"Don't know," Madison replied as she shifted to balance her flashlight in one hand. "Here, hold this," she pushed the light into Carter's hands as he and Scotty pressed in beside her.
Using both hands, Madison and Tyler easily lifted the lid off what appeared to be a large sea chest.
"Shine it inside," Tyler whispered as he cautiously began pulling items out of the chest.
A pair of black boots, some military medals, and several old shirts were scattered near the top of the chest. Tyler gently laid each item on the floor before searching deeper. Further down, he found a couple of old books. They were written in German, but that didn't stop Scotty and Carter from scanning through the pictures. After finding a tin cup, a brown blanket and a canteen, Tyler finally came to the last item in the chest.
"Maybe this wasn't the treasure after all," Madison sighed.
"What are we going to do about that crazy old man if we don't find the treasure?" Scotty worried.
"Don't worry about him," Grace murmured, "I've got a plan."
"There's something heavy in here," Tyler groaned as he pulled out the last item in the chest. A large, canvas duffel bag that, from the looks of Tyler's shaking arms, weighed a ton!
Tyler dropped the bag onto the floor of the vault with a loud 'ka-thunk'!
"Open it!" Scotty urged.
The duffel bag was closed at the top with a rope that hung down on the side. Taking hold of the opening, Tyler pulled it apart and stuck his hand inside. Everyone had moved in close to get a first look at the treasure!
"It's heavy and cold," Tyler announced as he pulled his hand out of the bag.
"A gold bar!" Grace cried in wonder.
"And it feels like there are two more inside!" Tyler said excitedly as he pulled first one and then the third gold bar out of the duffel bag.
"It's a fortune!" Scotty breathed. "There really was a treasure!"
"The treasure of the Lightkeeper's gold!" Carter murmured. "It's real!"
"Ok people," Grace announced careful to keep her voice down. "We've got to get out of here and keep this gold from the grumpy old man upstairs," she motioned with her head to the stairwell. "So here's what we're going to do."
Chapter 11
"We're coming up!" Scotty called out.
He and Carter had been arguing over who was going to climb up first but after Grace suggested they could both act out the plan, they muttered about acting skills and slowly climbed up the stairs.
"Where's the treasure?" Solomon barked.
"They're bringing it up in a minute," Scotty hooked his thumb over his shoulder and pointed at the trap door.
"Hurry it up down there!" Solomon shouted down into the vault.
A cheerful, 'we're coming' was shouted back at him from down below.
"Ummm.....excuse me Mr. Grumpy Old Man...sir," Carter began.
Scotty rolled his eyes.
"What do you need?" Solomon snapped at him without looking away from the opening in the floor.
"Well....ummm....er.....we have to ummm....er....." Scotty stammered.
"What my friend is trying to say is that ummm, my friend and me kind of have to ummm.....go.....ummmm.....you know," Carter looked at Solomon with pleading eyes.
"Spit it out boy!" Solomon yelled. "What are you trying to say?"
"WE GOTTA GO TO THE BATHROOM!" they both yelled at once.
"Well that was believable," Grace whispered sarcastically from down in the vault.
"And if it's ok with you sir," Scotty croaked, "we just need to run to the bathroom and then we'll be right back. We won't run and try to get help or anything," he added.
Grace rolled her eyes.
"You three come on up here!" Solomon snarled down the steps.
"And as for you two," he turned to look at Scotty and Carter. "I know you won't go anywhere else because I've got your three friends here as hostages."
Scotty swallowed hard. "Yes sir," he whispered.
Carter and Scotty looked at each other and ran out of the lighthouse.
According to Grace's plan, they were supposed to run straight for the docks. Madison had been trying her phone for the last thirty minutes but being stuck deep underground, they didn't have any cell service. So it was up to Scotty and Carter to get some help!
As they neared the docks, Carter pointed to the boat that was just starting to pull away.
"It's Capt. Bartholomew!" he called out. "We've missed him!"
"Not if I can help it," Scotty yelled.
Running faster than he'd ever run before, Scotty dove off of the end of the pier and started swimming through the waves. Carter stopped and tried to yell louder than the engines as the Ferry shifted into high gear and began to pick up speed. Thinking fast, Scotty reached into his back pocket and threw his last banana towards the boat.
"Great Neptune! What was that?" Capt. Bartholomew rubbed the back of his head and looked around him. Someone was swimming just behind the Ferry! He quickly turned the boat around and cut across the waves to head back to the pier.
Chapter 12
"So you're saying that the legend of the treasure is real and that the other kids are locked in the lighthouse?" Jonas Bartholomew repeated. They were rushing across the pier heading towards the lighthouse. Scotty had told Capt. Bartholomew all about the crazy old man and the trap door and the treasure in gold.
Capt. Bartholomew whistled softly. "I always wondered if the treasure could actually be real. But right now we've got to help your friends. He handed his phone to Carter. "Call the Coast Guard and the police and have them get out here as quick as they can!"
Carter stopped to make the calls as they came up to the front of the lighthouse. Suddenly the door opened and Tyler, Grace and Madison came slowly out each carrying a heavy gold bar. Behind them limped Solomon Smith, grumbling and pointing his cane at each of them.
"Well I'll be," Capt. Bartholomew muttered.
Stepping in front of Scotty, he bellowed over to the group hobbling out of the lighthouse. "Solomon Smith! Stop. Right. There!" he cried.
Solomon looked up and glared at Capt. Bartholomew. "Keep walking kids," he grumbled.
Jonas Bartholomew remembered Solomon from eleven years ago when he took over as Lightkeeper after Elijah Patterwhite. Always a grumpy man, Solomon seemed happiest when he was alone. On the few occasions Solomon did speak to the boat captain, he always seemed to comment on the missing treasure. Now that he thought about it, Jonas remembered how Solomon seemed to only talk about the missing treasure. He was obsessed with the legend!
"Get behind me!" Jonas called out to the three kids carrying the gold bars.
"Don't go anywhere!" Solomon glared at the kids in front of him.
Grace, Madison and Tyler looked from the scrawny old man behind them to Capt. Bartholomew, who looked like The Hulk in a captain's hat. They dropped the gold and ran behind Capt. Bartholomew.
"Get back here!" Solomon warned.
"You need to stay away from these kids!" Jonas demanded. "We've already called the Coast Guard! Attempted kidnapping is a serious offense!"
"They're here!, They're here!" Carter shouted. Everyone looked towards the pier as a boarding team from the Coast Guard Cutter, The Avenger, docked at the pier and started running towards the lighthouse.
"As I said," Capt. Bartholomew slowly turned back to Solomon and glared at him, "Attempted kidnapping is a serious business."
"Yeah," Scotty cried, "Serious!"
Chapter 13
"I'm glad the Coast Guard is taking the Old Man to jail," Carter said around a mouthful of Hattie Mae's double chocolate cake.
"Me too, son," Capt. Bartholomew leaned back in his chair and rubbed his stomach. "And I'm really glad they were patrolling so close by when Carter made the call for help!"
After the Coast Guard arrested Solomon Smith, they collected the gold and took it to the National Park Service. Since it's worth so much money, it will probably take some time to decide where the treasure goes. But Capt. Bar
tholomew and the kids are hoping some of it comes back to the lighthouse.
"We're sure glad you came when you did," Scotty sighed. He reached for another piece of cake. "But me and Carter had it under control. We were just escaping when we saw you!"
"Umm....If by escape you mean yelling, 'I have to go to the bathroom,' then, yeah...you two had it under control," Grace looked at Madison and chuckled.
"Well it worked!" Carter boasted.
Around the table everyone murmured in agreement. They couldn't deny that when it came to finding help, the two 9 year olds had skills!
"But I think the real hero is Ms. Hattie Mae," Grace said as she savored her last bite. "This cake is awesome!"
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