ther slide on Grizzly. This time it has destroyed _everything_ so
that mining the gold is out of the question," and Polly gave the message
to Mrs. Fabian to read aloud.

"Bad land-slide on Grizzly. Demolished all machinery and wiped out the
entire surface of mountain-top. No lives lost, but cave and vein of ore
lost. Topography completely changed. Wait for summer to start new search
and locate gold. Letter sent to Latimer and Dalken. Ask them for
particulars. John Brewster."

"Oh, Polly! That means that our gold mine has vanished, and all our
income from it will be stopped!" cried Eleanor.

"We haven't had any income to stop," replied Polly, cynically. "About all
the good we've ever had from Choko's Find Mine has been violent physical
exercise, expenses and the dreams that buoy hope."

Her friends laughed in spite of the seriousness of the matter, and
Eleanor added: "It also means that Daddy, and all of our New York
investors, have lost the money they invested in the project."

"Well, when Tom Latimer called on me the evening after our ducking in the
Bay, he said he was not in favor of working on the mine so late in the
season. He thought John was taking dreadful risks to keep the plant open
when snowstorms and slides were imminent.

"But John told him that plenty of snow was just what was needed on the
peaks, to cement the chasms and crevices together that had been opened by
the summer's heat and continued drought all Fall. In case no snow came,
he said he would agree to abandon work when the cold weather became too
severe to remain at that altitude."

"This unexpected accident and loss of the mine does not prevent the
output of the lava jewels, Polly, so there'll be no noticeable difference
in your income, will there?" asked Mrs. Fabian.

"Well, Tom explained it all to me. He said that mine affairs were so
involved with the jewel works at Rainbow Cliffs, that one disaster
affected the other interest. Rainbow Cliffs is part of Pebbly Pit Ranch,
so the Cliffs were incorporated when work began on the mining of the
lava. Then when trouble at Choko's Find Mine started, the mines at
Rainbow Cliffs were mortgaged to secure financial aid for the gold mine
on the mountains. So that everything is mixed up now in this calamity,"
explained Polly, tearfully.

Soon after this, the telephone rang. Mr. Latimer said he was coming to
call, that evening, and Mr. Dalken wished to come in at the same time.
Would the girls be hom