to look."

"Do you mean that he may not have put them there at all?" asked Elmer, weakly.

"Well, even if he did, some one may have been ahead of you," urged Rod. "It's been a number of years since you lived down here, and there was always a chance that the hearth-stone may have been raised for some reason or other. I'm only saying this, not to discourage you, because we must make the search, now that we've come this far, but to keep you from having too great a disappointment. You understand, Elmer?"

"Yes, I understand, Rod, and believe me, I couldn't want a better or truer chum than you've always been to me. Sometimes I try to tell myself that it's only a wild dream on my part; and then I seem to hear him saying those words over and over again; and it sends the hot blood bounding through every vein with hope."

"Well, it won't be long now, before you can know," Rod went on to say; "but do you suppose the people who are living there at present will allow you to make the search, and take away anything you find?"

Elmer's face clouded at that.

"I really don't know, Rod," he said, slowly; "in the first place, suh, I'm more or less in the dark as to what sort of a gentleman this Colonel Pepper may be. My recollection of him isn't very clear. I only seem to remember that he had a

bullying way about him, and that my mother resented it, because -- well, to tell the truth, he was a Northern man, and didn't seem to be a real gentleman. But then that was years ago. I do not know what sort of family Colonel Pepper has, or what kind of a man he is now."

Rod seemed to consider the matter, and Elmer waited to hear what next he would say, for like all the others of the chums he valued Rod's advice greatly.

"I'll tell you what I think," finally remarked Rod; "we'd better keep it quiet that you're Elmer Overton until we know our ground better. Then we can prowl around some, and feel our way. Perhaps we might even manage to get an invitation from this colonel to visit him at his home, when you would have a fine chance to look under that hearth-stone then, and see if the papers are there."

"You seem to hit the nail right on the head, believe me, Rod!" said the other, enthusiastically. "And that is the very thing we can do. When once you get planning there's little beyond you; and I wouldn't be surprised one little bit if you did manage to do Colonel Pepper a great favor, on account of which he invited the lot of us to visit him."

Elmer seemed to be considerably excited over the idea he had advanced. Sanguine by nature, and

feeling the utmost confidence in the ability of his closest chum to accomplish the seemingly impossible, he already considered that his cause was in a fair way of being carried.

"You expect to tell the rest soon, I hope?" questioned Rod, a minute later, as he cast a fond glance toward the other side of the fire.

Josh and Rooster were still lying there, Hanky Panky having gone over to the little gurgling creek to get a drink; a very common occurrence with him, as he seemed to be constantly dry, and wanting to "wet his throat," as he called it.

"Surely," quickly replied Elmer; "I wanted to tell you first, because you already knew a part of the story. And perhaps, before we go to sleep to- night, I'll get them together, and repeat what I've said to you. They've stuck by me like brothers, and I'm just as certain of their backing me up, as I was that you'd say all you did."

"Well, by another night, then, we ought to be close by where you used to live; for Chattanooga can't be a great ways off now?" Rod ventured to remark.

"Just as you say, Rod, we'll soon strike Walnut Ridge, and it is on that elevation, with the most beautiful view you ever saw, that my old home lies -- that is, if it hasn't been burned down since we left it years ago; for none of us have ever been back here, and I don't think letters have followed us either."

"Well, even if that had happened it might not have made any difference with the papers lying snug under that big hearth-stone," Rod hastened to say, seeing that the other had begun to show signs of a new anxiety.

"Thank you, Rod; and it is really as you say, the stone would have protected anything lying underneath from the fire. I'm going to quit borrowing trouble, and just try and believe it's all bound to come out well."

"And if you're feeling in the humor for it, Elmer, why not ask the others to join us here right now? I'll tell the story, if you want me to, and who knows but what one of our chums may have some bright idea to suggest. You never can tell; and five heads are better than two, any day in the week."

"Just as you please about it, Rod," replied the other; "wait until Hanky Panky comes back from the spring. He's making a regular path there with his wanting to get a drink so often. Did you ever know a fellow with so dry a throat? I'd pity Hanky if ever he started across the California Desert; chances are he'd have to carry a barrel of water to keep his tongue from getting parched. But look at him coming along now, and on the 'ump too! Why, he's as white as a sheet! Whatever do you reckon he's been and run up against?

Can it be he's stepped on a rattler; for you know, he hates snakes like poison?"

"We'll soon know," said Rod, as he hastened to scramble to his feet; "because he seems to be heading right for us, and if he don't lose his voice, he means to tell us just what's happened!"