wn into the canyon behind the ranch house. He had made it over into a home. There were two rooms; one

was here that the boy loved to sit and watch the sky grow bright wi

bin met the appro

ou, Tommy," laughed Enid. "Y

on that the girls screamed with laughter. "Do you remember the time

hat a good housekeeper I made of you." Enid looked prou

said Tom

. "I saw Cheerekee here with a broom. She disappeared as we ca

tion to meet you and clean house at the same time. Chee

never swept or dusted this cabin in your life!" Bet grabbed him by the

to it that Cheerekee does

give her strict orders not to touch anything up on that sh

y, we caught

girls would see a little thing li

ow you to take credit for things that

ll hard-hearted girls," T

was already peering on the high she

lowing with his strange collections. Enid smiled as she noticed several little pine cone figures that she had give

ds, arrowheads, old bi

n bas

w could you bear to touch the wriggling thin

uched it," returned Tommy. "Can't s

s do come and look at this ugly thing in the

losely you'll see that it's not ugly at all. Look at the design of his

to something more interesting

asked Enid laying her arm

as looking at it intently. "I love old maps. Wh

"He was such a wicked looking old fellow that I figured I might as well buy something from him as have him rob

m almost sure you could sell it to a m

. Personally I don't believe it's worth fifty cents, Mex." Tom

ity. Look at the arrows and X marks. And that w

mile. "It hides a stovepipe hole in that chi

Only Bet was seriousl

sure." Then she turned to Tommy Sharpe: "Judge Breckenridge says there is an old legend of a treasure he

eelings if I told you what I

. Say what's on your

that old story about a treasure being buried here. I thoug

ed it with certainty. "I have Ramon Salazar's wo

." Kit dropped into a chair, shrieking with laughter as she visualized Ramon Salazar trying to l

uld look at me and lie

m five good dolla

ave been cr

ve dollars, and if I hadn't given i

d map off on you." Kit knew the dwellers in the hills. "I can bet a nickel on it that he thought you might get interested and d

e map and claimed that Ramon had stolen it from him, but when I offered it

of that. Why that man lives by taking advantage of people, and he never puts through a deal of an

Kie had a lot to do w

ng it to me. But

t take back the map whe

ally he doesn't turn d

this map," sai

o you

on it for a full day, then disappeared. I don't pretend to know why," Tom

k, Bet Baxter. The mystery of the treasure ma

at sort of thing, we'll miss half the fun of the ranch. When you hunt for treasure

r garden and he found an old rusty cannon ball and a piece of a flintlock, and ever since that I've always w

Joy affectionately. "You wo

quiet Shirley, pointing her camera toward the canyon wall opposite Tommy's door. "And while

. But..."

nd we'll follow. If it's treasure, we'll help her dig. And

e any plans at all. Just be ready to do whatever comes our way. That's always more fun." Bet li

eaching some of you to ro

fore they'd learned that," agreed Tommy, his eyes glowin

s it looks," Kit en

't look a bit difficult when that rope twirls through the air. I've seen it in the movies and once I tried i

you'll be a regular cowboy. I'll

taught. I'm sure I'd h

to get interested in treasure maps

of art, that map is a treasure in itself, I love it, but I'm going to lea

ared, that no one guessed that before the month was out, not Bet alone, but all The Merriweathe

ght their one interest would be unr

would forget his errand to the hills and all that it involve

and leads into strange a