The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Treasure Hunt (9 page)

“Yeah,” said Stink. “There’s only one thing better than gold.”

“What could be better than gold?” Judy asked.

“A ride on a for-real pirate ship!” said Stink.

“I’d give anything to ride on a pirate ship,” said Tall Boy.

Judy looked at Stink. Stink looked at Judy. She couldn’t help feeling funny about beating them. She could tell Stink felt bad, too.

“Actually, we can’t go for a ride on the pirate ship after all,” Judy said.

“What!?” said Smart Girl and Tall Boy at the same time.

“Have ye lost yer senses?” said Scurvy Sam, overhearing them.

“Not alone, anyway. We’d be breaking Pirate Rule Number Two,” said Judy.

“That’s right!” Stink piped in. “Pirate Rule Two says that if you find treasure, you have to share it — even-steven.”

“By jiggers, they be right!” said Scurvy Sam. “And the punishment for breakin’ Pirate Rule Number Two be marooning ye on a desert island with nothin’ but bugs for grub.”

“You gotta come with us,” Stink told Tall Boy and Smart Girl.

“Save us from eating bugs,” said Judy.

“Besides,” said Stink, “you guys kinda helped us win.”

“We did?” asked Smart Girl, crinkling her nose.

“We saw you guys looking through your binoculars, so we looked, too. That’s how we found the sign of the pirate.”

“But we found it ’cause of
you,
” said Tall Boy. “We saw you pointing up at the sign in front of the art shop, and that made us look.”

“But Stink heard
you
saying ‘
X
marks the spot’ at the graveyard, so he followed you,” Judy said. “That’s how we found the hourglass.”

Smart Girl looked at Scurvy Sam. “Can we?”

“I’d be mighty honored to have two more pirates aboard, me beauty.”

“You mean it?” asked Smart Girl.

“I swear it, in the name of Davy Jones.”

“Okay, you can come,” said Stink. “But only on one condition.”

“What’s that?” asked Tall Boy.

“You have to clean the poop deck!” said Stink.

“Arrgh!”
moaned Tall Boy and Smart Girl.

“Kidding!” Stink said, and everybody cracked up. Stink laughed the loudest — a laugh that could be heard on the wind, across the seven seas, and back again . . . a laugh that was sure to haunt Pirate Island for years to come.