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“Drat and bilge bunkle!” said Stink.

As Judy and Stink went back down the steps, a blood-red moon rose in the sky. Twisty branches of the live oaks made spooky shadows across the sidewalk. An owl hooted. Tree frogs croaked. Judy and Stink nearly jumped out of their skins when they heard a squeaky, creaking sound.

“It’s just this rusty old gate, folks,” said the tour guide. “Or is it? Folks around these parts have been known to hear strange sounds: laughs, cries, voices out of nowhere. Flashes of light that can’t be explained.”

Stink shivered. Judy pulled her arms up into her sweatshirt.

“Let’s get outta here,” said Stink. “This place gives me the spooks.”

“Some pirate,” said Judy.

When Judy and Stink finally fell asleep that night, visions of hourglasses danced in their heads.

The next morning, they dragged Dad out of bed as soon as they woke up. As he drove them to the old white house, Judy kept an eye out for Tall Boy and Smart Girl.

Stink checked Dad’s watch a hundred times. At last, a lady with ten hundred keys came to open the door. “You’re up early,” said the lady. “You must be treasure hunters.”

“Sure are,” said Dad. “Have you had many others?”

“Like maybe possibly a real tall boy?” said Stink. “And a girl who wears glasses and looks super-smart?”

“You’re my first customers,” said the lady.

Stink unrolled his rubbing of the gravestone with the hourglass and showed it to the lady with the red sash. “Is this it? Did we figure it out? Do we get any silver?”

“Yes, yes, and yes,” said the lady, handing over two silver pieces.

Stink dumped out all his coins on the counter. “Two, four, six . . . fifteen! All we need is one more. One!”

“Okay, Stink. I can count,” said Judy. “But we still have to figure out the last and final clue, and it’s the hardest. We only have till twelve noon.”

“Here you go,” said the lady, handing the clue to Judy.

“Let’s go back to the inn and get Mom. Then we can all go eat some breakfast,” said Dad.

“I’m not hungry,” said Stink. “Read it! Read it!” he cried. Judy read the clue:

“Spitballs and barnacles,” said Stink. “It doesn’t make sense. Sound, but no ears? A voice, but no tongue? Not possible.”

“Other stuff has a tongue,” said Judy. “Like sneakers.”

“But sneakers don’t have a voice,” Stink pointed out.

“Well — bells have rings, but they don’t have fingers.”

“Great. All we have to do is find a giant talking sneaker bell.”

“Or in your case, a Stinker Bell.” Judy cracked herself up.

“What about the crab’s right hand?” Stink asked. “It says, ‘Find the last silver at the crab’s right hand.’ Crabs don’t even have hands.”

“A crab’s right hand is a claw, Stink. A crab claw.”

“There are millions of crabs on this island, and they all have claws.”

“But there’s only one place called the Crab’s Claw,” said Judy, pointing to the map. “It’s a restaurant on Ocean View Road.”

“Suddenly I’m hungry,” said Stink. “Hungry as a shark.”

Before Judy and Stink could step inside the Crab’s Claw, out came another family. Tall Boy and Smart Girl! Judy said, “Hi.”

“Why did you say hi?” Stink asked when they sat down.

“It just popped out,” said Judy.

“Tall Boy and Crab Girl are beating our pants off. Did they look like they were just eating breakfast? Or searching for clues? What if they already found the gold and we’re too late?”

“Chill out, Curious George,” said Judy. “Believe me, if they found it, we’d know.” Judy dug through all the sugar packets at the table and found four with seashells for her collection.

“Let’s look for the last piece of eight,” Stink urged. “Scurvy Sam said it would be hard. But it has to be here — it just has to.”

“Order first,” said Mom.

Stink stared at the menu.

“This menu sure is crabby.”

“You sure are crabby,” said Judy.

“You’re crabbier,” said Stink.

“You’re crabbiest,” said Judy.

“You’re a she-crab,” said Stink.

“Well, you’re a he-crab,” said Judy.

The waiter asked, “What can I get for you folks this morning?”

“A glass of water, please,” said Stink.

“Me, too,” said Judy.