Free Pirate Island Treasure by Marilyn Helmer Page B

can find.”
    Charlotte caught up with Jacob and showed him her sand dollars.
    Jacob examined them. “Can I have one?”
    Charlotte chewed her bottom lip. “Ma-a-a-y-be,” she said, dragging out the word.
    Jacob kicked the sand. Charlotte’s “maybe” usually meant “no.” She was being mean. She didn’t want to share.
    Fine, Jacob told himself. Wait until I have something she wants. Then we’ll see who can be mean.

CHAPTER FIVE
Shipwreck
Cove
    â€œAhoy, cove ahead,” Charlotte shouted.
    â€œYou don’t have to shout,” said Jacob. “We’re right beside you.”
    He spotted an old fallen tree lying in the sand. It was narrow at one end and split partway down the middle. It reminded Jacob of the hull of an abandoned fishing boat he had seen near the dock.
    Jacob ran and jumped onto the narrow end. “Avast, mateys. This is a pirate ship.” He caught Charlotte’s eye with a fierce look. “And it’s under my command.”
    Charlotte shook her head. “I’m the pirate captain,” she said, “so I’m in command.”

    Jacob jumped down. “Rock, Paper, Scissors,” he said. It was their favorite way of settling arguments.
    â€œTwo out of three,” said Charlotte.
    Jacob won. “From now on, call me Captain Shark,” he said with a triumphant grin.
    Charlotte gave in. You couldn’t argue with Rock, Paper, Scissors.
    She stared at the log. Jacob was right. It did look like a pirate ship. A shipwrecked pirate ship. “Grandpa, does this cove have a name?” she asked.
    Grandpa shook his head. “Not that I know of.”
    â€œLet’s call it Shipwreck Cove,” said Charlotte. Jack Mawdy’s words flew into her head. Treasure…stories…
    Ideas whirled through her mind, spinning themselves into a story. “On a dark night long ago, there was a terrible storm,” Charlotte began. “Lightning flashed. Thunder roared. Waves rolled in, as high as mountains. Rain pelted down.” Charlotte borrowed some of Jack’s storytelling words. “The pirates’ ship…” She paused, searching for a name.
    Jacob jumped in. “ The Treasure Hunter .” Charlotte wasn’t going to have all the storytelling glory.
    â€œGood one, Jacob,” said Charlotte. “The Treasure Hunter was wrecked in this cove. Captain Shark, Patch Eye and Hawk were stranded on Pirate Island.”
    â€œWhat happened next?” asked Jacob.
    â€œLet’s find out,” said Charlotte.

CHAPTER SIX
Patch Eye's
Spyglass
    Jacob picked up a flat stone. He drew back his arm and spun the stone toward the ocean. The stone skipped once, twice, three times before it sank. “Bet you can’t beat three skips,” he said to Charlotte.
    Charlotte never said no to a challenge. She searched until she spotted a black stone, smooth and flat—the best kind for skipping.
    As she reached for it, another stone caught her eye. It was small and pale gray. It looked like an ordinary stone, but there was something unusual about it.
    Charlotte picked it up. “There’s a hole in this stone. I can see right through it.”
    â€œLet me have a look,” said Jacob.

    Charlotte handed him the stone. Jacob held it up to his eye. He had never seen a stone with a hole through it before. Why did Charlotte have to find all the best things?
    â€œLet Grandpa see,” said Charlotte.
    Jacob passed the stone to Grandpa.
    Grandpa examined it. He pointed to the little circles that went all the way through the hole. “It’s a fossil,” he said. “From an insect or a snail that lived long ago.”
    â€œNo-o-o,” said Charlotte. She reached for the stone and held it up to her eye again. “It’s a spyglass. Patch Eye’s spyglass.”
    â€œOnly pirate captains have spyglasses,” said Jacob. “I’ll bet Patch Eye stole it from