The Merriweather Girls in Quest of Treasure Part 30

Judge Breckenridge's word was law. Bet turned her horse's head down the canyon toward the home trail, her eyes flas.h.i.+ng dangerously. She muttered:

"To think of being sent home when the excitement gets good! Oh, I wish I were a boy!"

"Well, since we have to go, let's hurry and have the fun of telling it all to Joy."

But Joy and Mrs. Breckenridge were a disappointment. They did not thrill to the danger, as Bet did. They were decidedly angry and afraid.

"You must never go into that canyon again while you are here!"

exclaimed Mrs. Breckenridge.

"Please don't put that down as an order! That would be a tragedy. I don't believe that even the Judge would be willing to deprive us of that joy." Bet's voice was pleading.

"All right, dear, I'll take back the order and will leave it entirely to the Judge. But you must abide by his decision, that I insist upon."

"We will," said Bet. "I hope he'll be a good sport about it. I want to know what's going on."

Mrs. Breckenridge walked up and down the corridor in an anxious manner.

She had been gaining strength so rapidly in the mountains that she had even threatened to try horseback riding. But the Judge had put her off. He wanted to be certain that the trial would be a success.

"I'm glad I wasn't with you, today, I'd have screamed," said Joy. "I know I would."

"That's probably what those bandits wanted. To scare us so we wouldn't go back. I hate to have them get away with it."

At noon when the men returned to lunch, they had no good report.

Although they had hunted the hills for miles, not a trace of the professor had been found. He had disappeared.

Before lunch was over Kie Wicks appeared at the ranch house. "I just heard of the old man being lost, so Maude wanted me to come right over and join the search party. I think a lot of the professor and want to do my bit."

Bet looked at the man in astonishment.

"I would never have believed it," she whispered to Kit. "It just shows how we misjudge a person. I thought he would be the last man in the world to appeal to for help, and here he comes of his own free will and offers it."

"People always have _some_ good in them."

Joy shook her head. "From the first I hated that man and feared him."

"And now you see, Joy Evans, how mistaken you were. He's a good man at heart," exclaimed Bet.

But Kit was skeptical. "I wish I could believe it. I feel as if I were playing with a rattlesnake. He's treacherous! I think we'd better watch our step."

"Of course, I know that Kie Wicks is unscrupulous in the matter of jumping claims, but you see he has a human side after all. He seems quite cut up about the professor being lost," Bet interrupted.

"And did you notice how indignant he was over the ruffians at the claim? I believe he'll help us to get rid of them," said Enid confidently.

"But those men didn't do a thing worse than Kie Wicks! Not half as bad, for they were open and above board. They pointed guns on us and Kie sneaked up after dark and stole our papers. No, girls, his change of heart is altogether too sudden to be sincere. Keep an eye on him!"

advised Kit.

Whether the men at the ranch believed in Kie's innocence or not, they accepted his offer of help and let him organize the searchers.

"Let's go over and see what Ramon Salazar is up to. He's a scoundrel and looks it. Maybe he knows something about your old man," suggested Kie.

"Can't we go, too?" begged the girls. The judge was about to object, but when he saw the look of disappointment in Bet's face, he changed his mind.

"Why, it's all right, I think. I don't see that there will be any danger if you stay with me."

Bet ran for her horse. "Come on, girls, let's go!"

The group divided into two sections. The judge and the girls and Tommy went under Kie Wicks' leaders.h.i.+p. Tommy was very contemptuous at the idea of help from Kie, but he followed without any remarks, deciding that the man needed watching. And that job would be his!

Instead of being offended at the arrival of a searching party, Ramon Salazar seemed to welcome them and even his wife acted as if she had been expecting a visit.

"Take a look around, folks," said Kie Wicks as he himself opened a door and looked into a bed room, littered with mattresses and soiled blankets.

"He ain't here," said Kie. "I didn't more than half think he was. But you never can be sure unless you take a look."

Bet caught a quick glance of understanding between the two men, but in the next second decided that it was a glance of approval.

"They're up to some mischief," whispered Kit in s.h.i.+rley's ear. "I don't trust that Kie Wicks and he is altogether too sugary today to suit me. But don't say a word to Bet. She will flare up and then we won't be able to watch him."

s.h.i.+rley agreed with Kit, who knew Kie Wicks better than the others.

Tommy was watching the two men, his nerves keyed up and every sense alert to the slightest movement of the men. He had noted the quick look between Kie and the Mexican and felt sure that it was a danger signal. It conveyed a message. Not for a second did the boy doubt that Kie and Ramon knew where the professor was.

The boy was angry clean through, but he held his temper under control.

Only in that way could he keep in touch with these rascals and watch them. Sometime he would catch them off their guard.

Ramon joined this group of searchers and made some suggestions as to possible places to look.

"What we ought to do is to round up them fellows at the tunnel and make 'em talk. They probably killed the old man and threw his body over a cliff." It was Ramon who spoke.

Kie Wicks looked startled. He had not told Ramon that the men at the claim were being paid by him. He frowned toward the Mexican, then his face relaxed suddenly. "Now that's an idea, too," he said. "Only I should think it might be just as well to leave them in possession until we find the professor. Someone has to stay there and we need all the men we have to hunt for the old man."

"I think you're right, Mr. Wicks," agreed Bet.

Kit looked her disgust. To herself she was thinking, "I never would have believed that Bet could be such a tenderfoot. To let Kie Wicks pull the wool over her eyes like that! She certainly is an easy mark!"

But Bet was not such an easy mark as Kit imagined. She had figured it out that it would take days for the men to dig their way to the treasure and by that time they could find their old friend and then form a party to drive the ruffians away from the tunnel.

An hour later, when they were returning to camp, Kit pointed up over one of the small mountains. "Bet, I'll take a short cut with you. The trail over that hill leads into Lost Canyon. Let's go and beat them home. Who's coming?"

"I am!" exclaimed Bet turning her horse's head toward the up grade.

"I'll stay with Dad," called Enid.

"And so will I!" s.h.i.+rley held her horse toward the canyon trail.

"Wise girls!" smiled the Judge. "You know good company when you have it."

Kit waved her sombrero as they reached the summit and disappeared over the ridge. But once on the other side, Kit was not so sure that she knew the way. "This doesn't look like the trail that leads into Lost Canyon, after all, Bet. Do you think we'd better go back?"