down and investigate."

"Yes, but what would there be there when we got down?" asked the other
half impatiently. "We ran the risk of breaking a leg or an arm just for
the sake of exploring a hole in the ground, and get nothing out of it. If
there was anything there, now----"

"Yon don't know till you look, as Jesse W. just remarked, and there might
be something there after all. Some of Captain Kidd's treasure, for
instance."

"Nonsense! You are full of Captain Kidd's treasure, and so are half the
boys. You won't find anything down there, and you will have your trouble
for your pains."

"I'm going to look just for the fun of it, anyhow," said Dick, "although
it would be very convenient to have a light as J.W. suggests. Another time
we can bring one."

The sun shone more strongly into the hole, and Dick began to descend,
using a stout stick, which he had broken from a tree near at hand, to
assist him in going down.

The smaller boy looked rather wistfully into the hole as Dick went down,
and Jack, breaking another stout stick, asked:

"Do you want to go down there, young fellow, and follow Dick Percival on a
fool's errand?"

"It might not be that," said the other, "and I would like to go."