So Carter brought twenty small spades, and gave one to each child present.

“Now,” said Uncle Steve, “dig wherever you like, all over the field, and when you find any buried treasure, dig it up, but if it is tied up in a parcel, do not open it.  Every one finding any treasure must bring it, and put it in this wheelbarrow, and then, if you choose, you may go back and dig for more.”

This was indeed a novel game, and girls and boys alike began to dig with enthusiasm.

Marjorie worked like mad.  The dirt flew right and left, and she dug so hard and fast that she almost blistered her palms.

“Slow and sure is a better rule, Midget,” said her uncle, who was watching her.  “Look at Kitty, she has dug quite as much as you without making any fuss about it.”

“Oh, I have to work fast, Uncle Steve, ’cause I’m having such a good time!  If I didn’t fling this spade around hard, I couldn’t express my enjoyment; and oh, Uncle, I’ve struck a treasure!”

Sure enough, Marjorie’s spade had come in contact with what seemed to be a tin box.  It was quite a large box and was strongly tied with lots of cord, and on it was pasted a paper with the legend, “This treasure was buried by Captain Kidd.  It is of great value.”

“It is a treasure, it is!” cried Marjorie, and eagerly she wielded her spade to get the box free.  At last she succeeded, and picking it up from the dirt, carried it to the wheelbarrow.

Two or three other children also brought treasures they had found, and this encouraged the others so that they dug deeper.

Shouts of glee rang out from one or another as more and more boxes of treasure were unearthed, and the pile of boxes in the wheelbarrow grew higher every moment.  The boxes were of all shapes and sizes.  They were all carefully tied up with lots of string and paper, and they all bore testimony in large printed letters that they had been buried by Captain Kidd and his band of pirates.  King unearthed a large box two or three feet square, but very flat and shallow.  He could not imagine what it might contain, but he piled it on the wheelbarrow with the others.

After twenty pieces of treasure had been dug up, Uncle Steve declared that they had emptied the field, and he led the children back to the house.  Carter followed with the wheelbarrow, and they all gathered in the little enclosed porch that had been furnished especially for Marjorie the summer before.  With a whiskbroom, Carter brushed off any dirt still clinging to the treasures, and piled them up on a table.

Then calling the children by name.  Uncle Steve invited each one to select a box of treasure for his or her very own.  As it was impossible to judge by the shape of the box what it contained, great merriment was caused by the surprises which ensued.

The treasures were all dainty and pretty gifts; there were books, games, toys, fancy boxes, and pretty souvenirs of many sorts.  If a boy received a gift appropriate for a girl, or vice versa, they made a happy exchange, and everybody was more than satisfied.