around here?”
“I don’t care!” Honey wailed. “I don’t like it down here—it’s cold and
creepy. I want to go home. I’m going to yell for help.”
“Okay, okay,” Trixie said forlornly. “We might as well start yelling.
But I still don’t feel right about it.”
They both began to shout as loudly as they could. Reddy immediately woke
up and started barking, too. Suddenly the shovel noise stopped, and they could
hear twigs snapping as Charles started looking for the place the voices were
coming from, He seemed to be having a hard time of it.
“Over here!” Trixie yelled. “But be careful! We’re down a hole, and we
can’t get out!”
A few moments later, Charles Miller stuck his head through the opening
and looked at them in great surprise.
“What are you doing down there?” he asked, incredulous.
“We’re stuck, silly,” Trixie said, getting very annoyed. “If we could
get out, then we’d be out, wouldn’t we?”
“Please help us,” Honey pleaded. “Do you have a rope or something? It’s
awful down here.”
For a moment Charles was silent. A number of conflicting emotions seemed
to flicker across his face—surprise, anger, fear. It was the expression of fear
that worried Trixie the most. If Charles Miller really did have something to
hide, all her worst thoughts would prove correct. Then he spoke.
“I don’t know,” he said slowly. “Maybe I will and maybe I won’t.”
“You have to help us,” Honey wailed. “Maybe,” Charles said
with a nasty smile. “But I have to do something first.”
“What do you mean, ‘do something’?” Trixie shouted.
Charles pulled his head out of the opening. “Don’t go away now!” he said
with a grim laugh.
“I told you,” Trixie muttered. “Let’s find a stick or a big rock. We
should at least try and protect ourselves.”
Trixie bent down to pick up a large rock, but before she could curl her
fingers around it, Charles dropped down into the cave. He landed with a thud on
the ground next to her. The knotted end of a heavy rope struck him on the
shoulder.
“Ouch!” he yelped.
“Quick, Honey,” Trixie commanded, “grab the rope and let’s get out of here!”
But Honey didn’t move quickly enough. Charles reached behind him and
held the rope out of their reach.
“Not so fast, girls,” he said. “There are a few things we have to
discuss.”
“Really?” Trixie said innocently. “I don’t think we have anything to discuss.”
“Oh yes, we do, Miss Belden,” he said menacingly. “Like the fact that
you two have been snooping around me and this site since I first got here. And
I know why, too.”
“I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about,” Trixie said in
her haughtiest tone of voice. “Now please, help us get out of here.”
“Not before you explain what you’re doing in my cave,
looking for my treasure. For all I know, you’ve already found it,
and have it hidden somewhere in here. You’re not leaving until you hand it over.”
“I still don’t know what you’re talking about,” Trixie said sweetly. But
she cast a warning glance at Honey. “Treasure? What treasure?”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about,” Charles said menacingly. He
began to shine his flashlight all around the small underground room as if
looking for something. “I happen to know that there’s a hidden stash of gold
down here. Just because you two are rich, doesn’t mean you can take it from me.
You don’t need it, anyway. And I’m not going to let two dumb, rich girls stand
in the way of what I need.”
“For your information,” Trixie began, “I’m not rich, and...”
Honey, who had been listening quietly, suddenly stood up. She
interrupted Trixie and started yelling at Charles. “You can’t talk to us that
way,” she snapped. Trixie was surprised at Honey. She’d hardly ever seen her
get angry. “It’s not your fault that you’re poor, and it’s not my fault that my
parents
“I don’t care!” Honey wailed. “I don’t like it down here—it’s cold and
creepy. I want to go home. I’m going to yell for help.”
“Okay, okay,” Trixie said forlornly. “We might as well start yelling.
But I still don’t feel right about it.”
They both began to shout as loudly as they could. Reddy immediately woke
up and started barking, too. Suddenly the shovel noise stopped, and they could
hear twigs snapping as Charles started looking for the place the voices were
coming from, He seemed to be having a hard time of it.
“Over here!” Trixie yelled. “But be careful! We’re down a hole, and we
can’t get out!”
A few moments later, Charles Miller stuck his head through the opening
and looked at them in great surprise.
“What are you doing down there?” he asked, incredulous.
“We’re stuck, silly,” Trixie said, getting very annoyed. “If we could
get out, then we’d be out, wouldn’t we?”
“Please help us,” Honey pleaded. “Do you have a rope or something? It’s
awful down here.”
For a moment Charles was silent. A number of conflicting emotions seemed
to flicker across his face—surprise, anger, fear. It was the expression of fear
that worried Trixie the most. If Charles Miller really did have something to
hide, all her worst thoughts would prove correct. Then he spoke.
“I don’t know,” he said slowly. “Maybe I will and maybe I won’t.”
“You have to help us,” Honey wailed. “Maybe,” Charles said
with a nasty smile. “But I have to do something first.”
“What do you mean, ‘do something’?” Trixie shouted.
Charles pulled his head out of the opening. “Don’t go away now!” he said
with a grim laugh.
“I told you,” Trixie muttered. “Let’s find a stick or a big rock. We
should at least try and protect ourselves.”
Trixie bent down to pick up a large rock, but before she could curl her
fingers around it, Charles dropped down into the cave. He landed with a thud on
the ground next to her. The knotted end of a heavy rope struck him on the
shoulder.
“Ouch!” he yelped.
“Quick, Honey,” Trixie commanded, “grab the rope and let’s get out of here!”
But Honey didn’t move quickly enough. Charles reached behind him and
held the rope out of their reach.
“Not so fast, girls,” he said. “There are a few things we have to
discuss.”
“Really?” Trixie said innocently. “I don’t think we have anything to discuss.”
“Oh yes, we do, Miss Belden,” he said menacingly. “Like the fact that
you two have been snooping around me and this site since I first got here. And
I know why, too.”
“I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about,” Trixie said in
her haughtiest tone of voice. “Now please, help us get out of here.”
“Not before you explain what you’re doing in my cave,
looking for my treasure. For all I know, you’ve already found it,
and have it hidden somewhere in here. You’re not leaving until you hand it over.”
“I still don’t know what you’re talking about,” Trixie said sweetly. But
she cast a warning glance at Honey. “Treasure? What treasure?”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about,” Charles said menacingly. He
began to shine his flashlight all around the small underground room as if
looking for something. “I happen to know that there’s a hidden stash of gold
down here. Just because you two are rich, doesn’t mean you can take it from me.
You don’t need it, anyway. And I’m not going to let two dumb, rich girls stand
in the way of what I need.”
“For your information,” Trixie began, “I’m not rich, and...”
Honey, who had been listening quietly, suddenly stood up. She
interrupted Trixie and started yelling at Charles. “You can’t talk to us that
way,” she snapped. Trixie was surprised at Honey. She’d hardly ever seen her
get angry. “It’s not your fault that you’re poor, and it’s not my fault that my
parents
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