called Shirley Williams. "This is it, isn't it,
Bet?"

"Yes, that's our baby. Poor little thing." Bet was trying to be
cheerful but there was a tinge of bitterness in her voice. There was
always a great soul conflict when Bet's well developed plans went amiss
and in this case, where it involved double dealing, it was harder than
usual to give up.

"Nine chances out of ten," remarked Enid quietly and with little
emotion, "those other claims have all the ore and this one has nothing."

"For my part, I don't care if it hasn't any ore in it at all, I like it
anyway," and Bet squatted down on a big flat rock within the boundaries
of the claim. "It feels good to be on my own property," she added with
a sigh of contentment.

But in a moment she had started up with a little cry of surprise.
"What's the matter, Bet? Be careful! If it's a strange bug, it might
bite you. There are so many stinging things out here," cautioned Kit.

Bet's head was bent over the rock. She did not hear what was said.
Suddenly she called, "Judge Breckenridge, do come here and look at
these strange markings on the rock."

"Markings on a rock," said Joy Evans contemptuously. "I thought it was
a tarantula or something."

"Well, you wouldn't have liked to see a tarantula any better than the
markings, and these at least are not poisonous," Bet retorted.

Judge Breckenridge was examining the markings with interest, and gave a
low whistle of astonishment. "This is the sort of thing one reads
about. I'm wondering though if Kie Wicks put them here to fool you."

"It might be markings that tell of a buried treasure. See the arrow!
Look the way the arrow points."

"Yes, look the way the arrow points," mimicked Joy. "Now at last you
have your mystery, Bet. I wish you joy of it. Follow the arrow and
then you'll come to a tall cactus, and in the cactus you'll find a
bullet..."

"Oh, keep quiet, Joy Evans!" flashed Bet angrily.

"We haven't found a mystery and I don't believe there is a treasure
here. This is far away from Lost Canyon," said Kit.

"I'm going to believe in the treasure!" cried Bet, fired with
enthusiasm at the prospect of finding something unusual. "Why, I could
easily believe in a buried treasure. What's more I'll find it."

"I'm going to go and call Professor Gillette," called Enid, already in
the saddle. "He can probably tell us what it means and what the
Indians looked like who made the markings."

"These li