ith them. The old man was independent and insisted on getting established in his own quarters. He had already chos

er a huge cottonwood tree, there was a bubbling spring, cool a

hed the old man. "Talk about mode

got to work they soon had everything in order. Tommy levelled a space and beat it down until it was smooth. J

rer. I want to rough it, even endure hardships. It will do me goo

oor fire, he accepted a tiny stove from Mrs. Patten. Primitive livin

bor had placed before his door, in his absence, and did not protest but took it gratefully. After a strenuou

nd him at his weekly wash. His shirts and overalls were spread out on a large

" he declared with a laugh

ur discoveries?" i

get clean! Anyway I hav

give me no

ny number of arrowheads and baskets and stuff. You're welcome to

considered an authority on the subject. But I'm getting old and younger men are stepping into the field. They

sly. "These young fellows always can beat us in

do spectacular things that get them into the newspapers. I was told that my department would have to be snapped up a bit! Isn't t

ily, Professor Gillet

tudying to be a dancer and one slippery day in winter she fell

terrible! Th

cialist in the city, she will be cured. It is for that operation that I must earn more money. And

ty of Indian signs arou

infor

ere Indians in these hills. None to speak of, he said. Told me I was barking up the wrong

to come into this canyon. He believes in the myth about the treasure and he makes it hard for anyone

Wicks do?" ask

old chap was shot at in the dark and threatened until he gave up after putting in several mon

e had no notion of giving up, not for all the western bad men he had ever hea

arrowheads and even some Indian ornaments made of silver. I have a few of t

nt. "I'd like to ask you for more particu

er there some day and like as not you'll find j

talking Tommy Sharpe a

was an invitation to

so glad to go. She's a bea

, beaming with pleasure and opening a note that T

in the mountains, she had sent to New York for books on Indian legends, Indian ruins and anything that might give the pr

not telling us that he had written a book. He's got his ty

nounced Bet, jumping up an

asleep," said Shirley. "Don't you

man, but she got little satisfaction

get some practical knowledge and then write about it, he would save his job and in

He knew from the history of Arizona that a large Indian village must have been situated in the re

agine for a minute that the old man could stand the strenuous trip to the southwest a

ooked into the pale face of his daughter, Alicia, her eyes glowing with hope both for her fat

ost Canyon within, he believed, arm's length o

adly gave him advice, and in the case of The Merriweather Girls, they would have been happy to serve him in every way

I'll get soft if they wait on me and give me

terested in the finding of the ruins now as the old man himself. It was his only way to help the independent professor, who refused a

not found it, aft

s to accompany the old

Wi

the occasional calls from Judge Breckenridge or Dad Patten, he found th

e. I wonder what he's afraid of. There i

week and then ended a

in a long time. This

unting or doing whatever he wants to do. Now if I were you, I'd let old Boo

think of that myself? I couldn't have

t appear the

n end so he had risen before dawn and left the tent, striking off over the hills where Mrs. Patten

These signs of Indians merely gave

inished lunch t

d Kie Wicks are almost inseparable. It's quite touching to see s

started the other girls and their voices echo

n appeared around the bend in the trail. A

" exclaimed B

they are just racks of bones, that's all. And

heir nags, each carrying a baby strapped to her back. Small boys ran beside the horses or clung on be

im," he whispered to Kit,

camp right here where you are. I'm surprised that Indian Joe s

professor was delighted that it was on the opposite side of the stream where he could watch them. A tepee was made almost before the squaws were all out of their saddles.

ed their pipes, while the women and children scurri

life for a few days, the life that the I

e to watch the modern Indian at least and see how

n luck if you can get him to talk. Some of the young ones will translate for him if he get

ther delicacies, and while he accepted without a sign of appreciation, the ice was broken and when the professor began to ask qu

here, a city!" droned the old fellow and the professor e

re the Indians make baskets and rugs and silver and pottery, long ago. There were

illage?" asked P

k his head and with a wave of his hand in

the girls that afternoon when he went up to

count of the cu

rse to do with it?"

and she cursed that village, and the Indians try to forget th

host look like,

out of nothing in Lost Canyon. One minute she isn't there and the next she is. And w

trembling. "If it is, I won't

u'll never see the ghost. Only those

Don't worry, dear," Bet patted her ha

the village must be left untouched, and tha

afraid of the curse. It would hasten matters very much if I could

hunt for the village after th

I'll find that village. Alicia is

s, The Merriweather Girls will help you in any way we can. We

pale then suddenly gave up. "Al

wild enthusiasm