After all there _had_ been a dark spot, and with the brightening daylight that dark spot had all at once lighted up, and there lay a bottle, the very twin of the one they had found in the sea, red sealing-wax and all. The boys made a dive for it, but Dick stopped abruptly and held back the others: "Grizzel saw it first, let her open it too," he said. Grizzel advanced, and picking up the bottle held it to the light--yes, there was a message plainly to be seen. "I think one of you had better break it open," she said; "I'd probably cut my fingers." Hugh solemnly knocked off its head and drew out the paper. It was written in the same round, clear handwriting: IF THE PERSON WHO FINDS THIS BOTTLE WILL ASK FOR MR. BROWN AT THE DUKE'S NOSE, HE WILL HEAR OF SOMETHING TO HIS ADVANTAGE. "Why the dickens couldn't they have said that first shot?" Jerry exclaimed. "I expect Mr. Brown will tell us to go to the Duchess's Toes and hear of something to our _dis_-advantage," said Hugh sarcastically. "If we are going to look for Mr. Brown we will have to hurry," said Prudence, who had gone to the entrance of the cave and was scrutinizing the beach; "by the look of the shadows I should say it was a good bit after seven. In not much more than an hour we must be sitting down at breakfast tidy and brushed." They found when they came out that there was a footpath up to the Duke's Nose--a very steep and boulder-strewn path, but quite a possible one for them all; so they went for it manfully and womanfully and were soon at top. But alas! the door of the hut was closed and locked; no one answered their repeated knocks, and they came to the unwilling conclusion that the place was empty. "Blow!" said Dick at last. "Why couldn't the old treasure-hider put his old treasure in an easier place?" "If he had, someone else would have found it," Mollie remarked sensibly, "and anyhow it is a lark searching for it." At that moment a man's figure could be seen coming towards the hut; he was swinging a billy-can by the handle. "That's the man I saw last night," exclaimed Grizzel; "I expect he is Mr. Brown." The man was rather surprised to see six children congregated before his hut door at that hour of the morning. Prudence was pushed forward as spokeswoman. "Please, are you Mr. Brown?" she asked, in her most polite voice. "I am, miss. Anything I can do for you?" "We found this piece of paper," she said, showing the latest message to him, "and we brought it to you like it says." The man grinned broadly--he had a nice grin, the children thought--"You've found it, have you? Well, that beats me! That's darned clever of you. Our little Missie will be no end bucked to hear that bit o' news; she was mighty taken up with her messages, she was. You'll have to wait a bit, though. I can't leave this place before twelve noon. You be on the beach above where that big hump o' seaweed is at twelve-thirty to-day, an' you'll see--" the man broke off and grinned again.