Accordingly a search for the white star was made. It was no easy search, as the cellar was large and rambling. But six pairs of eyes divided the task and the side walls were thoroughly gone over.
But there was not a trace of a white star.
“It must have been washed away when the cellar was flooded last year,” suggested Ruth. The others agreed with her.
“Well, then, the other thing to do—lacking the guiding star—is to start and dig up the whole cellar—foot by foot,” decided Luke.
“Crickets!” exclaimed Hal. “Think of telling the fellows at home that I took part in a treasure-hunt—a real treasure-hunt! And right here in the settled part of the U. S. A.!”
“The hunt is going to be real, whether the treasure is or not!” laughed Nalbro, who did not take the matter very seriously.
“We’ll find it yet!” declared Agnes. “You’ll see!”
“But I suggest that we wait until to-morrow before digging up the cellar,” said Ruth. “It’s getting late.”
This was true. Their preparations, the sending away of Tess and Dot and the search of the cellar, had taken up most of the day. Evening was now coming on.
“All hands on deck bright and early in the morning!” commanded Agnes gayly. “Wear your old clothes!”
As Nalbro’s visit was drawing to an end it was planned to have a little gathering of friends at the Corner House that evening, and soon after supper the young people began to arrive.
The jolly little affair passed off successfully. By a mighty effort only, Agnes restrained herself from telling of the treasure she had fully persuaded herself was buried in the cellar.
When all had departed save Luke and Neale and while they were taking their leave of Ruth and Agnes, Ruth suddenly exclaimed:
There was no mistake about it—a noise was audible in the cellar of the Corner House. It was not an insistent noise, rather it was a subdued one, as though the cause of it, whether man or beast, was desirous of concealing something.
“Do you suppose it could be them?” whispered Agnes.
“Who?” asked Neale, though he could guess.
“Those men Hop Wong told about. Are they coming back to have another search for the buried gold?”
“We’ll soon find out!” declared Hal, who stood with Nalbro and the others in the hall, where the leave-taking had been going on. “Us for the cellar, boys!” and he looked at Neale and Luke.