The Clue in the Embers by Franklin W. Dixon Page B

asked.
    â€œNo,” the superintendent replied. “He did say something about an argument over a buried treasure, but Luis is such a braggart I paid little attention.”
    â€œBuried treasure!” Frank exclaimed. “Did he ever say anything about medallions?”
    â€œMedallions?” Eduardo Valez mused. “No, he never did. Oh, I am so sad about the whole affair.”
    The boys left, feeling sorry for him. As they passed the next apartment house, they saw Sam Radley standing guard. They gave no sign of recognition. Neither did the detective.
    â€œI think we ought to spend the rest of this day making an intensive search of Tony’s curios for that Texichapi medallion,” Joe proposed. “That’s what Luis was hunting for when Mr. Scath discovered him, so maybe we’ve overlooked some hiding place where Tony’s uncle put it.”
    â€œWe’ll get Tony and Chet,” Frank answered.
    At two o’clock they all met at the museum. Mr. Scath, still wearing a bandage on his forehead, smiled as the boys started off to the shed for the crates. “I hope we have better luck today!” he said.
    They brought the crates to the basement and went to work. As each curio was examined closely, those to be taken by Tony were placed in a crate. The others were returned to the shelves. An hour passed. One crate had already been filled, but they had not found the medallion.
    Chet Morton, still upset over leaving the museum door unlocked the night before, had worked hard, trying to make amends.
    At the moment Chet was fingering a solid mahogany, highly polished ball. He picked it up and removed a foil wrapping that covered part of the surface. His sharp eyes detected a thin, almost invisible line that went completely around the circumference of the ball. In his excitement to get a closer view of it, the ball slipped out of his grasp. It hit the cement and rolled across the floor.
    â€œPlaying games?” Joe teased.
    â€œI’m sorry,” Chet groaned, going after the ball. “I wasn’t playing. I—”
    He broke off as he stooped to pick up the ball. It had started to come apart at the seam. A strip of rich blue velvet showed in the opening. Then he saw the brilliant glint of metal !
    Prying apart the two sections, he cried out, “Fellows, come here quick! I’ve found the second medallion!”
    Gleaming in the light, on its velvet bed, lay the coin. It was the size of a half dollar. Carefully Frank lifted it and held it for the others to see.
    â€œIt’s one of the medallions Wortman was talking about!” Frank said. “See the word Texichapi?”
    â€œAnd there are strange engraved lines similar to the ones on the stolen medallion,” Joe added.
    Frank slipped the coin back into the ball. “I’d like to show this to Dad and examine it very carefully,” he said.
    â€œOkay with me,” Tony answered. “But after what happened to Joe with the first medallion, watch your step.”
    The crates were taken to the Prito house; then Frank and Joe went home to talk to their father. To ensure complete privacy from eavesdroppers, the trio went to the laboratory. There they examined the ball and the medallion. They concluded that the ball had been designed originally as a secret place to hold small pieces of valuable jewelry.
    The boys drew from memory the pattern of lines on the stolen coin, then traced the new ones. They concluded that the lines from the two coins, when superimposed, seemed to indicate a map.
    â€œIt must show the area near the treasure that Luis Valez is looking for,” Frank remarked.
    â€œAnd the opal probably marks the place where the treasure is hidden,” Joe added. “Boy, I’d like to find that spot myself!”
    â€œBut it’s in Texichapi—the land of nowhere,” Frank reminded him.
    â€œLet’s hope we can learn what country Texichapi is in,” said Mr. Hardy.