what
I'll do. I've got responsibilities, heavy ones."

"Have you a large family, Professor Gillette?" asked the woman.

"No, I have only one daughter but she is an invalid. She was studying
to be a dancer and one slippery day in winter she fell and broke her
hip. And she has never been able to dance since."

"Oh, that's terrible! The poor child!"

"She's as happy as a lark. She has never given up faith that as soon
as she is taken to see a specialist in the city, she will be cured. It
is for that operation that I must earn more money. And with the fear
of losing my position in the college you can see why I must make good
this summer."

"Well, you'll find plenty of Indian signs around these mountains," Mrs.
Patten informed him.

"That's strange!" The professor exclaimed, "That man, Kie Wicks,
claims that there never were Indians in these hills. None to speak of,
he said. Told me I was barking up the wrong tree. Oh yes, he was
quite certain I was going to fail. But I mustn't fail! I can't fail!"

"Of course you won't fail! And you needn't believe a word that Kie
Wicks says. He doesn't want people to come into this canyon. He
believes in the myth about the treasure and he makes it hard for anyone
who comes in. One old prospector had to leave because Kie had it in
for him. He just couldn't stay."

"What did Kie Wicks do?" asked the old man.

"Well, for one thing he would sell the prospector meat and at night
steal it all back. And the old chap was shot at in the dark and
threatened until he gave up after putting in several months working on
the claims. So you needn't expect any help from that ruffian," stormed
Ma Patten.

"I don't know what to do. I must find that Indian village." Professor
Gillette had no notion of giving up, not for all the western bad men he
had ever heard about. He had come to Arizona to find an Indian village
and that he must do.

"Why don't you go over the hill there? We used to find bits of pottery
and arrowheads and even some Indian ornaments made of silver. I have a
few of them at home. Be sure to remind me to show them to you. You'll
be interested."

The professor's face glowed with excitement. "I'd like to ask you for
more particulars as to the exact place," he exclaimed.

"I'll do better than that. Kit will take you over there some day and
like as not you'll find just what you are after," Mrs. Patten assured
him.

While they were still talking Tomm