or them to meet him at this very spot in the desert and had been waiting and expecting them to come along. He took it as a matter of

there was a charm in his twinkling eyes that made friends at once for him, no matter what society

of the scorching rays of the sun, that he l

tt was about to start the car.

teful smile. "That's j

re to do just that,"

his property. "Don't know what I would have d

hirley's ear. "He's a regular highbrow. Hear

course," replied Sh

Isn't the word 'food' polite

led by the man. He did not belong

thought, the stranger

ollege. I'm on an ex

fun. We'll have to pretend we're clever or something of the s

ned forward eagerly and addressed the old man. "An exploring expedition!

nd a buried city?" a

city in this coun

Troy and maybe more, why can't it be pos

find a King Tut grav

the girls joined in the laugh,

I am after. I want to find the ruins of an old Indian village a

Kit. "We were just ho

storical objects of the tribe, and it is his grave that I mus

rizona," said Kit. "I don't see how

don't think so. It was at the scene of an Indian massacre. A common enough story it is. Th

ke that. They are like the cactus,

asily. "The Indians killed some white men and then s

ual about that story,

f, cursed her own people for their cruelty. And within a y

"And does this princess come back and haunt the canyon, does sh

story. Lost Canyon,

the old man with t

und since babyhood. It's li

king out the contents of all of them, before he found the letter which he ha

"Mr. William Patten." Returning the paper to the profess

ine meeting someone who is on the way to see

glad to help you

t the formal style that might have bothered the girls. His dark eyes were small and twinkling and

hem. Joy gave a scream of fright. "What

is seat. "Is it a hold up?" He looked around in all d

muttering, "Of all the ding-busted places to get a flat! Not even a spear of grass for shade and no water hole nearer th

wled at Professor Gillette, and went on without answering him. Matt's face was red with the effort under the burning sun t

e saw around her. Suddenly she gave an exclamation of surprise as her foot

he cried as she stooped over th

't bother you," laughed Kit. "Y

tween her thumb and forefinger gingerly. "Just look at

y. Isn't it funny?" Enid poked her finge

dead, only an occasional blinking

ike to take it along for a pe

it wouldn't want to be parted from its

all considerate. Its mother mightn't like to have i

e. She was fascinated by this strange

Let's go! And here's hoping we'll have no m

the horn toad, then exc

ind of a bi

You'll see plenty of them

ame for a bird!

paral Cock, if that sui

Lar

its lovely blue crest, and its bronze-green body!" The girls gave a little gasp as the large bird, evidently startled

with enthusiasm. "I believe

rked Shirley Williams with a shiver. "I wou

round here. Those birds are the worst enemies the snakes have. They certainly fade away when Mr. R

irls finally left their observations of de

hich troubled the girls but finally his impatience wore

Bet: "Matt forgot he was driving a ca

r quietly. "Speed is the curse of the age.

f ginger in 'em. They're only slow when there's work to be done." Matt Larkin had made the longest spee

s conviction that Indians had led a quiet,

nued just as if Matt had not spoken. And if he heard th

ckly and soon the walls of

, hardly able to sit sti

y. "I had almost given up expecting it.

s enjoying the feeling of ownership in the land. Part of this

o scream." She pointed her hand at the towering pillars of the suhuaro, or giant cactus. "And I hope

nk they are the most r

They're wonderfu

k of them. I'm enthused over everything! I've taken six pictures of cattle." Shirley, the quiet on

tch a glimpse of the ranch buildings, but all they could

magination, she always wanted a reason for everything she saw. "They don't have Ind

ians that we saw racing toward the station didn't look

e walls date back to the time when they weren't," Kit explai

n feet high with small porthole openings at intervals. "And there are the tiny

you wouldn't have wanted to see an Indian raid," sniffed Joy

e, wild fighting and glorious deeds of valor. If she had been born earlier and been a

the ranch before the people inside knew they were there. The old Indian trail run

Enid sighed. The memory of her own isolated existence on Campers' Trail through that hard winter was still

ge of the cliff and was so completely surrounded by trees that it was impossible to tell just what kind of a house it was. If it had not been for a few windows it might have been taken f

le or something equally imposing. A romantic setting for Enid, a go

uiet. There was

mping out, opened the doors. The girls dismou

t caught a glimpse beyond him of a great patio, or int

suit her taste. Bet clung to Kit's arm as

Kit, it's perfe