Polly and Eleanor Part 15

"Leave what?" asked Jim, wonderingly.

"Why, mah tripod, yuh coyote!" grinned Jake, winking at Kenneth.

"Oh, yes! Well, Jake, I had to leave it at Pebbly Pit because it was so heavy, but I'll go back for it next Sunday!"

"Nah, yuh won't, eider--some one else brought in th' tripod and ha'r it 'tis!" With that Jake displayed the article wanted.

"Who found it? No one could take a horse," exclaimed Jim, perplexed.

Then Jake leaned over and whispered in his ear: "The Boss hisself! He rode to Yaller Jacket to spend Sunda' with his wife, yuh know, an' what shoul' he do but come acrost the tripod whar Ah left it fer you boys to pick up! Mebbe Ah didn't get hail on PaG.o.da!"

CHAPTER VII

SEVERAL MOMENTOUS LETTERS

Monday and Tuesday pa.s.sed very slowly to the anxious girls, and on Wednesday they began looking for the return of their scouting party.

Polly figured that three days would prove ample time in which to investigate the conditions and determine whether or not the mine could be worked--providing it was found again. But in such a dreadful wilderness of torn-up trees, and washed out earth, where mile after mile of mountain-land had changed its appearance, who could hope to locate a tiny square of ground that had been staked as the wonderful mine? And with giant trees uprooted and tossed along the current of the land-slide, how could any one expect the insignificant wooden stakes to remain to mark the place?

Then Wednesday also pa.s.sed without a sign of the returning engineers; so on Thursday, Mrs. Brewster told the girls they would have to drive into Oak Creek for supplies and the weekly mail.

This would be a break in the dull routine of waiting impatiently for news from the Peak, and all four of the girls willingly complied with the order. Two strong horses were hitched to the ranch-wagon, and the gay party drove away, leaving Mrs. Brewster waving her hand as they rumbled down the road past the Cliffs.

The colored stones reminded Polly of Kenneth's story, and she turned to Eleanor and said: "I wonder if he wrote home to ask his mother about her brother?"

"Even if he did it will be fully a fortnight before he can have an answer. But we ought to get a letter to-day, telling us whether the boys are coming over Sunday, or not," replied Eleanor.

"Yes, I know; I thought we'd stop at the post office first of all,"

answered Polly.

The girls enjoyed the wonderful drive along the trail that ran to Oak Creek, and having reached their destination, left the team tied to the post in front of Mr. Simms' office, for they purposed having a good time.

Anne and Barbara went to the store where they could buy candy, while Polly and Eleanor ran to the post office. To their surprised delight, they found Kenneth Evans there. He was reading a telegram and did not see the girls until he had finished.

"Oh--hullo! I never expected to see you here," exclaimed he, seemingly too excited to remember that he had not met them since Sunday.

"I wired mother last Monday--sent it in by Jake, you know. And told her to reply so I could get her answer to-day. The Boss let me off because I finished my work on the old line yesterday. So I came to town myself for the message."

Kenneth acted so elated that Polly and Eleanor wondered what news he had received to make his eyes sparkle like stars and his face to flush in a way that made him positively handsome.

"Isn't it great, though? And just think, if it hadn't been for you girls, I never would have known it!"

"Known what? What have we done that is so great?" asked Eleanor, laughingly.

"Why, the mine, don't you know!"

"What about it?" cried both girls at once, thinking that news of some moment from the engineers had reached Oak Creek before they arrived there.

"Why, the mine--you know, my uncle's mine!"

"Your uncle's!" again the girls gasped in astonishment.

"Of course--didn't Polly tell me all about her old friend Montresor?

Here, read my mother's night letter to me." And Kenneth placed the yellow sheet in Eleanor's hand.

She read aloud to anxious Polly: "One branch of family has a Montresor--two generations back the name was used as surname. Brother was christened Peter Miles Montresor Amesbury. Disliked name Montresor, dropped it when young. Every one forgot about it. Am sending letter with photograph of Peter. Show Polly. Wire results. Father may come west.

Love, Mother."

"Oh, oh! how wonderful!" cried Polly, catching Kenneth's hands delightedly.

"I'm glad, too, Ken, but I shall have to contest any of your claims to my mine," laughed Eleanor.

"Your father ought to be told about the land-slide. Maybe he is coming west to look over the claim, but he won't be able to see anything,"

remarked Polly.

"No, I think Dad plans to come west to look at your Cliffs. I told him in my telegram just what they were, and sent on the box of jewels. When he gets them he will try out his invention and if it cuts them properly, then he may come here to see your family."

"Oh! You didn't waste any time attending to things, did you?" said Eleanor, with keen amus.e.m.e.nt at Kenneth's business methods.

"No, I never waste time on _anything_ that's worth while. And, by the way, Jim and I are coming over to Pebbly Pit again on Sunday--your mother invited us, you know."

Both girls laughed, and they caught the youth up. "Ah, you must think Pebbly Pit is worth while, then?"

"Why, I do! You don't suppose I'd ride 'way over there if I was bored, do you?" replied Kenneth, earnestly.

Eleanor laughed this time, but Polly felt he was in too serious a mood for laughter. So she said: "I'm glad you liked us. We'll tell mother you are coming again. That is one reason we drove to Oak Creek--to get the letter."

"I'm afraid it will be our only chance to see you-all again, as our crew moves from Brushy Creek to Silver Creek, and after that we go to Buffalo Park. The Boss says we will have about three weeks' work there, and then go across the desert to work along the Lincoln Highway, until we reach the other lines, completed last year by Carew's men.

"He doesn't know whether we shall be dismissed then, or sent on to tie up a few other little jobs before the summer ends. However, it looks as if Jim and I will be too far away to ride over for the day then. It will take us a day and night to cross the desert and over several mountain peaks to reach you."

Eleanor listened delightedly to this innocent youth, and as he concluded she squealed with amus.e.m.e.nt: "Oh, don't you love it!"

"Love what?" asked Kenneth, never having heard this extravagant expression so favored by city misses.

"Love _you_, of course!" retorted Eleanor, laughing.

Polly frowned at this admission, and Kenneth blushed, for he had never before been told so publicly that a pretty girl loved him! Eleanor doubled over laughing, and gasped: "Oh, you two adorable babes!"

Further conversation was made impossible now, by Barbara and Anne coming in. They immediately joined the three young people, and Anne asked: "Did you get the mail, Nolla?"

"No, we never thought of it. Ken has such an exciting telegram that we forgot everything else."

Anne waited to hear no more, but went to the window and inquired for her mail and for that of the family at Pebbly Pit. A bulky package was handed out, and caused Polly to exclaim at its size.

"Why, I never knew so many letters to come at one time."