day had been spent in Oak Creek in filing the claim to
Montresor's Mine, and just as the party started for home, they had met
the young stranger, Kenneth Evans, who sought Carew's Surveying Camp,
which was known to be located near Yellow Jacket Pass. The youth was
directed how to find Jake, the driver of Carew's wagon, and then he was
invited to visit Pebbly Pit, on Sunday.

As Polly and Eleanor had predicted, they were so excited over the events
that promised such thrills on the morrow, that they slept little that
night, but tossed and talked most of the time. However, when the call
sounded for them all to awake and dress for the mountain trip, it found
that these two girls were fast asleep and loath to get up.

"Good gracious, Anne! My wrist watch says it's four o'clock! You don't
suppose we have to get up at this awful hour?" complained Barbara,
rubbing her eyes.

Anne was already up and hurriedly dressing. "Any one who is not ready to
start when the man brings the horses around to the door, remains
behind, you know."

That brought Polly and Eleanor out of bed with a hop, as there was only
a wooden partition between the two rooms, and Anne's words were plainly
heard by them.

"If there was the least thing to do if I stayed here, I'd not go again
for anything. But I should die of ennui if I had to be entertained by
Sary for three whole days," grumbled Barbara.

The very idea of Sary, the "house helper," entertaining Barbara, for
whom she felt such scorn, caused mirth in the adjoining room.

Eleanor called out: "More than likely Sary feels as glad to know that
you're going, as we would be to have you stay behind."

"Come, come, Bob! You _must_ get up and dress!" now urged Anne, as she
finished her dressing and turned to leave the room.

The purple gleams of the western dawn shot the heavens of blue and gold,
as Jeb brought the sturdy horses from the barn. He had given careful
attention to the trappings and shoes of the various mounts, and finding
each one in splendid condition, started for the house.

An unusual hubbub came from the living-room where baskets of food and
outfits were waiting. The moment Jeb was hailed, however, the noisy
girls ran out to look over their horses.

"Why, Jeb! Isn't Noddy going this time?" asked Polly.

"Not ef you-all want her to keep any breath in her skin. Ain't she
eena-most done up from that other trip?" retorted Jeb, who was the
"general-man" on the ranch. Having been w