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and spreading an emerald light through the woods. It was early spring that Matty loved best with its promise of summer, more game, and more food. She knew she would give anything to freeze those moments in the dappled light of the greening forest.

Chapter 4
MATTY’S BRILLIANT IDEA
    Frequent access to bathing water is essential for the health of a hawk’s feathers. An ointment composed of equal parts crushed garlic, wormwood, and pine resin is serviceable for the common abrasions that hawks might suffer on their legs from chafing jesses.
    W HEN THEY NEXT MET, Hubie was bursting to tell them that he had seen the man again—the one he had glimpsed in the forest. Hubie called him the shadow man—and Will Scarloke suddenly exclaimed, “Treasure! He’s burying treasure!”
    The notion of treasure buried in the woods seized the boys. It made vague sense to Matty. Every week one heard of more nobles being robbed as well as treasuresdisappearing from churches and cathedrals. Catching the excitement, she thought, Maybe someone will try to hide the Star of Jerusalem!
    â€œNear the creek,” Hubie explained about the second sighting. “I thought I heard rustling when I came down to fish. I glimpsed someone, or I thought it was someone, but it was misty that day. It was like a dark shadow disappearing into a thicket. My first thought was that it was royal foresters. But there were none of the colors of the prince. It was just this sort of shape—black and gray. No heralds, no banners flying like they always have.”
    â€œHas it ever occurred to you that perhaps your stealing has caught up with you?” Matty asked. She looked directly at Fynn, for had he not recently brought down another deer?
    â€œNo!” all the boys chimed.
    â€œThey’re not after petty thieves!” Rich said.
    â€œAnd it’s just one person, dressed all plain,” Will added.
    â€œThe better to catch a poacher of the king’s deer,” Matty offered.
    But the boys would hear none of it, and all began to speak. The air seemed to buzz with jeweled dreamsand wisps of gold. Where would they dig first? They might all go off in different directions. Caves were always a sure bet for treasure. They must first check all the caves.
    â€œDig, yes, under large rocks,” Will Scarloke decided.
    â€œStop! Stop!” Matty spoke loudly. “You are absolute fools. You’re going to go digging holes all through these woods. How completely stupid! And what will Prince John’s men or the sheriff’s men think when they come riding through and their horses begin stumbling in these holes?”
    â€œThat someone’s been digging for treasure,” Hubie said enthusiastically, then suddenly realized the problem.
    â€œPrecisely.” Matty nodded. Fynn lifted his chin slightly. He did not like the turn of events, even if Matty was right. He’d rather be wrong than bested by anyone. But the rest of the boys were now looking at Matty as if she possessed the wisdom of Solomon.
    Matty knew exactly what they must do. They must be quiet and watchful like Ulysses the goshawk, perching high above the landscape and waiting, barely twitching a feather, ready to stoop at game rising fromthe brush. But of course in this case the “game” would not be “stooped,” only watched.
    â€œWe should build a tree house,” Matty said. A stillness descended upon the group. The boys’ eyes sparkled with anticipation, for the next best thing to treasure would be to have a tree house. “We should have several tree houses, and camouflaged so that we can watch Prince John’s men and the sheriff’s men and perhaps glimpse this shadow man,” Matty added. “But they cannot know.”
    â€œBrilliant!” Will exclaimed.
    â€œYes,” Rich said. “Matty’s idea is brilliant!”
    â€œWell, it might work,” Fynn said huffily. But he knew that it was