Part 27 (2/2)

But even as he spoke, Ramon knew that he would do whatever Kie Wicks asked him to do. The habit of obedience to this man was too strong in him. He had been a tool for this unscrupulous rogue for more than ten years. Just why, he could not have told, for Kie Wicks was not a generous master and the Mexican got little enough for his work. Rarely ever did he get any cash out of the storekeeper, and the supplies that Kie doled out were given grudgingly. Yet the man always returned, after promising himself many times that he was through.

Kie had given him a small shack in the canyon, that had once been used by some friends of his for a summer vacation, and it was this home that sheltered his wife and eight children, which kept the Mexican faithful to Kie.

Ramon had a bad name in the hills. He had tried his hand at every kind of rascality. Cattle had disappeared, horses rustled and Ramon was suspected of knowing more about them than he should. Yet it was Kie Wicks behind him, threatening and driving him on, that made Ramon the character he was.

And while Ramon refused, at first, to go on with the a.s.sessment work on the stolen claims, he knew that he would do it in the end, and that Kie would also give him supplies while he was working on the job.

Ramon did not like to meet the girls and perhaps Judge Breckenridge.

The professor, he felt, was harmless, a silly old man who roamed through the hills, but the impressive looking judge was a different matter.

Yet the next morning when the professor arrived with the girls, Ramon was digging away at the farthest claim, and did not even look up.

”Guilty conscience!” whispered Bet to the professor.

”He complicates matters considerably,” frowned the old man. ”I hardly know how we are going to proceed, if he stays around here.”

”With Ramon watching, the only thing to do was to go on with the drilling on the Orphan Annie claim. Bet fumed and fussed, scolding anyone who came near her. She insisted on being the professor's helper, holding the drill in place with the strong wire while he hammered. This gave her an audience and was an outlet for her anger against Kie Wicks and his Mexican hanger-on.

”Take it easy, child. There's lots of time to find that treasure--that is if there is one. We don't need it right away, you know,” soothed the professor.

But it took Bet a long time to regain her poise. The other girls had recovered from their disappointment and were trying to make friends with the Mexican before Bet would even smile.

”I do wish we could tell which of us he's talking to. His eyes are so crooked they overlap,” whispered Enid to Bet. The Mexican did not want to make friends with the girls. He answered a few words to their questions then went moodily on with his work. But not for long.

Without a master over him, the man grew lazy and before the morning was far advanced he had disappeared in the canyon.

”I thought he'd get tired of it,” smiled Kit. ”A Mexican miner has to have someone to keep him on the job. And I don't believe that Kie Wicks will spend much time over here.”

Ramon was no sooner out of sight than the professor dropped the drill and they rushed for the wall to begin digging there. They had just started to work when Judge Breckenridge rode up.

”Let's have a look at that treasure tunnel, Professor,” greeted the Judge with a laugh. ”How much bullion have you found?”

”Not any yet, but who knows?” returned the old man, his eyes s.h.i.+ning with excitement.

”Stranger things have happened!” The Judge followed the girls and looked at the wall. ”Well, well,” he exclaimed, ”this certainly looks interesting.”

The professor had already begun to pick away the crumbling rock at the small opening, and found that they had hit upon the spot where the mouth of the tunnel had been filled up. After half an hour's work he had opened it sufficiently to look in. Using a flashlight, he could see that the tunnel was very shallow, another wall confronted him and this appeared to be the solid rock of the mountain.

He was about to give up when he noticed a peculiar stone on the floor of the tunnel, or what appeared to be a stone. With the pick he dragged it forward and was able to reach it. Drawing it forth, he stood before the Judge with glowing face.

”See this!” he exclaimed excitedly. ”This comes up to any story of buried treasure that I've ever read in my life.” He displayed his find, a tiny disc of copper and on it were engraved strange figures and signs. They had no meaning to the group of people that stood about the tunnel. But that little copper plate was telling a story, of that there could be no doubt.

”What do you think of it?” the professor gasped in a hoa.r.s.e whisper.

The old man was almost too excited to speak. He made several attempts then gave up, but he held the disc as if it were a jewel.

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