irl,
and everybody was greatly pleased.

At the Christmas dinner Alexander Pop insisted upon waiting on the
table, just as he had so often done at Putnam Hall. He had on his full
dress suit, and his face wore one perpetual smile. The boys had all
remembered Aleck handsomely, and he had not forgotten them.

In the afternoon the boys went skating, and on the pond met several of
the boys of the neighborhood, and all had a glorious time until dark.
Then they piled home, once more as hungry as wolves, to a hot supper,
and an evening of nut-cracking around the fire.

"Tell you what," said Sam on going to bed that night, "I almost wish
Christmas came once a week instead of once a year!"

CHAPTER XII.

THE BRASS-LINED MONEY CASKET.

It was on the day following Christmas that Dick brought out the
brass-lined money casket which he had picked up in the cave on Needle
Point Island, in Lake Huron, as related in a previous volume of this
series.

As old readers know, this cave was stumbled upon by accident. It had
once been the hiding place of a band of smugglers who plied their
unlawful calling between the United States and Canada, and the cave was
found filled with numerous articles of more or less value. The Rovers
had gone back for these things, but had found some money gone, also a
curiously shaped dagger and a map, which had been in the cave on a rude
table. They were pretty well satisfied in their minds that Dan Baxter
had taken these things, but had never been able to prove it.

The brass-lined money casket was an odd-looking affair, which Dick found
thrust in a big box of fancy articles of various descriptions. The box
was about a foot long, six inches wide, and six inches deep. It was of
rosewood, with silver corners, and the lining was of polished brass,
curiously engraved. The box had contained a few odd Canadian silver
coins, but that was all.

"Do you know, I would like to know the history of this box," observed
Dick, as he looked it over. "As it belonged to one of those smugglers it
ought to have quite a story to tell."

"It will make a nice jewel casket," put in Tom. "When you settle down
with Dora, you can give if to her for her dia----"

"Oh, stow that, Tom! If Dora ever does take me for a husband, it won't
be for some years to come, you must know that."

"Let me take a look at the box," put in Sam. "I never got the chance to
look it over carefully."

"It's odd that they should engrave it in