chest?”
“Wouldn’t be room for a very big treasure,” Bucky said.
Carlos went on scraping. “Well, maybe it’s papers,” he said. “You know, important ones.”
“Yeah,” Eddy said. “Secret ones. Like about the Dragomans and why they disappeared. Maybe some papers that would solve the mystery about the Dragomans.”
The three PROs stared at each other. Everyone in Castle Court knew about the mystery of the family named Dragoman, who had been the first ones to buy a lot when the Andersons turned part of their farm into a cul-de-sac subdivision. And how, after they’d put in a driveway and a fountain and the foundation for a very large house, they just went away. Some people said it had something to do with a family quarrel, but nobody knew for sure.
But what all the kids at Castle Court did know was that everybody hoped the Dragomans would never come back. Because Dragoland, as everybody called the vacant lot, was such a great place to play.
“Here, let me.” Bucky stood up and, shoving Carlos out of the way, began to chop around the edges of the box with his shovel.
Carlos didn’t say anything but he didn’t move much either. After all, old Brockhurst had just gotten through saying that this part of the circle was his. So whatever was in this part of the circle was his too. Right? So he went on squatting beside the hole and when Ducky’s shovel had loosened a little more dirt he reached in and pulled out the box with his own two hands.
It wasn’t quite as big as a loaf of bread but it was pretty heavy, and made of metal, all right. Not as thick as iron but heavier than the tin used in tin cans. At each end of the box there were handles that had once moved up and down but now seemed to be rusted into one position. And on the front of the box there was a latch and a small, rusty padlock.
Carlos pulled the box up out of its hole and was beginning to carefully brush off the dirt when Bucky bent over and grabbed it away. Carlos and Eddy, who were both still squatting, stared up at him as he tipped it from side to side and then shook it hard. At the first shake there was no sound at all, but when he shook it again, even harder, they all heard it. A heavy thump and a muffled metallic clatter.
Bucky grinned. “Not papers,” he said, “something heavy with lots of pieces. Like gold nuggets, maybe.”
“Yes,” Eddy said. “Like a bag full of gold nuggets.”
“Well, whatever it is it must be pretty valuable or they wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of burying it,” Carlos said.
The three PROs stared at each other and then at the box. “Well, I’m betting on gold,” Bucky said. “Looks like we found ourselves some gold, dudes. I’ll bet it’s—” Suddenly he stopped and listened, and right at that moment Carlos heard it too. Somewhere, not far away, someone was yelling Bucky’s name.
“Bucky,” the voice called. “Bucky. You’d better get home. Right this minute.”
Muttering something under his breath, Bucky quickly shoved the box back into the hole and began to kick dirt over it. “It’s Muffy,” he said. “Look out. Here she comes.”
Chapter 3
T HE MYSTERIOUS TIN BOX was back in the hole and covered with dirt, and the three PROs had picked up their shovels and were pretending to dig in other places when Ducky’s sister, Muffy, appeared on top of the basement wall.
Muffy Brockhurst was nine years old, blond, blue eyed, pug nosed, and very dangerous. Not in the way her brother was, maybe—as in “black your eye and bloody your nose” dangerous. But Carlos knew from experience that, in her own sneaky way, Muffy could be just about as much trouble.
Standing on top of the wall with her hands on her hips she stared down at Carlos and Bucky and Eddy. “You better get home right now, Bucky,” she said. “Gary’s been waiting for you for a long time and Mom is really mad. You’re probably going to get grounded.” Gary Harding was a college student who worked part
“Wouldn’t be room for a very big treasure,” Bucky said.
Carlos went on scraping. “Well, maybe it’s papers,” he said. “You know, important ones.”
“Yeah,” Eddy said. “Secret ones. Like about the Dragomans and why they disappeared. Maybe some papers that would solve the mystery about the Dragomans.”
The three PROs stared at each other. Everyone in Castle Court knew about the mystery of the family named Dragoman, who had been the first ones to buy a lot when the Andersons turned part of their farm into a cul-de-sac subdivision. And how, after they’d put in a driveway and a fountain and the foundation for a very large house, they just went away. Some people said it had something to do with a family quarrel, but nobody knew for sure.
But what all the kids at Castle Court did know was that everybody hoped the Dragomans would never come back. Because Dragoland, as everybody called the vacant lot, was such a great place to play.
“Here, let me.” Bucky stood up and, shoving Carlos out of the way, began to chop around the edges of the box with his shovel.
Carlos didn’t say anything but he didn’t move much either. After all, old Brockhurst had just gotten through saying that this part of the circle was his. So whatever was in this part of the circle was his too. Right? So he went on squatting beside the hole and when Ducky’s shovel had loosened a little more dirt he reached in and pulled out the box with his own two hands.
It wasn’t quite as big as a loaf of bread but it was pretty heavy, and made of metal, all right. Not as thick as iron but heavier than the tin used in tin cans. At each end of the box there were handles that had once moved up and down but now seemed to be rusted into one position. And on the front of the box there was a latch and a small, rusty padlock.
Carlos pulled the box up out of its hole and was beginning to carefully brush off the dirt when Bucky bent over and grabbed it away. Carlos and Eddy, who were both still squatting, stared up at him as he tipped it from side to side and then shook it hard. At the first shake there was no sound at all, but when he shook it again, even harder, they all heard it. A heavy thump and a muffled metallic clatter.
Bucky grinned. “Not papers,” he said, “something heavy with lots of pieces. Like gold nuggets, maybe.”
“Yes,” Eddy said. “Like a bag full of gold nuggets.”
“Well, whatever it is it must be pretty valuable or they wouldn’t have gone to the trouble of burying it,” Carlos said.
The three PROs stared at each other and then at the box. “Well, I’m betting on gold,” Bucky said. “Looks like we found ourselves some gold, dudes. I’ll bet it’s—” Suddenly he stopped and listened, and right at that moment Carlos heard it too. Somewhere, not far away, someone was yelling Bucky’s name.
“Bucky,” the voice called. “Bucky. You’d better get home. Right this minute.”
Muttering something under his breath, Bucky quickly shoved the box back into the hole and began to kick dirt over it. “It’s Muffy,” he said. “Look out. Here she comes.”
Chapter 3
T HE MYSTERIOUS TIN BOX was back in the hole and covered with dirt, and the three PROs had picked up their shovels and were pretending to dig in other places when Ducky’s sister, Muffy, appeared on top of the basement wall.
Muffy Brockhurst was nine years old, blond, blue eyed, pug nosed, and very dangerous. Not in the way her brother was, maybe—as in “black your eye and bloody your nose” dangerous. But Carlos knew from experience that, in her own sneaky way, Muffy could be just about as much trouble.
Standing on top of the wall with her hands on her hips she stared down at Carlos and Bucky and Eddy. “You better get home right now, Bucky,” she said. “Gary’s been waiting for you for a long time and Mom is really mad. You’re probably going to get grounded.” Gary Harding was a college student who worked part
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