NOVEMBER 215 



" No, he couldn't get it." 



-Why not?" 



" Because I wouldn't let him." 



" But how could you hinder him? The garden 

 was hisn, an' the house too. How could you hinder 

 him ? " 



" Never mind how. I did hinder him, anyway. 

 Would you turn us out, Meshach, if I was to hinder 

 you gettin' the treasure you're wantin' ? " 



" Yes, I would!" said Meshach firmly. 



" I haven't no patience with you you be so 

 silly ! " cried Nancy. And she turned away in a 

 rage and ran into the cottage, leaving Meshach 

 to wonder what ailed the maid that she should get 

 so red. 



He brought spade and pick the next morning, 

 and began by removing the turf. The patch seemed 

 as though it had never been tilled ; great stones 

 came up with the earth, and the ground was as hard 

 as iron under his tools. 



He dug for the whole of that day. He dug deep 

 and he dug wide. His pick struck the foundations 

 of the house on the hither side of the patch, and 

 still he found nothing. Nancy came out when he 

 was putting his tools together and laughed at him. 



" Well, Mr. Moonraker," she said for Meshach 

 was a Wiltshireman by birth " have you found the 

 treasure yet ? " 



" No, but I'll find it to-morrow," said Meshach 

 doggedly. 



" Maybe!" replied Nancy. 



The next day he dug through the gravel path 

 well up into the garden, and close to the sty which 



