BIGGLES GOES TO SCHOOL

by Captain W. E. Johns

VIII. THE TREASURE TRAIL (Pages 99 - 110)

On a rainy day, Biggles and Smith shelter with an old roadman named Farrow. Asking him if he finds things when digging out the gutters beside the road, Farrow shows them a silver coin he has found that very morning. This prompts Smith to speculate about whether there is a treasure buried at the ruins of the old abbey near where the coin was found. The boys decide to go treasure hunting. Biggles says they haven't a chart and so Smith decides they can make their own. The next day, after school, borrowing the roadman's tools, the boys go digging at the ruins in Farmer Grummit's field. When he catches them, they tell him they are looking for the treasure buried there - and they have a chart. Mr. Grummit sends them away. The following day, returning to the ruins they find a score of people digging away. Grummit has told his wife, she has told the housemaid, she has told the postman and he has told everyone on his round. The following day is a Saturday and by now, things are completely out of hand with everyone looking for a non-existent treasure. "The whole area resembled nothing so much as a battlefield". A huge amount of people are there, including the Headmaster from the school. When Mr. Grummit, the farmer sees the boys, he says they have got the chart. The Headmaster asks to see the chart and on questioning the boys, he soon realises what has happened. He goes to break the news to all the diggers. The men all leave. “Some laughed, some swore”. Grummit is left with his pasture in a right mess, which Biggles and Smith think serves him right for jumping their "claim". The story makes the papers and both Biggles and Smith feel they have to keep out of Hertbury for a while.