ll routine of waiting impatiently for
news from the Peak, and all four of the girls willingly complied with
the order. Two strong horses were hitched to the ranch-wagon, and the
gay party drove away, leaving Mrs. Brewster waving her hand as they
rumbled down the road past the Cliffs.

The colored stones reminded Polly of Kenneth's story, and she turned to
Eleanor and said: "I wonder if he wrote home to ask his mother about her
brother?"

"Even if he did it will be fully a fortnight before he can have an
answer. But we ought to get a letter to-day, telling us whether the boys
are coming over Sunday, or not," replied Eleanor.

"Yes, I know; I thought we'd stop at the post office first of all,"
answered Polly.

The girls enjoyed the wonderful drive along the trail that ran to Oak
Creek, and having reached their destination, left the team tied to the
post in front of Mr. Simms' office, for they purposed having a good
time.

Anne and Barbara went to the store where they could buy candy, while
Polly and Eleanor ran to the post office. To their surprised delight,
they found Kenneth Evans there. He was reading a telegram and did not
see the girls until he had finished.

"Oh--hullo! I never expected to see you here," exclaimed he, seemingly
too excited to remember that he had not met them since Sunday.

"I wired mother last Monday--sent it in by Jake, you know. And told her
to reply so I could get her answer to-day. The Boss let me off because I
finished my work on the old line yesterday. So I came to town myself for
the message."

Kenneth acted so elated that Polly and Eleanor wondered what news he had
received to make his eyes sparkle like stars and his face to flush in a
way that made him positively handsome.

"Isn't it great, though? And just think, if it hadn't been for you
girls, I never would have known it!"

"Known what? What have we done that is so great?" asked Eleanor,
laughingly.

"Why, the mine, don't you know!"

"What about it?" cried both girls at once, thinking that news of some
moment from the engineers had reached Oak Creek before they arrived
there.

"Why, the mine--you know, my uncle's mine!"

"Your uncle's!" again the girls gasped in astonishment.

"Of course--didn't Polly tell me all about her old friend Montresor?
Here, read my mother's night letter to me." And Kenneth placed the
yellow sheet in Eleanor's hand.

She read aloud to anxious Polly: "One branch of family has a
Montresor--