Peter Cotterell's Treasure

by Rupert Sargent Holland

  XX--SIR PETER'S PARTY

  When none of his guests could eat any more of the delicious ice creamthat topped off a wonderful dinner, the buff-coated gentleman rose fromhis chair at the head of the table. They had dined from the famousCotterell silver service, and the candles that now illuminated theshining mahogany table were fastened in exquisite candlesticks that hadbeen in the treasure chest.

  The buff-coated gentleman raised a glass that stood beside his plate."My friends," he said, "our guests from Barmouth tell us that theRevolution is over; so there would be no object in keeping the Cotterelltreasure hidden any longer. But it was well hidden. So well hiddenindeed that it required a genius like Benjamin Sully to find out whereit was. I propose a toast to that master detective, Benjamin Sully."

  All, except Ben, lifted their glasses and drank, nodding at thedark-haired boy.

  Then Ben stood up. "I propose a toast to Sir Peter," he said, "whosurely does know how to give people a good time."

  That toast was drunk also. Then Tuckerman got to his feet. "Sir Peter, Iam proud of you," he said. "I don't believe a more delightful party wasever given in Cotterell Hall."

  The man at the head of the table smiled. "I'm glad to hear you say that,John Tuckerman," he responded. "For, in a way, I felt that to-night I'dbeen usurping a place that was rightfully yours. For, of course, this isyour house, and this is your silver plate."

  "Then who are you?" piped up Sarah Hooper from the foot of the table.

  "I think he's Roderick Fitzhugh," said Tom, who sat beside Sarah.

  "I think he's Mr. Joseph Hastings," volunteered Ben.

  The buff-coated gentleman nodded, "You are both right. Joseph Hastings,Roderick Fitzhugh, and Peter Cotterell. I'm quite a versatile fellow.I've a passion for acting, to tell the truth."

  "I thought you were Joseph Hastings," said Ben, "when I met you at theGables."

  "Yes, that's my right name. But Roderick Fitzhugh sounded so much moreromantic. And I'd invited a houseful of guests to help me act a play I'dwritten for the moving-pictures. We all took the names we were to havein the play." He pointed to Penelope Boothby. "She was the fair MaidRosalind. And my steward Sampson yonder was Sir Marmaduke Midchester.And we liked our costumes so much that we wore them most of the time.That's how I happened to be in Lincoln green when Master Ben drove up."

  "And it was the snuff-box you bought in Barmouth that I found in thechest in the cliff," asserted Ben. "How did it happen to come there?"

  Joseph Hastings pushed his chair back from the table and crossed hislegs. "That's quite a long story. But I suppose you'd like to hear it. Ihave a friend who knows John Tuckerman very well, and he wrote me thatTuckerman had come here to take possession of this island and its house.That sounded very interesting. So I came over here in my motor-boat withMartin Locke--that's Sir Marmaduke, alias Sampson, and Miss AdelaideLawson--that's Penelope Boothby--it was a day or two before you campersarrived--and we found we could open one of the drawing-room windows andget into the house that way. Then we discovered the note stuck in thepicture frame, and so we learned there was a secret about a familytreasure."

  "And you left the window open a little when you went out," put in Tom."That's how it happened that Ben's candle blew out."

  "Did we?" said Hastings. "I didn't know we did that. But we found somewax and took an impression of the key-hole in the front door, and I hada key made to fit it in Barmouth. I thought we'd have some fun with JohnTuckerman and his friends."

  "You did, all right," said Tuckerman. "I'll forgive you for making thatkey. I suppose that's what those men from the fishing-smack did whenthey broke in here."

  "I'm sorry if I set a bad example," Hastings answered. "But they didn'tlearn the trick from us. Well, a day or two later we three came backagain."

  "You landed from the creek?" Ben asked.

  "Yes; we didn't want you to see us, and the creek was on the other sideof the island from your camp."

  "And one of you took off his shoes before he landed?" Ben questionedagain.

  "Yes, Martin did. He carried Miss Lawson ashore." Hastings laughed. "Yousaw his footprints, didn't you? We thought you might find them, so wecame back later and rubbed them out."

  "Gigantic footprints," murmured David.

  They all laughed, while Martin Locke blushed red.

  "Yes, they are pretty big," Hastings continued. "Well, when we came thattime we found the notebooks in the drawing-room. Miss Lawson glancedthrough them, and read that part about a mahogany man with long, skinnylegs and the clipper ship. We got an old piece of parchment and somepurplish ink and we wrote out that message and signed it James Sampson.Then we cut it in two and put one-half in the secret drawer of thesecretary and the other half in the model of a ship in the attic. Wewanted to find out just how clever you were. We thought you might takethe desk to be the mahogany man."

  "We got the idea of that from something Sally Hooper said," Ben put in."And the secretary certainly has long, skinny legs and is made ofmahogany. Still, we mightn't have connected it with Sir Peter's mahoganyman, if it hadn't been for Sally."

  "Well, if you hadn't," Hastings continued, "we'd have thought up someother way to have you find that message on the parchment. We were veryproud of that little scheme. Martin wrote the letters with his lefthand, so they'd look as if Sir Peter's servant might have done them, andhe put water into the ink, so as to give it a nice, antique, fadedappearance. We wanted you to have the fun of finding some sort of atreasure, you see."

  "And didn't you take a look around for the real treasure mentioned inthe note in the picture frame?" Tuckerman asked.

  "Well, we did take a squint," Hastings acknowledged. "But we didn'tthink it likely we'd find that, if none of the Cotterells had been ableto do it. We thought more about having some fun with you campers." Helooked at the three boys. "And we did give you a good time, didn'twe?--particularly Ben?"

  "Yes, you did," nodded Ben. "I was pretty well excited when I found thatsecond piece of parchment in the hold of the ship."

  "When we'd fixed up the message," Hastings resumed, "the next thing wasto provide the treasure. Of course we'd already made a note of thatcrevice in the cliffs with the mark like a cross. I had an old chest atthe Gables, and we filled it with some old costumes I had on hand, andthen one day when I was in Barmouth I picked up some odds and ends froma dealer in antiques there, a fellow by the name of Haskins."

  "And that's where the silver snuff-box comes in," said Ben.

  "Yes, that's where it comes in," Hastings admitted. "Though I must saythat I was surprised when you drove up to the Gables that day and wantedto know if Joseph Hastings had anything to do with that snuff-box you'dfound on the island. I didn't tell the dealer my name."

  "No, he didn't know your name," said Ben. "I asked him that. You see, assoon as I saw what was in the chest I had a suspicion that someone wasplaying a game on us. Those things weren't the Cotterell treasure; andwhy should anyone take so much trouble to hide such things on theisland? Then I knew there had been people here, the footprints by thecreek, the handkerchief in the kitchen----"

  "What's that about a handkerchief?" interrupted Martin Locke.

  "The Professor found a handkerchief on the table in the kitchen," Benexplained. "A lady's handkerchief, with the initials A. S. L."

  "So that's where I left it!" exclaimed Miss Lawson. "Those are myinitials--Adelaide Sanderson Lawson."

  "Yes, there was the handkerchief and there were the footprints," Bencontinued. "That showed we weren't the only people who had been to theisland. And so, when we went to Barmouth, I took the snuffbox along, anddropped in on Mr. Haskins. He knew the snuff-box at once, and told methat the man who had bought it from him, and some other things too, hadcome in a big red car with a silver eagle on the radiator cap, and thatthe car had a Massachusetts license and the man was wearinggreen-checked knickerbockers. He didn't know the man's name."

  "I guess those green checks are rather conspicuous," murmure
d Hastings."But how did you connect the purchaser with me?"

  "Through the clerk at the hotel where you stopped for dinner, and theman you bought a new tire from," Ben answered, and he told how he hadfound his way to the Gables.

  "Pretty clever," laughed Hastings. "But instead of finding out why I'dput those things in the chest you went hooked-rug hunting with me."

  "Well," said Ben, "when we came back to your house I thought you must beJoseph Hastings, but I didn't get any good opening to follow up theclue. And then there was all that excitement over the robbers. But whenI saw you doing those moving-pictures I sized you up as a person who'dlike to play a game of some sort on us."

  "I don't know whether that's a knock at me or not," said Hastings. "ButI do like to play games. And that's why, when I learned that you'd foundthe chest, I thought it would be good fun to come over here as Sir PeterCotterell, dress my guests in Revolutionary costumes, and take somemoving-pictures on the island. Martin and I came over to see about it;that was the afternoon when you invited us to stay to supper and Martinsang his song."

  "It was a splendid idea," said Tuckerman, "and you did it up brown."

  "Thank you." Hastings bowed. "Such words from a descendant of Sir Peterare a compliment indeed. We learned that you were going over to thewater sports at Camp Amoussock this morning, so we thought we'd have aclear field. We brought a flotilla of boats--they're moored in the creeknow--and a good supply of costumes, and cooks and food and themoving-picture camera. I had one of my men make up like a servant fromthe Barbadoes, stain his face and hands with mahogany juice; he's theone who brought us the negus; though it isn't really negus--it'sloganberry juice and soda-water--and I got Martin Locke to play the partof Sampson." Hastings looked at Locke and laughed. "Though I don't thinkMartin could possibly have carried that treasure chest all the way fromhere to the north shore."

  "You certainly do things up thoroughly," said Mr. Hallett.

  "But what made the party a real success," said Hastings, "was what ourfriend Ben Sully did. First, the capture of the thieves, and second, thefinding of the real Cotterell treasure. That's a pretty fine showing forone day, Ben."

  "It was just luck I found that chest in the attic," Ben answered. "Ithought all along that the pines and the rocks mentioned in thatnotebook were actual outdoor pines and rocks, just as I supposeeverybody's thought who's hunted for the treasure. I've been up in theattic a lot of times, and never particularly noticed the wallpaper--it'spretty much faded and blurred, as you saw; but when I was taking thiscoat off one of the pegs this afternoon, I did happen to notice thatthere was a yellowish sun and some pines and rocks in the design on thewall. Then the idea struck me all at once. Mightn't that be the placethe words in the notebook meant? And the more I looked at that wallpaperthe more I felt certain of it. I suppose Sir Peter told someone jokinglyone day that the treasure was hidden beyond the three pines that standbetween two rocks where the sun goes down, and that fooled the peoplewho've looked for it ever since. He surely did like his joke."

  "Why didn't you tell us about it as soon as you hit on that great idea,Benjie?" It was Tom who asked the question.

  "Why, then I saw the fishing-smack, and wanted to go after the thieves."

  "But afterwards?" said Tom. "Don't tell me you'd forgotten about it whenwe stopped at the camp."

  Ben looked a trifle embarrassed. "Why, the fact is," he replied, "Ithought I'd like to spring it at a dramatic moment. I had an idea thatMiss Boothby would ask Sir Peter again to show us the Cotterell silverplate--she wanted to tease him about it--and when she had him up a treewould be the right time for me to speak out and tell what I'ddiscovered."

  "That's one on you, Adelaide," laughed Joseph Hastings. "Ben saw how youlove to ask awkward questions. And he likes dramatic things as much as Ido. He sprung it at just the right moment."

  Tuckerman stood up and walked to the door that opened into the hall.From there he looked down the length of the room, at the table gleamingwith silver, at the many candles, at the gaily-clad company. "Yes," hesaid, "I think this is worthy of Sir Peter. I'm glad that Cotterell Hallhas held high festival once more."

  "Sir Peter was a dear," said Miss Lawson. "I've liked him ever since Isaw that picture of him in the drawing-room. And it's a wonderful house,Mr. Tuckerman. What are you going to do with it? Are you going to livehere?"

  "I can't very well," Tuckerman answered, with a shake of his head. "Myhome's in the middle West. I'm not like my Uncle Christopher and hisancestors; I can't live on an island in solitary grandeur. I'm too fondof people."

  "Why don't you turn it into a show-place?" suggested Milly Hallett."That's getting to be quite the fashionable thing to do with colonialhouses."

  "We've talked about that," said Tuckerman. His eyes roved over the fineroom; and after a minute he shook his head. "Cotterell Hall a museum?No, I couldn't do that. But I'll tell you what I would like to do. I'dlike to come here every summer, and have Tom and Ben and David camp outwith me, and have Joseph Hastings bring his house-parties over here andspend a week as my guests."

  There were cheers from all the company, the rafters rang with the noiseas each and every one shouted his or her acceptance. Hastings jumped tohis feet.

  "In the name of us all I accept your invitation. We will come, and dancein your drawing-room and dine from your table, as they did in SirPeter's day. And now, friends and fellow-citizens, I propose threecheers--three long and rousing cheers--for John Tuckerman!"

  The cheers were given--long and rousing enough to suit even JosephHastings.

  Then the buff-coated man waved his hand. "As your host for the evening,I invite you to go to the drawing-room and dance something a little moremodern than the minuet. Miss Sarah Hooper, will you do me the honor?"

  Sarah and Mr. Hastings led the way across the hall to the front room,where the rugs had been removed from the polished floor. The music was apiano and violin. And everybody danced, even David, who contrived to jigabout not too awkwardly with Milly Hallett.

  Then there were songs. Martin Locke sang the ballad he had written, andTuckerman sang, and Miss Lawson sang several times. Presently Hastingsglanced at the clock. "I don't like to mention it," said he, "but it'salmost midnight. To the boats, to the boats, and away!"

  They all trooped out to the creek, where the flotilla was moored. Ladiesin silks and satins and beruffled gentlemen embarked. With cheers fromthe shore, Joseph Hastings' fleet steered down the inlet and turnedsouth.

  Then the sailboat from Barmouth, with the Halletts and Hoopers, flittedaway from the landing-stage on the other side of the island. The boysand Tuckerman went along the shore to their camp.

  "Great doings!" said Tom. "But how are we ever going to keep Benjie busynow that the treasure is found?"

  "Don't you worry about me," Ben retorted. "I've got plenty to do. Thesea is still full of fish."

  "He's after a mahogany fish with long, skinny legs," said David.

  "What I want to know," said Ben, "is whether there ever was a realmahogany man."

  "I think there was," said Tuckerman. "But he sailed away in the clippership. He probably went to the Barbadoes."

  Tom gave a great yawn. "Well," he said, "Ben can sit up and talk abouthim as long as he likes; but for me--I'm going to bed. It's been whatI'd call a full day."