whole equipage rose into the air unseen by any one but a
Roundhead sentinel, who with great presence of mind gave the alarm, and
was kicked for his pains, because when the guard turned out there was
nothing to be seen.

The swans flew far too fast for the children to see where they were
going, and when the swans began to flap more slowly so that the children
could have seen if there had been anything to see, there was nothing to
be seen, because it was quite dark. And the air was very cold. But
presently a light showed ahead, and next moment there they were in the
cave, and stepped out of the carriage on the exact spot where Dickie had
set out the moon-seeds and Tinkler and the white seal.

The swan carriage went back up the cave with a swish and rustle of
wings, and the children went down the hill as quickly as they
could--which was not very quickly because of Dickie's poor lame foot.
The boy who had killed a Cromwell's man with his little sword had not
been lame.

Arrived in the courtyard, Dickie proudly led the way and stooped to
examine the stones near the ruined arch that had been the chapel door.
Alas! there was not a sign of the inscription which Dickie had scratched
on the stone when the Roundheads were battering at the gates of Arden
Castle.

Then Edred said, "Aha!" in a tone of triumph.

"_I_ took notice, too," he explained. "It's the fifth stone from the
chapel door under the little window with the Arden arms carved over it.
There's no other window with that over it. I'll get the cold chisel."

He got it, and when he came back Dickie was on his knees by the wall,
and he had dug with his hands and uncovered the stone where he had
scratched with the nails. And there was the mark--19. R.D. 08. Only the
nail had slipped once or twice while he was doing the 9, so that it
looked much more like a five--15. R.D. 08.

"There," he said, "that's what I scratched!"

"That?" said Edred. "Why, that's always been there. We found that when
we were digging about, trying to find the treasure. Quite at the
beginning, didn't we, Elf?"

And Elfrida agreed that this was so.

"Well, I scratched it, anyway," said Dickie. "Now, then, let me go ahead
with the chisel."

Edred let him: he knew how clever Dickie was with his hands, for had he
not made a work-box for Elfrida and a tool-chest for Edred, both with
lids that fitted?

Dickie got the point of the chisel between the stones and pried and
pressed--here and there,