“It belongs to Uncle Pete.  And Uncle Pete shall have it,” declared the backwoods boy.  “Why, do you know, I believe if Uncle Pete once had this box in his possession again that he might recover his mind?”

“Oh, I hope so!” Ruth cried.

First, however, the crowd of young folk had to be led through the long tunnel and out into the open air.  It was agreed that nothing was to be said to anybody but Mr. Tingley about the treasure box.  And the boys and girls, too, agreed to say nothing at the house about Jerry’s having returned to his cave.

When they reached the brook, there were lights about the island, and guns being fired.  The entire household of Tingley Lodge was out on the hunt for the lost ones.

The boys and girls were home and in bed in another hour, and Mrs. Tingley was vastly relieved.

“Never again will I take the responsibility of such a crowd!” declared the harassed lady.  “My own children are enough; a dozen and a half active young ones like these would send me to the madhouse in another week!”

But the girls from Briarwood and their boy friends continued to have a delightful time during the remainder of their stay at Cliff Island, although their adventures were less strenuous than those that have been related.  They went away, in the end, to take up their school duties, pronouncing their vacation on the island one of the most enjoyable they had ever experienced.

“Something to keep up our hearts for the rest of the school year,” declared Heavy.  “And you’ll like us better, too, when we’re gone, Mrs. Tingley.  We all—­even The Fox, here—­have a good side to our characters.”

Even Ann Hicks went back to Briarwood with pleasant expectations.  She had learned to understand her mates better during this holiday, and all the girls at Briarwood were prepared to welcome the western girl now with more kindness than before.

We may believe that Ruth and her girl friends were all busy and happy during that next half-year at Briarwood, and we may meet them again in the midst of their work and fun in the next volume of the series, entitled “Ruth Fielding at Sunrise Farm; Or, What Became of the Raby Orphans.”

Ruth Fielding, however, did not leave Cliff Island before being assured that the affairs of Jerry Sheming and his uncle would be set right.  As it chanced, the very day the crowd had gone fishing Mr. Tingley had received a letter from the head doctor of the hospital, to whom the gentleman had written inquiring about old Peter Tilton.

The patient had improved immensely.  That he was eccentric was true, but he had probably always been so, the doctor said.  The old man was worrying over the loss of what he called his treasure box, and when Ruth confided to Mr. Tingley the truth about Jerry’s return and the discovery of the ironbound box, Mr. Tingley determined to take matters into his own hands.

He first went to the cave and had a long talk with Jerry.  Then he had his team of horses put to the sledge, and he and Jerry and the box drove the entire length of Lake Tallahaska, struck into a main road to the county asylum, and made an unexpected call upon the poor old hunter, who had been so long confined in that institution.