A short while back it seemed so much to have found out this dell.  When he had been resolved to search the whole forest through, no wonder the task had been practically impossible; but when he had had indications of a confined locality, he had looked upon his work as well-nigh accomplished, and had come here with a heart full of high hopes.  And now he was confronted by difficulties that appeared almost as insurmountable as before; for he plainly saw the hopelessness of attempting single-handed to delve the whole dell over.  Robin would return before the task was more than begun.  He would guess the import, would set a close watch, and would slay the bold invader of his haunted dell without pity or remorse.  Whilst the only other plan, that of bringing a gang of men to work strong enough to be a guard to themselves, was simply out of the question for Cuthbert.  He had no money himself.  His uncle Martin would certainly not give him the gold in the box for any such hare-brained scheme; whilst to appeal to Sir Richard, with nothing to back his statements but what would be looked upon as old wives’ fables and gipsy delusions, would only be to provoke ridicule and scorn.  The Trevlyns had long given up the treasure as lost beyond recall.  They had no sort of hope of recovering it, and the present owner of the Chase and his lady were in particular very greatly averse to any sort of dealings with occult magic and gipsy lore.

Cuthbert had a shrewd notion that there was little enough of magic in any of the words and dark sayings he had heard.  He had been let just a very little behind the scenes, and had his own opinions on the subject.  His faith in spirits and familiars had been greatly shaken; but he knew that his story would sound wild and improbable, and he was by no means sure that even Joanna would consent to appear before Sir Richard and repeat it all to him.  She was anxious to do her part towards making restitution; but, having put the clue in Cuthbert’s hands, would very likely consider that part done, and decline to be questioned further by any one.

“What I do I must do alone,” said Cuthbert to himself, with a sigh, at the close of that day of toil and discouragement.  “Well, I should have been mightily surprised had I lighted on the treasure at the close of the first day.  I ought not to be thus discouraged, and yet I am.  Still there is one more thing to do.  If I can but watch Long Robin, surely I shall learn somewhat from him.  I vow that that is better far than prowling aimlessly about the dell.  Let me spend my time and strength in building for myself some nook high up in one of yon trees, from which vantage ground I may spy upon his doings.  If I can but get me up high enough, I can watch him from spot to spot.  Sure I should be stupider than a daylight owl an I could not learn somewhat from his looks and actions on his next visit.  And it will be safer for me to have mine own perch.  I will venture to sleep one more night in the tree; but after that I will sleep by day and watch by night, for it is plain that he is a night bird in his visits here.”