Chapter XIII · —The Hidden Treasure.

Bulger looked around cautiously on every side, and believing that the person who had discovered him had gone away he sank back into his hiding place.

Dick hastily rejoined Madge and told her about the identity of the man in the tree. He also outlined his plans for the rascal's arrest. They were about to hurry to the house when Dick caught sight of a figure slouching through the trees toward the gully. He guessed it was Parker, and he altered his arrangements.

"Parker is coming to see Bulger. There he is yonder, just going down into the gully. I'm going to remain and see what happens. You hurry to the house and send John and William here as fast as they can come. Tell them to fetch their revolvers and a piece of rope. Now, then, Madge, put your best foot forward."

She hastened away, while he crept back toward the big rock. Parker was coming up the gully with a package and a tin bucket in his hands. Presumedly they held food for the escaped convict. Dick gained the rock without attracting Parker's attention. The ex-convict approached the tree, laid his burdens on the ground and, climbing up, stuck his head down the opening. He remained a few minutes talking with the man inside and then returned to the ground and carried up first the package and then the pail, which he passed down to Bulger. He remained at the crotch talking to his pal. Suddenly there was a cracking sound and the tree began to bend over.

Parker uttered an exclamation of alarm and started to clamber down. His movements brought matters to a head. The tree broke off at its roots and went over, carrying the ex-convict with it. As it hit the ground Dick saw a pair of legs, which belonged to Bulger, kicking like mad in the air. As they hit the roots of the tree they made the punky material fly about in a cloud. Parker was half-stunned for a moment and then he got up and went to his companion's aid, catching him by the legs and pulling him out, all covered with dirt. Bulger swore like a trooper, blaming his pal for the catastrophe.

"Where am I goin' to roost now?" said Bulger. "You'll have to take me over to your place after dark and let me stay in your barn. I can't stay out here all night, and, what's more, I won't."

"I s'pose you'll have to come, but it's dangerous for me."

"Dangerous be blamed! It's your duty to help an old pal when he's in deep."

He gave the roots of the tree a kick, expressive of his sentiments. The kick uncovered something that attracted his attention.

"Hello! What's this?" he cried.

He stooped and picked a bag out of the dust.

"What have you got there?" asked Parker, looking interested.

"Blame my hide, if it ain't a bag of money!" cried Bulger.

"Money!" cried Parker. "Then we'll divvy up."

"No, we won't divvy nothin'. Findin's is keepin's. I wonder if there's any more?"

Down he got on his hands and knees and scratched in the dust, bringing to light a second bag.

"Hurray! Another! I'm made for fair. Here's a third and there's more underneath. I'm rich!"

Dick beheld all this with feelings of the greatest astonishment. Bags of money hidden in the roots of the dead tree! Then the gypsy woman's prediction occurred to him like a flash. This was his fortune, then, and these rascals had brought it to light. What was on his property belonged to him by right of ownership in all. And now these fellows had it in their clutches, or rather Bulger had it, and seemed disposed to hold on to all of it. That was too much for Dick to stand. He was about to rush on Bulger and order him to give up the money when Parker snatched up a couple of the bags.

"Drop them!" roared Bulger.

"I'm only takin' my share," said Parker.

Bulger sprang up and jumped at the ex-convict, who had to let the bags fall to defend himself. In another moment they were both at it, hammer-and-tongs, with the advantage in Bulger's favor, owing to his build and strength. Dick saw his advantage. Dashing forward, he picked up the long stick which lay on the ground and began laying it on the heads and shoulders of the two fighters. That brought the scrap to a sudden end, and the men turned to face this new and unexpected trouble. They at once recognized Dick, and as they bore him no good will, Bulger particularly, they lost no time in making a rush at him.

"Now we've got you!" hissed Bulger.

At that critical moment for Dick the gardener and the footman came on the scene and sprang to the boy's assistance. The gardener seized Bulger and the footman nabbed Parker, compelling them to release Dick. The boy then assisted the gardener in securing the escaped convict, and they had their hands full doing it. The butler was able to subdue Parker alone. Bulger was bound with the rope, and he was furious at his capture, not to speak of the loss of the money he believed he had come into. The young New Yorker then called the attention of the butler and the gardener to the bags of money lying on the ground.

"They came out of the roots of that tree, and as this property is mine, the money is mine, too, unless somebody can establish a mighty strong claim to it. It has evidently been hidden there for a great many years. The person who put it there is doubtless dead, else he would have reclaimed it long ago. I shall take charge of it by right of ownership in the property," said Dick, who at once set about gathering together the six bags Bulger had brought to light, while the ruffian hurled imprecations at him as he watched him. Dick then hunted for more, and found six additional bags. The weight of the whole was more than even the three of them could carry, had they not been embarrassed by the two prisoners, so Dick told the men to take the rascals to the house and lock them up while he would remain in charge of the money.

Then came a fresh difficulty. Bulger refused to walk.

"Return to the house, William, and get Mr. Mason to telephone to the village for the constables," said Dick. "I'll see that Parker doesn't get away."

So the butler departed on his errand. He was back in twenty minutes, accompanied by Mr. Mason and a neighboring farmer, who had called at the house. The prisoners were taken to the road where the automobile stood. Then the twelve bags of money were carried and put in the vehicle. Leaving the two servants to walk, the rest of the party proceeded to the house in the vehicle. Bulger and Parker were locked up in an outhouse to await the arrival of the constable, while the money was taken into the house and displayed before the astonished eyes of the ladies.

The money-bags were then opened and found to contain gold eagles of a date about the time of the War of the Rebellion, and being counted footed up $120,000.

"What a lucky boy you are!" Madge said to him, after supper.

"I hope I am," he replied.

"Hope!" she exclaimed, in surprise. "Why, you are, with all that money."

"There is something better than money. Something I'd rather have than all the gold I have come in possession of."

"What is that?"

"It's your love, Madge," he replied earnestly.

"Oh, Dick!" she cried blushingly.

"Have I got it, or have I dreamed in vain?"

He put his arm around her waist and she did not draw back. Dick did not return to New York by the early train on Monday morning, as he had arranged to do, instead of which he went to Carlin with Mr. Mason in the auto and placed the money in the Carlin National Bank, receiving therefor a draft on a bank in New York for the amount. Then he sent off two telegrams—one to the manager of the store, the other to his mother. The first read: "Will report Tuesday morning."

The second was worded: "I've found the fortune. Will be home to-night in time for dinner." Then he returned to the house to take lunch with the Masons. On the road he confessed to Mr. Mason that he loved Madge, and that she reciprocated his affection.

"I want you to sanction our engagement, with a view to our marriage as soon as she shall have graduated from Vassar."

"Ask her mother, my boy," said the gentleman. "As far as I am concerned, you need fear no obstacle from me."

While they were away, Madge sought her mother and told her that Dick had asked her to marry him four years hence when she had completed her education. Then Mrs. Mason kissed her daughter and told her that she and Mr. Mason were both well disposed toward Dick, and they were perfectly satisfied to receive him into the family at the proper time as their son-in-law.

Then the happy girl ran and broke the news to her aunt, who congratulated her on winning such a fine young man as she had always believed Dick Darling to be. Dick decided not to press any charge against Parker, and so that rascal was allowed to go free, while Bulger was taken back to Trenton, and his punishment for taking French leave was the loss of his commutation time, so he was obliged to serve the full ten years, after which he would have to face the other indictment, so his chances of staying in prison for a good part of his life were good.

During the summer the Darlings moved into a house of their own in the Bronx, and Nellie and May gave up their jobs for good. So four years passed away and Dick continued to rise in the store till one day Mr. Bacon offered to sell him a half interest in the business, and make him the manager of the store. Dick accepted his proposal, and thus, on the eve of his marriage to Madge he invested a large part of the fortune which came to him through the acquisition of a five-acre plot of ground worth not over $250.

Next week's issue will contain "BEATING THE MARKET; or, A BOY BROKER'S BIG DEAL."