not talk.

"That's the way we always do when we bury the treasure. Ain't it,
Willy?" asked Frank.

"If a man speaks, it's death!" declared Willy, slapping his hand on
his side as if to draw a sword, striking a theatrical attitude and
speaking in a deep voice.

"Give the 'galleon' to us," said Frank.

"No; be off with you," said their mother.

"That ain't the way," said Frank. "A pirate never digs the hole until
he has his treasure at hand. To do so would prove him but a novice;
wouldn't it, Willy?"

"Well, I leave it all to you, my little Buccaneers," said their
mother, laughing. "I'll take care of the spoons and forks we use every
day. I'll just hide them away in a hole somewhere."

The boys started off after Balla with a shout, but remembered their
errand and suddenly hushed down to a little squeal of delight at being
actually engaged in burying treasure--real silver. It seemed too good
to be true, and withal there was a real excitement about it, for how
could they know but that some one might watch them from some
hiding-place, or might even fire into them as they worked?

They met the old fellow as he was coming from the carriage-house with
a hoe and a spade in his hands. He was on his way to the garden in a
very straightforward manner, but the boys made him understand that to
bury treasure it was necessary to be particularly secret, and after
some little grumbling, Balla humored them.

The difficulty of getting the box of silver out of the house secretly,
whilst all the family were up, and the servants were moving about, was
so great that this part of the affair had to be carried on in a manner
different from the usual programme of pirates of the first water. Even
the boys had to admit this; and they yielded to old Balla's advice on
this point, but made up for it by additional formality, ceremony, and
secrecy in pointing out the spot where the box was to be hid.

Old Balla was quite accustomed to their games and fun--their "pranks,"
as he called them. He accordingly yielded willingly when they marched
him to a point at the lower end of the yard, on the opposite side from
the garden, and left him. But he was inclined to give trouble when
they both reappeared with a gun, and in a whisper announced that they
must march first up the ditch which ran by the spring around the foot
of the garden.

"Look here, boys; I ain' got time to fool with you chillern," said the
old man. "Ain't you hear your ma tell me sh