“Dick has got the money casket open!” cried Sam.

“And he has found a map,” added Tom.  “We want Uncle Randolph to read the writing.  It’s in French.”

“Found a map in that old brass-lined box, eh?” said Anderson Rover.  “That’s interesting.”

“I am afraid my French is a trifle rusty,” remarked Randolph Rover, as he put down his book.  “Let me see the map.”

He took it to the window, and both he and Anderson Rover looked it over with keen interest.

“Why, this is a map of the locality around Timber Run,” said Randolph Rover.  “That’s a great lumbering section in the Adirondacks.”

“Timber Run!” echoed Tom, and for the moment said no more.  But he remembered what Dora Stanhope had said, that after the holidays Nellie and Grace Laning were going on a visit to an aunt who lived at Timber Run.

“Yes, Thomas, this is a map of Timber Run.  This stream is the Perch River, and this is Bear Pond.  The naming is in French, but that is the English of it.”

“Please read the writing on the back,” said Dick.  “If the map is worth anything I want to know it.”

Without further ado Randolph Rover began to read the writing.  It was a hard and tedious task, and the translating was, to him, equally difficult, for his knowledge of French was somewhat limited.  Translated, the writing ran somewhat after this fashion: 

“To find the box of silver and gold, go to where Bear Pond empties into Perch River.  Ten paces to the west is a large pine tree, which was once struck by lightning.  Go due southwest from the pine tree sixty-two paces, to the flat rock, behind which is a sharp-pointed rock.  Beneath the sharp-pointed rock is the chamber with the box.  Stranger, beware of Goupert’s ghost.”

* * * * *

“A treasure in the mountains!” cried Sam.  “Hurrah! let’s go and get it!”

“Bear Pond lies between two high mountains,” said Randolph Rover.  “It is in a very wild country, and so far but little of the timber has been taken out.”

“Never mind, we’ll go anyhow!” put in Tom enthusiastically.  “Why, the box may be worth a fortune!”

“Yes, let us go by all means,” put in Dick.  “I wouldn’t like any better fun than hunting for a treasure box.”

“Haven’t you boys had adventures enough?” questioned Anderson Rover.  “You’ve been to Africa and out West, and on the ocean and the Great Lakes——­”

“Oh, this would just be a little winter’s outing in the mountains,” said Tom.  “We could go hunting, and have lots of fun, even if we didn’t find the treasure box.”

“The treasure box was probably taken away years ago,” said Randolph Rover.  “Most likely several of the smugglers knew of it.”

“And what of that ghost?” asked Anderson Rover, with a twinkle in his eyes.

“Pooh! we’re not afraid of ghosts,” sniffed Sam.  “Are we, Tom?”

“If I saw a ghost, I’d be apt to pepper him with shot, if I had my gun,” answered Tom.  “No, I’m not afraid of such things—­and neither is Dick.”