only
for this unfortunate break that is bound to keep me laid up for another
month or two. The doctor set my leg afresh, and tells me that this time
I will really get perfectly well, given time. But it's hard to think
that my cousin Janice, his only child, will lose so great a sum if some
one fails to locate Uncle Felix, and get his signature to a paper inside
of another month."

"Why, how is that, father?" asked Frank.

"Circumstances have arisen that will throw a fortune into her hands;"
the stockman continued; "but the time limit approaches, and if his
signature is not forthcoming others will reap the benefit, particularly
that rascally cousin of mine, Eugene Warringford. You remember meeting
him a year ago, Frank, when he came around asking many questions, as
though he might have tracked his uncle out this way, and then lost the
trail?"

"Why not send us, dad?" demanded Frank, standing up in front of the
stockman, with a smile of confidence on his face.

CHAPTER IV

THE LISTENER UNDER THE WINDOW

"That was what I had in mind, Frank, when I hurried Ted Conway out to
find you both," Colonel Haywood remarked, his face filled with pride and
confidence.

"Will you let me see the note, please?" asked Bob; who expected some day
to study to be a lawyer, his father's family having had several Kentucky
judges among their number.

Just as the owner of the ranch had said, the communication was
exceedingly brief, and to the point, not an unnecessary word having been
written. It was in pencil, and the handwriting was crabbed; just what
one might expect of an elderly man, given over heart and soul to
scientific research.

"I suppose you know the writing well enough to feel sure this came from
your noted uncle, sir?" asked Bob, as he turned the paper over.

"Certainly, Bob," replied the cattleman, promptly. "There is not the
least possibility of it's being a practical joke. Nobody out here knows
anything about my uncle, who disappeared so long ago. Yes, you can set
it down as positive that the letter is genuine enough. He's located
somewhere up in that most astonishing hole, the greatest wonder, most
people admit, in the entire world. But just how you two boys are ever
going to find him is another question."

"We can try, dad; and that's all you could do if you were able to tramp.
It happens that the Grand Canyon isn't more than a hundred and thirty
miles from our ranch here, and we can ride that in a few day