Part 27 (1/2)
The professor bent away some of the branches of the trees so as to get a good view of the rock. The girls standing near, heard him give a gasp of astonishment.
”What's the matter now?” asked Bet Baxter.
”Those markings were never made by the weather. They were carved by human hands. And our arrow is pointing straight toward it. I don't understand why we didn't see it before.”
”It's the treasure!” exclaimed Bet. ”Let's see what's there!”
CHAPTER XV
_A SPY_
The professor's hand trembled with excitement as he scratched the surface of the rock, tapped the face of the wall for a possible hollow sound, then called on Bet to bring him a pick.
He dug at the base of the wall, but soon came to solid rock.
”There's nothing there!” he exclaimed. ”But this is interesting.” The desert weeds had grown over all the crevices in the rock, and when the professor had carefully sc.r.a.ped them away, he found what he had hoped for; a small opening. Behind that wall there was a tunnel. As he looked into the darkness, a rattlesnake glided through the hole, and the old man sprang back just in time to save himself.
”That was a close shave!” Wiping his forehead with his handkerchief, Professor Gillette sat down on the rock to decide what the next step would be.
”Guess we'd better call it a day. We are all tired out. We can just get back in time for dinner,” said Enid. ”And Dad said you were to come home with us, Professor.”
”I'd like to consult with the judge,” said the old man. ”He can give us valuable advice I'm sure.” He wouldn't for the world acknowledge that the hot dinner, already prepared, tempted him to accept the invitation.
The girls turned away from the wall, unwillingly. They now felt sure that they were leaving a treasure behind them. And tomorrow seemed so far away!
Bet and Enid helped Joy to hobble along to the edge of the cliff, and Kit hastened down the incline to where they had left the horses near the stream.
”I'll bring Dolly up, that is if she'll climb, the lazy thing!” called Kit as she disappeared. By this time Joy's foot was badly swollen and was giving her acute pain.
Before leaving the wall, the professor had concealed the opening that he had found. As he turned to go he picked up a bit of the rock that he had pried loose.
It was this rock that kept the secret of the tunnel from Ramon Salazar, hidden in the brush of the hill opposite, where he had been set to spy on the girls by Kie Wicks.
He had become rather weary of his job until he saw the professor examining the wall of the cliff, then he braced himself up expectantly, but relaxed again when he saw the old man looking closely at a rock in his hand, which he carried away with him.
”He's found a colored stone that he likes,” Ramon said to himself with a sneer of contempt at the professor who was always treasuring the brightly colored mineral specimens.
And it was this report that he carried to Kie Wicks: ”They just fooled around, had a picnic, and climbed the hill above the claims. I don't believe they even know you jumped them.”
”You mean you jumped their claims,” corrected Kie Wicks.
Ramon laughed and slapped his leg. ”That's a good one, yes, I jumped their claims.”
”And you'd better get busy with the a.s.sessment work, too,” advised Kie.
”Who pays me for that?” demanded the cross-eyed Mexican.
”There you go again! Always wanting money! I find you some good claims and a chance, maybe, to sell out at a big price in the future, and you want pay for doing the a.s.sessment work. You're an ungrateful cur!”
”Then I won't do the work. No pay, no work!”