time, Noah was back in the doorway with Watson under his arm. He tossed the little dog to the ground. "Here's your mutt," he said. "G'bye."
"Can we help you clean up?" Jean asked politely.
"No, it's not that bad," Keith Raynor replied. He stepped back into the building.
"G'bye," Noah said again, and swung the door shut.
"
Well
!" Jean exclaimed indignantly.
They looked at each other, shrugged, and turned away. All but Watson. He was scratching at the closed door. "Come on, Watson," Leonard said, pulling him away. "We're going home."
Alfie turned toward the steps leading down to the beach. "Not that way," Jean said. "It's late. We'll take the bush path. It's shorter."
They walked along in silence until Leonard exclaimed, "Look at that!" He pointed to a large drainpipe about four feet across and half covered by rusty, bent screening. "It used to be a cave, I bet," Leonard said excitedly.
Alfie sighed. "Honestly, Leonard. How could a cave 'used to be? If it ever was, it still is, isn't it?"
Jean laughed. "It's no cave — now or ever," she said, "just a big drainpipe. The other end comes out at Town Lake. It makes a kind of little waterfall there whenever we get a really heavy rain."
She looked down at Leonard. "You know — I've just been thinking. I hate to say it, Leonard, but I know now why my dad calls Watson 'Trouble.'"
Leonard looked hurt. "He's just curious, that's all," he said loyally. "Aren't you, Watson?" He looked around. No Watson was in sight.
"Oh no! Not again," Alfie groaned.
"I'll go back and get him," Leonard said, swirling his cape.
Jean grabbed at it. "No you don't! Don't worry, Leonard. That dog can take care of himself. He knows the way home. Come on, kids. It's late."
Watson was not a dog to give up easily — not where a bright shiny treasure was concerned. And luck was with him!
Broom in hand, Noah Baxter opened the storage-room door. As he swept a heap of sooty ashes outside and whisked them into the sand near the entrance, Watson saw his chance. When the man's back was turned, he scooted through the door and lost no time in reaching that interesting top floor.
Keith Raynor was sitting at the table working carefully on the very thing Watson had come to view — and take home, if possible.
Keith lifted the third ruby from its setting, put it into a small box on the table, then began to chip lightly at the setting of the fourth ruby.
Watson trotted over, sat down by the chair, and thumped his tail cheerfully to signal his arrival.
Keith looked down. "How did you get in here?" he asked. Then a worried look came over his face. "Noah!" he called. "Are those kids back again?"
"No," came the answering shout.
Watson thumped his tail again and whined pleadingly.
Keith put down the necklace. "You hungry?"
Watson obliged with a sad whine and Keith pushed back his chair. "Okay. Okay. I'll get you a cookie or something."
When Keith disappeared down the stairs, Watson leaped onto the empty chair. From there it was no trouble at all to seize the glittering gold necklace. He didn't stop to admire it — there would be time for that later. He bounced down from the chair, rushed for the stairs, and nearly collided with Keith Raynor on his way back up.
"Hey!" Keith exclaimed. "Couldn't you wait?"
Watson bounced past him, the necklace swinging from side to side.
"Noah!" Keith shouted, horrified. "Stop that mutt! He's got the jewels!"
Too late! Watson was already out the door and into the knee-high grass on the land side of the lighthouse.
In seconds, Noah and Keith were in hot pursuit.
"Where'd he go?" Keith panted, searching for any movement in the grass.
"Over there!" Noah leaped ahead.
They were just in time to see Watson scramble under the rusty mesh of the drain that Leonard had noticed only a few minutes before.
"You stay on top and see where this thing ends," Noah ordered. "I'm going after that mutt."
He wrenched off the wire meshing and crawled into a dark wet
"Can we help you clean up?" Jean asked politely.
"No, it's not that bad," Keith Raynor replied. He stepped back into the building.
"G'bye," Noah said again, and swung the door shut.
"
Well
!" Jean exclaimed indignantly.
They looked at each other, shrugged, and turned away. All but Watson. He was scratching at the closed door. "Come on, Watson," Leonard said, pulling him away. "We're going home."
Alfie turned toward the steps leading down to the beach. "Not that way," Jean said. "It's late. We'll take the bush path. It's shorter."
They walked along in silence until Leonard exclaimed, "Look at that!" He pointed to a large drainpipe about four feet across and half covered by rusty, bent screening. "It used to be a cave, I bet," Leonard said excitedly.
Alfie sighed. "Honestly, Leonard. How could a cave 'used to be? If it ever was, it still is, isn't it?"
Jean laughed. "It's no cave — now or ever," she said, "just a big drainpipe. The other end comes out at Town Lake. It makes a kind of little waterfall there whenever we get a really heavy rain."
She looked down at Leonard. "You know — I've just been thinking. I hate to say it, Leonard, but I know now why my dad calls Watson 'Trouble.'"
Leonard looked hurt. "He's just curious, that's all," he said loyally. "Aren't you, Watson?" He looked around. No Watson was in sight.
"Oh no! Not again," Alfie groaned.
"I'll go back and get him," Leonard said, swirling his cape.
Jean grabbed at it. "No you don't! Don't worry, Leonard. That dog can take care of himself. He knows the way home. Come on, kids. It's late."
Watson was not a dog to give up easily — not where a bright shiny treasure was concerned. And luck was with him!
Broom in hand, Noah Baxter opened the storage-room door. As he swept a heap of sooty ashes outside and whisked them into the sand near the entrance, Watson saw his chance. When the man's back was turned, he scooted through the door and lost no time in reaching that interesting top floor.
Keith Raynor was sitting at the table working carefully on the very thing Watson had come to view — and take home, if possible.
Keith lifted the third ruby from its setting, put it into a small box on the table, then began to chip lightly at the setting of the fourth ruby.
Watson trotted over, sat down by the chair, and thumped his tail cheerfully to signal his arrival.
Keith looked down. "How did you get in here?" he asked. Then a worried look came over his face. "Noah!" he called. "Are those kids back again?"
"No," came the answering shout.
Watson thumped his tail again and whined pleadingly.
Keith put down the necklace. "You hungry?"
Watson obliged with a sad whine and Keith pushed back his chair. "Okay. Okay. I'll get you a cookie or something."
When Keith disappeared down the stairs, Watson leaped onto the empty chair. From there it was no trouble at all to seize the glittering gold necklace. He didn't stop to admire it — there would be time for that later. He bounced down from the chair, rushed for the stairs, and nearly collided with Keith Raynor on his way back up.
"Hey!" Keith exclaimed. "Couldn't you wait?"
Watson bounced past him, the necklace swinging from side to side.
"Noah!" Keith shouted, horrified. "Stop that mutt! He's got the jewels!"
Too late! Watson was already out the door and into the knee-high grass on the land side of the lighthouse.
In seconds, Noah and Keith were in hot pursuit.
"Where'd he go?" Keith panted, searching for any movement in the grass.
"Over there!" Noah leaped ahead.
They were just in time to see Watson scramble under the rusty mesh of the drain that Leonard had noticed only a few minutes before.
"You stay on top and see where this thing ends," Noah ordered. "I'm going after that mutt."
He wrenched off the wire meshing and crawled into a dark wet
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