The Mystery of the Man in the Tall Black Hat by Margaret M. Sandberg Page B

somewhere in that area.”
    Everyone dashed for the corner of the Mitchell house and began measuring and counting steps. When they had gone fifty-three paces, Tod stood at the far corner of the chicken house, Barney was at the closest corner and the other members of the team were scattered beyond and between them.
    “Since Tod’s the captain we ought to go by his paces,” declared Bill.
    They gathered around while Tod paced off fifteen steps north. This led him behind the chicken house and to the far corner of the building. “Look for clues,” he suggested.
    A grove of slender young fir trees stood to their right. Ahead a few feet was a barbed wire fence and to their left the chicken house.
    “It must be in that grove of trees,” declared Tricia.
    Shortly they located a small mound of fresh dirt. On top were some stones laid out in the shape of an “X.”
    “Where’s your shovel, Barney” asked Tod.
    “I left it at the house.”
    Tod slapped his hand against his forehead. “Oh, no! When we finally need it you don’t have it.”
    “I’ll go get it,” offered Barney, as he set out as fast as his chubby body would allow.
    While he was waiting, Tod removed the stones from the top of the mound. He stood back when Barney arrived, to let him dig.
    Barney stuck the shovel into the ground. After a few minutes, he dropped it. “I think I’ve hit something!” he cried excitedly. He was down on his knees and digging with his hands. Finally he lifted an old chest from the ground.
    “It’s locked,” he said in dismay as he tried the lid.
    Tod reached for the chest. A small padlock was closed tightly on the hasp of the chest. “Let’s take it back to Mr. Taylor.”
    Mr. Taylor was waiting for them. He grinned as he reached into his pocket, took out a key, and fitted it into the lock. The lock sprung open, and Tod fumbled to take it off.
    “What’s in it?” Everyone tried to see inside.
    “Wait,” said Tod, noticing a piece of paper pasted inside the lid. “Let me read what it says.”
    PICK YOURSELF A PENCIL.
PICK YOURSELF A PEN.
WHEN YOU’RE THROUGH WITH PICKING,
REACH IN YOUR HAND AGAIN.
    Inside were pencils and pens of various colors. Scattered throughout the chest were candy kisses and gold foil-wrapped chocolate that looked like gold coins.
    “Leave some candy for the other team, and let’s go bury the chest again,” suggested Tod.
    “Yes, yes. Let’s make them find it!” cried Tricia.
    Tod had just finished putting the stones on top of the mound of dirt when they heard Jeff’s team coming into the Mitchell yard.
    “Tod, look!” cried Barney, breaking into a clumsy run. “It’s MacDuff. MacDuff is with them!”
    MacDuff had seen Barney and dashed toward him barking and wagging his tail. He reached him and jumped up in greeting. Barney fell and they rolled on the lawn. MacDuff raced around the yard and pounced upon Barney again and again.
    After Jeff’s team had located the treasure and had divided the remaining candy, Mrs. Mitchell and Mrs. Taylor brought out homemade ice cream with fresh strawberries from Mitchell’s garden.
    “Where did you find MacDuff?” Barney asked Jeff as he stroked the back of the dog’s neck.
    “At first we thought he was Mrs. Graybill’s dog. That’s where he started to follow us.”
    “Until we saw that goofy character all dressed up for a Halloween party,” one of the others commented. “Then we decided the dog must belong to him.”
    “What did the man look like?” asked Skinny.
    “Like Abraham Lincoln going to Ford’s theater.”
    “I
did
see him!” cried Skinny. “Nobody would believe me but I
did
see him! That proves it!”
    “OK, so you saw him,” agreed Tod, “but does anybody know who he is or where he came from?”
    “Now that you mention it, I didn’t give it a thought. I wonder why he was all dressed up like that,” questioned Jeff.
    “I thought he had something to do with the treasure hunt,” said Pam.
    “Or he could have been a