ewster planned for them to come and spend the
following Sunday at Pebbly Pit with John and Tom there, provided the
crew was not too far removed for the trip.

The boys promised to send word by mail, as Jake rode to Oak Creek two or
three times a week, and could mail a note from them if they were to be
within riding distance.

"We might even find a way to lose the valuable transit and then have to
come and hunt for it," laughed Kenneth, as they got into their saddles
for the return ride.

"But you didn't find the tripod! What will Jake say?" asked Polly,
anxiously.

"We'll let you know next Sunday," laughed both the boys.

That night when Jake smuggled his two horses back to the corral with the
crew's mounts, he turned to the boys and said:

"Whar did you-all leave it?"

"Leave what?" asked Jim, wonderingly.

"Why, mah tripod, yuh coyote!" grinned Jake, winking at Kenneth.

"Oh, yes! Well, Jake, I had to leave it at Pebbly Pit because it was so
heavy, but I'll go back for it next Sunday!"

"Nah, yuh won't, eider--some one else brought in th' tripod and ha'r it
'tis!" With that Jake displayed the article wanted.

"Who found it? No one could take a horse," exclaimed Jim, perplexed.

Then Jake leaned over and whispered in his ear: "The Boss hisself! He
rode to Yaller Jacket to spend Sunda' with his wife, yuh know, an' what
shoul' he do but come acrost the tripod whar Ah left it fer you boys to
pick up! Mebbe Ah didn't get hail on Pagoda!"

CHAPTER VII

SEVERAL MOMENTOUS LETTERS

Monday and Tuesday passed very slowly to the anxious girls, and on
Wednesday they began looking for the return of their scouting party.
Polly figured that three days would prove ample time in which to
investigate the conditions and determine whether or not the mine could
be worked--providing it was found again. But in such a dreadful
wilderness of torn-up trees, and washed out earth, where mile after mile
of mountain-land had changed its appearance, who could hope to locate a
tiny square of ground that had been staked as the wonderful mine? And
with giant trees uprooted and tossed along the current of the
land-slide, how could any one expect the insignificant wooden stakes to
remain to mark the place?

Then Wednesday also passed without a sign of the returning engineers; so
on Thursday, Mrs. Brewster told the girls they would have to drive into
Oak Creek for supplies and the weekly mail.

This would be a break in the du