Chapter 5

Chapter 5 "What is it?" Dink and Ruth Rose asked at the same time. "It looks like a cement refrigerator!" Josh said. Ruth Rose laughed. "Gee, Josh, I wonder if there's food in it!" "Very funny!" Josh climbed up on some smaller rocks and hoisted himself to the top of the slab. "It's flat up here, too," he said. "This thing is a big cement box!" "Is this front part a door?" Ruth Rose asked. She poked the flat slab with the shovel.

Dink ran his fingers along the sides. "I can't find any hinges," he said. He tugged at it, but it didn't budge. "Maybe there's a secret lock somewhere," Ruth Rose suggested. She began digging around the bottom of the slab. All she found was stones and poison ivy roots. "Ouch!" Josh said, still on top. "There's something sharp up here!" He poked his head over the top. "Climb up here, guys. I think I found the key to this thing!" Dink and Ruth Rose scrambled up next to Josh. "Look at this," Josh said. He pointed to a metal rod poking out of the cement. "Try pulling on it," Dink suggested. Josh grabbed the rod and yanked.

"Doesn't come out," he muttered. "Does it wiggle back and forth?" Ruth Rose asked. She put her foot against the rod and shoved. It still didn't budge. "Well, it has to do something," Dink said. He climbed down off the cement box, grabbed the shovel, and handed it up to Josh. "Try hitting it with that," he said. Josh held the shovel over his head, braced himself, and gave the rod a good smack. Suddenly they heard a scratchy noise, like fingernails on a chalkboard.

"Whoa, that did it!" Dink yelled, jumping back. "It's moving!" The cement door swung open, revealing a damp, musty closet. Dink took a step forward, then stopped. His jaw dropped. "What's in there?" Josh asked, staring down at Dink. Dink didn't answer. "Dink?" Ruth Rose said. "What's going on?" Dink gulped and tried to speak. "Muh-muhmuh…" "What the heck is 'muh'?" Josh said. "Mud? Mummies? Muffins?" Dink could barely breathe, let alone talk. "Money!" he finally said.