oth of them get over the fence in the
potato-patch, and followed and watched them while they were digging
for the barrel.

Now, Don was one of the most inveterate practical jokers in the
world, and the most accomplished one we ever saw. Godfrey had
received more than one proof of his skill. He had been tripped up
when there was no one near him; his hat had been knocked off his head
by invisible hands, and he had seen horrid great things with eyes of
fire staring at him from fence-corners, until he had become fully
satisfied that the General's lane was haunted, and he would go a mile
around through the fields before he would pass through it after
nightfall. Here was another opportunity to frighten him, and Don knew
just how to do it. Before he went to sleep that night, he had thought
of something that beat all the other tricks he had heard of far out
of sight.

CHAPTER II.

DAVID'S VISITORS.

The trouble began the very next morning. While Godfrey was sitting on
the bench in front of his cabin, deeply engrossed with his own
thoughts, Dan came rushing up with a face full of terror, and
conveyed to him the startling intelligence that a "haunt"--a Northern
boy would have called it a ghost--had been seen at General Gordon's
barn. It looked exactly like old Jordan, the negro, who had buried
the treasure in the potato-patch; but of course it couldn't be old
Jordan, for he had never been heard of since he ran away with the
Yankees, and everybody believed him to be dead. Godfrey listened in
great amazement to his son's story, and, to satisfy himself of the
truth of it, went up to the barn, with his rifle for company. He had
not been there many minutes before he received convincing proof that
Dan had told the truth, for he saw the object with his own eyes--a
feeble old negro, dressed in a white plantation suit, and wearing a
battered plug hat, who limped along in plain view of him, and finally
disappeared, no one could tell how or when. That was enough for
Godfrey. He started for home at the top of his speed, and scarcely
dared to venture out of doors that night. He had an appointment with
Clarence Gordon at dark, but he would not have passed that barn in
his present state of mind, if he had known that he could make twice
eighty thousand dollars by it.

Bright and early the next morning, Clarence came down to see why he
had not kept his promise, and talked to him in such a way that
Godfrey finally agreed to meet hi