Part 37 (1/2)

”Oh, no, they're good and strong,” answered Ted.

So he and his chum both pulled on the one rein--the one to get Nicknack's head pointed straight down the path instead of off to one side, but it did no good. The goat knew what he wanted to do, and he was going to do it.

”Look out!” suddenly cried Teddy. ”We're going to tip over!”

The next minute the front wheels of the wagon ran up on a little pile of dirt at one side of the path, and the cart gently tilted to one side and then went over with a rattle and a bang.

”There!” laughed Hal, as he rolled out on some soft gra.s.s. ”We are over, Ted.”

”I knew we were going,” said Teddy as he, too, laughed and got up. ”Whoa there, Nicknack!” he shouted, for the goat was still going on, dragging the overturned wagon after him.

But Nicknack did not stop until he reached a little bush, on which were some green leaves that he seemed to like very much, for he began to chew them.

”That's what he wanted all the while,” said Teddy.

”Well, let him eat all he wants, and then he won't be hungry any more and he'll pull us where we want to go,” advised Hal.

They did this, after setting the cart up on its wheels. When Nicknack turned away from the bush, and looked at the two waiting boys, Ted said:

”Well, I guess we can go on now.”

”Yes,” added Hal, ”and I hope well find those blue rocks. But I don't believe we're ever going to.”

At last, however, when it was getting rather late in the afternoon and Ted had said it was time to go back, Hal, who was driving the goat through a part of the woods they never before had visited, pointed to a big stone buried in the side of a hill and cried:

”Look! Isn't that rock blue, Ted?”

”It does look kind of blue, yes.”

”Then it's just what we're looking for. See, there's lots of little blue rocks, too. Let's take some back to camp. Maybe they're the same kind Trouble had, and there may be gold in 'em! Come on.”

They piled the rocks, which were certainly somewhat blue in color, into the wagon, and started back with them.

”We found 'em! We found 'em!” they called as they came within sight of the tents. ”We got the blue rocks!”

”Well, they're pretty, certainly,” said Grandpa Martin, as he picked up one from the wagon, ”but they're no better than any other rocks around here, as far as I can see.”

”They've got gold in 'em, Hal says,” Ted stated.

”Gold? Oh, no, Curlytop!” laughed his grandfather. ”I've told you there is no gold on this island.”

”There's _something_ in the blue rocks,” declared Hal. ”Feel how heavy they are--lots heavier than any other stones around here.”

”Yes, they are,” agreed Grandpa Martin, as he weighed one of the stones in his hand. ”There might be some iron in them, but not gold. Look out!”

he suddenly called as the stone slipped from his hand. ”Look out for your toes!”

Laughing, the Curlytops and Hal jumped back. The blue stone which Grandpa Martin dropped, struck on the edge of the shovel which was out in front of the tent. As the rock hit the steel tool with a clang, something queer happened.