s at liberty to begin the new life that lay before him. Despite the natural sadness which he felt at parting with his

ant had about a dozen volumes, none of which he had read himself, but Ernest had read them over and over again. None of the neighbors owned any bo

but one could not fish or hunt all the time. He had often felt a vague yearning to go to Chicago, or New York, o

man would reply. "I must live on the l

I can work," the

much. Wait till I am dead and

consider such a contingency. Peter represented his world, for he ha

ccordingly he declined Joe Marks' offer to take him into the store. He understood

. "You are very kind, but there m

way, but I've known you a long time,

y, Joe--that is, if I a

, and need a home and a friend, come back, t

e," said Ern

Luke Robbins. "I'm a poor man, and my friendship

f both. He felt that each

t I won't forget eit

o go, Ernest, and whe

ow, I think, but where I

need any

ncle left

his business was ended, he felt that it was time to possess himself of it. Accordingly

the only persons whom he would have thought of trusting were Joe Marks and Luke Rob

mentioned by Peter and began to dig. It did not take him long to rea

and saw a small roll enclosed in brown wrapping-paper, which, on being removed, revealed twenty five-dollar gold pieces. He regarded them wit

y one who regarded the gol

s a person with whom we are already acquaint

en treasure. He had deliberated as to whether the cabin or the fields was the more likely place to have been selected. He had nothing

man hid his boodle," soliloquiz

much like work, and if there was anything to which

old man told him," he finally c

supposed that Ernest would do the same. He therefore lost no time in prowling around the cabin, with the especial object of watching Ern

heart was fi

the treasure," he said.

in doing this, for Ernest be

ght Burns; "at any rate, not till I

pped when he came to the oak tree, and it was ev

knowed! Why, the gold was right under me all the time. If I'd found it then, I

no longer doubted that this was the place where the gold was hi

there is only a thousand, it will set me on my feet. I'll soon get out of this neighborhood. I'll go to Chicago or New York, and I'll l

ut, put them in his pocket, he was not disappointed, f

t's a hundred dollars? The old man ought to be

or a while. Besides, he might multiply it many times at the gaming table, for Tom Burns had been a gambler in his day. He certainly did not

pocket and turned to go back to th

ll trouble you to h