The Merriweather Girls in Quest of Treasure

by Lizette M. Edholm

  CHAPTER XIV

  _TREASURE TROVE_

  To the delight of the girls, the next morning was clear. It had rainedin the night and they had been sure that it would storm and they mighthave to stay at home.

  The sun rose pleasantly warm, but the hour was five o'clock and thegirls knew that before breakfast time it would be almost unbearably hot.

  "But what do we care?" laughed Bet gaily. "We're out for adventure.Today is the grand and glorious event. We will hunt for treasure."

  "Oh, no, we won't," Enid returned decidedly. "You forget thatProfessor Gillette and Dad decided that it would be better to do thelocation work on that claim first."

  Bet frowned. It was not her way to be patient. At last she said, "Oh,well, if it has to be done, we'll do it. We'll go over early andfinish that ten foot hole by noon, then we'll have all afternoon forthe treasure."

  "Kit said it would take us at the very least, a full week, to do thatwork," returned Enid.

  "Don't be a spoil-sport," pouted Bet. "You don't know anything aboutit."

  But Shirley Williams and Joy Evans both backed up Enid. "Why, Bet,that hole has to be dug through solid rock, almost."

  "How stupid!" shrugged Bet.

  "If you should dig right into a vein of rich copper ore, you won'tthink so. Why not have hopes of a mine and forget the treasure?" saidShirley quietly. "Have you given up the idea of being a mine owner?"

  "Not exactly. But to tell the truth, 'Orphan Annie' doesn't look veryhopeful to me." Bet shook her head dolefully. "Well, it's no usefretting. If that hole has to be dug before we start looking for thetreasure, it has to be, that's all."

  "Now you're being sensible, Bet. It's just as the professor says, it'swise for us to have a real claim on the land around that tracing. Itmight be worth something. Perhaps there is a treasure buried there,but it isn't likely." Shirley was not a dreamer and Bet, for themoment, was disgusted. She turned away and left them.

  "Let's get breakfast over," called Enid, leading the way toward thedining room. "We'll be pleasing Tang and that's a good start for theday. Then we'll be ready for Kit when she comes."

  "Where do we meet the professor?" asked Shirley.

  "He'll be waiting for us by the pass into the small canyon. Isn't he adear to help us out instead of looking for his village? I like him!"declared Bet.

  It was only seven o'clock when the girls bade good-bye to Mrs.Breckenridge, listened to her instructions about taking care ofthemselves, and started down the trail, Kit in the lead.

  Although it was twenty minutes before the appointed time, ProfessorGillette was waiting for them. On his burro, borrowed for the occasionfrom Dad Patten, he carried all the tools needed for prospecting.

  "You look as if you expected to dig twenty mines," laughed Bet, as shedrew up her pony beside the old man.

  "Only one," insisted the professor. "At least I hope that is all wewill need. But no one can tell for sure."

  "I think it is all foolishness anyway," Joy exclaimed. "What we wantnow is that treasure, and instead of looking for it, you are going todig a well."

  Kit laughed as she always did at Joy's mistakes. "Call it a well ifyou want to," she said patronizingly, "but don't let Tommy Sharpe orSeedy Saunders hear you say it. They'll tease you unmercifully."

  "It's this way, Joy," explained Bet, impatiently. "Kie Wicks might getwise to it, and come in at the end of two months and snap up this claimtoo, if we haven't done our work. That has to be done within twomonths."

  "Then he'd get the stone with the markings?"

  "Yes, that's it. And he might find the treasure, if we don't watchout," added Kit.

  "Then let's get to work at once!" cried Joy, digging her spur intoDolly's side.

  "You mean, Professor Gillette will get to work at once while you andthe rest of us stand around and look pretty," said Enid.

  "Why we don't mean any such a thing, Enid Breckenridge. I'm perfectlywilling to work and do my share," snapped Bet, her face red with anger."I'll not have Professor Gillette imposed on like that."

  "We'll all do what we can," soothed Kit. "Although I'm not sure we'llmake much headway with the pick and shovel."

  "I think we should have a Mexican do the work, girls," said Enid."He'd do it in half the time."

  "Professor Gillette said it was better not to have anyone else aroundfor a while until we could find out something about this treasure," Betsaid. "So we might as well make up our minds to dig right in and workhard."

  Once on the site of the claim, the professor unloaded his tools andlooked about for a suitable place to put down the ten-foot shaft. Hisknowledge of mining was not very great but he and Kit finally decidedon the best spot.

  The old man started in at once, swinging the pick as if it were ahammer. He soon dug away the thin layer of earth and crushed rock, andreached solid stone.

  "It's a good thing I brought the drills along!" the professor threwdown his pick and took up a drill and heavy hammer.

  "Isn't it exciting!" cried Bet. "Do let me try to use the drill.

  "All in good time, child, all in good time," he promised her as headjusted the tool. "This is a two-man job anyway. Somebody has tohelp me."

  Bet crouched down close beside him and held the drill steady while theold man prepared to hit. She glanced up at him, dubiously. The oldman laughed.

  "Don't know as I blame you any," he said as he twisted a piece of heavywire about the drill and gave Bet an end to hold. "There, you cansteady it with that, so I won't hit your fingers."

  "Oh, I wasn't afraid," began Bet but the professor laughed and Bet didnot finish her sentence.

  "You looked as if you were very much frightened indeed. You werecertain I would hit your fingers, and I'm not sure I wouldn't have," hechuckled.

  And his first strong blow did miss the drill and the girls, watchinghim, laughed.

  "Gee, if Bet's fingers had been there!" gasped Joy.

  "Well, maybe I'd have been more careful if her hand had been there. Inever take chances."

  While Bet held the drill in place the professor dealt blow after blowuntil he was ready to drop with exhaustion.

  "And some men keep that up all day, I'm told," he gasped as he threwdown the tool and dropped to the ground. "I don't believe they do," headded.

  "I've seen men keep at it pretty steadily for hours," interrupted Kit,"but they don't go at it so strenuously. You put all your soul andbody into it. They don't get excited and they don't wear themselvesout with wild flourishes. You see when a prospector has that work todo, he doesn't have to hurry. He has all the time there is."

  "To tell you the truth," laughed the professor sheepishly, "I'm soanxious to start looking for the treasure that I don't want to dig thisshaft, I'm like a child with a new toy."

  "Come here, Kit," called Bet. "You hold this drill for a while and letme swing the hammer. I'm just dying to do it."

  "And maybe I'm not glad there is a wire to hold. You'd hit me, sure."

  "Don't trust me even yet," Bet returned with a gay laugh.

  "That's right, Kit," trilled Joy. "You are only two feet away from herhammer, she might easily miss the mark by that much." Joy was glad ofa chance to tease Bet.

  Bet swung the hammer with vigor, bringing it down on the drill with aforce that seemed impossible from her slender arms.

  "Go it, Bet. You'll get there yet," shouted Joy.

  Bet was soon worn out and the girls took turns and had the joy offinishing one hole to the required depth for setting the charge.

  The professor was bending over the tracings on the rock. He hadforgotten all about the location work that had to be done. While thearrow pointed southwesterly and showed the direction in which to look,it pointed over a deserted country that stretched for miles into Mexico.

  "If there is anything thrilling about this, I'd like to be shown,"pouted Joy. And in sheer boredom she got up, walked to a rocky ledgeand scrambled up the steep face of it.r />
  Enid and Shirley, who were watching the professor studying the markingson the rock, heard a cry of surprise from Joy, but before they couldturn toward her, they saw her falling, clutching wildly at the ledgesin an attempt to save herself.

  Joy had turned her head to speak to her friends and had missed herfooting. As she touched the ground, her ankle bent under her and shefell with a groan.

  Bet ran to her help. "Speak, Joy, speak to me," we said shaking thegirl. Joy's face was deathly white but her eyes fluttered open andseeing Bet she cried hysterically:

  "I found it! I found it!"

  "Found what, Joy? What did you find?"

  "Another arrow. Right there on the rock!" Joy was struggling to herfeet, but at the attempt she fell back with a groan.

  "For the love of Mike, is that all? Why, Joy Evans, you'd get soexcited over an arrowhead that you'd lose your footing!" Kit cried."I thought you had more sense than that."

  Between clenched teeth Joy answered, "It wasn't an arrowhead! It wasan arrow carved on the rock."

  "Don't be silly, Joy. You're dreaming!" laughed Kit.

  "If I thought you were just teasing me, Joy, I wouldn't be sorry aboutyour poor foot." Bet stared at the girl with a threatening look. "Itisn't nice to tease about things as serious as hidden treasure."

  "But the arrow's there," Joy answered.

  "Which way did it point?" asked Professor Gillette, the only one whoseemed to credit Joy's story.

  "Why, really, I don't know. I never thought to notice. I saw an arrowand I think it was pointing toward that hill over there--but then againit might be pointing away from it. I'm not sure." Joy stoppedhelplessly, and clutched her aching foot.

  "You're helpful at least," Kit shrugged her shoulders. "I do believeshe's just teasing us. Joy would never find anything!"

  "Then go and see for yourself!" snapped Joy.

  "I'll do it," replied Bet suddenly letting go of Joy in her excitement.Joy collapsed with a groan.

  Bet turned to help her but Enid shoved her aside. "Here is where Ishine. You go and find your arrow and I'll play nurse and fix up Joy'sankle. You're lucky, Joy Evans, that it isn't broken."

  "It feels as if it were," sobbed Joy.

  "I don't see any arrow," called Bet in a disgusted tone. "Don't bemean, Joy. If there isn't one here, say so."

  "Go on, Bet, up a little higher!" cried Joy.

  Bet crept along the ledge, climbing from one projection of rock to thenext.

  There was a sudden cry of joy. "Here it is!"

  The professor craned his neck to get a glimpse of the arrow. "Whichway does it point, child?" he asked eagerly.

  "It points toward the hill, that way," replied Bet, studying themarkings carefully.

  "That's our good luck. If it went the other way, it would be acrossthe claims of Kie Wicks and his friend Ramon. Come on down, child,before you fall."

  Bet slid down easily, her nimble body could cling to the sheer cliff,or so it seemed to those who watched her.

  "I think we'll call you the goat girl, Bet, you sure can climb rocks,"exclaimed Kit admiringly. "I never could do it."

  "And you an Arizona girl?" laughed Bet.

  "An Arizona girl only knows how to ride horses," retorted Kit.

  "And if they can all ride the way you can, they need no otheraccomplishment." Bet ran to join the professor.

  The old man was examining the ground in the direction the arrow waspointing.

  "Who ever would have thought to look up at that rock for an arrow," Betsaid excitedly.

  "But you see, Bet, we're starting in the middle. Somewhere there's amap that shows all this, and by that map you would know you had to lookat that cliff for the arrow," explained the professor seriously.

  "But where to next?" asked Bet.

  "Follow the arrow, that's all we know," answered Kit.

  There was no more digging on the claim that day. Even lunch was eatenby them in a half-hearted way. Joy was suffering with her ankle or shemight have done justice to Tang's picnic spread.

  The professor was in a delightful dream. This was the sort of thingthat he loved.

  "Do eat something, Professor Gillette. You'll be sick if you don't,"pleaded Bet.

  "Why, I'm not hungry in the least. I do wonder why the arrow ispointing that way. There doesn't seem to be a thing in sight."

  "Maybe if we climbed the hill, we'd find it," suggested Enid. "Supposewe divide up in teams. Some go over the hill and some hunt on thisside."

  "Who's going to stay with me? I won't stay alone," cried Joy her voicetrembling with fear, "I'm afraid of buzzards. I've read about them.When they see people sick or crippled, they fly around, waiting forthem to die. And sometimes they don't wait, they pick at them whilethey still live."

  "Don't worry, Joy. I'll stay with you!" Enid looked longingly towardthe hill, then turned to Joy.

  The two girls watched the other members of the group, scramble up thesteep ledge to the flat-topped hill.

  "It's stupid to have to stay here," said Joy with impatience."Couldn't you help me over there to that wall? There's some low bushesthat will keep this horrible sun out of my eyes."

  "Let's try it anyway. Come on!" Enid lifted Joy to her feet andsupported her. "Now lean on me and just hobble along. Don't put anypressure on that ankle. Hop like a rabbit!"

  Joy groaned as she limped along. By resting many times the girlsreached the clump of Palo Verde trees, and were glad to drop down intheir scant shade. Joy's face was white and strained.

  "I know what I'd do if I had my way," announced Enid anxiously. "I'dget you home at once."

  "But I won't go. I want to wait for the others."

  Enid sat down on the ground beside Joy, crouched under the bushes.They were close to the wall of the cliff.

  "What a funny rock!" said Enid. "I wonder what causes these strangeformations. Doesn't that look like an altar? And there is a figure ofa man in a long robe. And the professor will tell us that it is allmade by the rain."

  "Yes," said Joy indifferently. "You know, Enid, I'm tired of thisArizona country. I hate these bare mountains, and I hate the herds ofcattle that stare at you and then race madly away. Everything isunfriendly. Yet, I'm almost sure I'll be homesick, like Kit, when Ionce get away."

  "It's glorious!" answered Enid.

  "It frightens me. Everything seems cruel. I'd give a dollar thisminute to see a soft, green meadow."

  "I'm perfectly happy right here, I wouldn't have it different." Enidwas gazing over the ranges of mountains that seemed to go on and on.

  It was half an hour later when the girls heard Bet's familiar call.

  "She's found the treasure!" whispered Enid. "You can hear thehappiness in her voice."

  But the girls were mistaken. The group had searched high and low butnothing was in sight. The professor had found a bit of old ruin, partof a wall that he claimed was Indian fortification. But that was all.No mounds or signs of a village.

  "Why Joy and I found something just as interesting as that," laughedEnid. "Under the trees here, the wall of that small cliff has the mostpeculiar weather markings. Take a look at it, Professor Gillette.It's interesting."

  The professor bent away some of the branches of the trees so as to geta good view of the rock. The girls standing near, heard him give agasp of astonishment.

  "What's the matter now?" asked Bet Baxter.

  "Those markings were never made by the weather. They were carved byhuman hands. And our arrow is pointing straight toward it. I don'tunderstand why we didn't see it before."

  "It's the treasure!" exclaimed Bet. "Let's see what's there!"