locating
those claims?"

"I think you did, Bet. However as Ramon Salazar and Kie Wicks will
reap the benefit, I think we might go on to other promising spots and
let them have a free hand here. You are only girls and can't fight men
like them."

No other remark could have roused all the spunk in the girls.

"I don't see why we can't hold our own against any man," sniffed Kit.
"Ramon Salazar is a cross-eyed Mexican with a lame leg, and Kie Wicks
is a coward. I guess The Merriweather Girls could beat them with their
eyes shut."

"That a girl, Kit! Of course we can," cried Bet indignantly. "And we
will!"

The Judge chuckled at their flare of independence, and turned to Joy,
the timid one.

"What about you, Joy? Do you want to help the girls fight for the
claim?"

"I'm not saying that I want the old mine, if we can hold it, but I'm
willing to help fight, if the girls say so. The Merriweather Girls
stand together."

"Good for you, Joy Evans! I didn't expect it of you."

"You didn't? What are you trying to insinuate, Bet Baxter? I'm not a
traitor!"

"Why, of course not, Joy, but you don't like digging mines and riding
horseback and all that sort of thing."

"Maybe not. But you've never known me to back out of anything,
especially where the honor of The Merriweather Girls was at stake."

"That's right," responded Bet quickly. "I didn't mean to hurt your
feelings. You've always been a sport when it came to doing things,
although you've sometimes made a frightful fuss about it."

"That's part of the game," laughed the butterfly girl. "Somebody has
to be a kicker. And I'm it."

"Please do it with your feet from now on, it's much more graceful!"
teased Enid.

"I may do it with my feet and I may do it with my tongue," returned Joy
with a happy laugh, "but you'll find me ready to back up any one of
you."

"Well said, fair lady. Now let's have a look at 'Orphan Annie.'" The
Judge's eyes were sparkling with amusement as Bet led him up the gentle
slope of the mountain. Suddenly Bet threw herself from the saddle.

"See folks, I found an arrowhead! Oh, boy! Isn't that lucky?"

The girls dismounted and grouped about her, all except Kit, who had
picked up arrowheads since babyhood.

"It's a perfect one. I'm the happiest girl in all the world!"

"Doesn't take much to make some people happy," began Joy, then she
started to laugh. "Come on, where's our little orphan?"

"This way, follow me,"