ble that day. Kie was beaming with self-satisfaction. He
felt that he had put over a good deal and could afford to be genial.

Kie's plan was to let the ruffians hold the claim until he could make
arrangements to put men to work and dig out the treasure in the tunnel.
Kie did not doubt for a moment that the treasure was there. And
tonight he intended to investigate and see how much needed to be done.
If he could handle it alone, so much the better.

Kit and Bet arrived when the meal was half finished and pretended to be
hurt at the teasing that they encountered. They decided to wait until
the family was alone before saying anything about the capture of the
tunnel. Kie might get ugly and actually harm the old man.

"Saw your playmate, Young Mary, coming up the canyon today," said Kie,
glad of some new excitement for the girls, to take their minds off the
professor for a while.

"Oh, is Mary home?" cried Kit happily. "I do want to see her!"

"Yes, Young Mary is here with a dozen other Indians of all sizes and
shapes," grinned Kie. "They sure are a funny looking crowd."

Kit herself might have made the same remark, but coming from Kie, she
resented it.

"Where are they?" exclaimed Bet. "I'll pay them a visit. Do you think
they will make some baskets for me?"

"You can never tell a thing about them. If they need money, they will,
but like as not they'll refuse. This is their vacation, they come up
every year to pick mesquite beans and pinon nuts," Kit informed them.

"Let's go down right after lunch and see them," proposed the girls, but
Kit hesitated.

"We might frighten them away if we are too anxious," she said.
"Indians are very shy."

"I'll say they are," smiled Tommy. "And about as friendly as a block
of ice."

"Why Tommy Sharpe, how can you say such a thing? There's Old Mary and
Indian Joe, they are the most friendly people in the world. There
isn't anything they wouldn't do for Mum and Dad and me. And they think
you're a great man!" Kit defended them.

"Old Mary and Joe are altogether different. Indian Joe is just like a
white man!" answered Tommy.

"And good as gold!" emphasized Kit.

"The only good Indian is a dead Indian," Kie Wicks exclaimed
dramatically.

Kit flared up, but Bet soothed her.

"Remember we are already even with Kie Wicks," she whispered.

Kit nodded her head. "Just the same I don't like to hear Indians
talked about like that. It always makes me angry."