hadn't come a girl, I'd be a
prospector. Just think of it, not having anything to do in life but
roam around the hills and look at the rocks!" Bet lost herself in her
dreams.

"And build funny little play monuments!" added Enid.

"Yes, and half starve to death before you get ore enough mined to
sell," Kit reminded her.

"Oh, Kit, that isn't fair to wake me up so rudely. Why not dream
pleasant things while you're about it?" Bet laughed. "Where do we
locate the next claim?" They followed Kit to some distance from the
monument and when they had found sufficient outcropping they repeated
the same process.

There was a hot breeze that seemed to intensify the heat of the sun and
brought the aromatic scent of the greasewood. The wild beauty of the
canyon was not lost on the girls. From the cliff they could see down
into the depths, they could hear the rippling of water over the rocky
bed of the creek, the flash of a bright bird in the trees would bring
them out of their day dreams. It was good to be alive, good to be
roaming through the hills looking for romance and adventure.

"I'm glad we gave up the idea of hunting for treasure," declared Bet
with a shade of contempt in her voice as she paced off the required
number of feet for marking the fourth and last claim. "Somehow or
other that seems silly now. This is far more important and worth
while."

"After seeing those excavations that were made, I could never think of
it seriously," Enid said quietly. "Kie Wicks must have spent a fortune
trying to find treasure in that spot."

"Yes, but not _his_ fortune! He formed a company and sold stock, so it
wasn't his own money he spent," Kit reminded them.

The girls stood looking over their claims with affectionate glances.
"I love them, Bet, and I'd just hate to have anyone else do the
digging. Why can't we do it?" asked Kit.

Enid spoke up. "Don't do it, girls. Take my advice and hire it done,
it will be cheaper in the end."

"Maybe Enid's right," agreed Bet. "We mustn't get too ambitious or
we'll miss half the fun."

"Say, when do we eat?" demanded Joy suddenly. "I'm famished! I can't
do another thing until I get my lunch."

"Poor starved child!" laughed Enid. "Do you suppose you could roll
down the hill so we can build a camp fire by the stream? If you think
you can't, we might fix up a stretcher and carry you."

Joy answered with a toss of her head and a puckered-up grin. "I think
I can ma