In his hand he held something white which he waved as he came up the
mountain?

"It's a letter!" exclaimed Bet. "I hope it's from my Dad. I haven't
had a letter for a week."

"It's a letter for me," announced the Judge, "but it may contain news
that will please you. The boys will arrive this week. Phil and Bob
are going to join us."

A shout went up and echoed through the hills.

Tommy gave an Indian war-whoop and the girls danced about, hugging each
other in their joy.

"Won't it be good to see them!" exclaimed Bet.

"Is Paul coming with them?" asked Enid. "I'm homesick for my brother,"
she murmured with a happy sigh.

"Yes, the three boys will come together by airplane to Phoenix," said
the Judge.

"By airplane!" echoed Bet Baxter. "If they don't let me go up with
them, I'll never speak to them again, never. I want to fly!"

The hunting for treasure took second place now. The coming of their
friends was more important than anything else.

"You know," said Kit solemnly, "we shouldn't get so fond of those boys.
We'll spoil them."

"I've never seen any spoiling!" Billy Patten had helped Judge
Breckenridge bring over the supplies, and now confronted Kit. "Don't
pretend you're soft-hearted, for you're not."

Kit laughed at her teasing brother and with a wave of her hand pushed
him aside. "Children should be seen and not heard," she said.

"What did Joy say when you told her that Bob was coming?" asked Bet.

"She shed a few tears; perhaps she was afraid she would miss all the
fun with her sprained ankle."

"She's in luck if she only knew it," laughed Enid. "A girl with a
sprained ankle will just appeal to the sympathy of those boys. Joy
will be the center of the stage."

"And won't she love it?" chuckled Kit.

With many final instructions to the boys to guard the tunnel, the girls
mounted their horses and hurried toward home, their faces glowing with
joy.

From the mountain opposite, where Ramon had watched the previous day,
Kie Wicks was on guard. He saw the preparations for camping at the
claims and wondered what it was all about.

His eyes narrowed to pin-points when he saw the professor examining the
wall of the cliff.

"What's he got there?" he muttered to himself. "But he can't put
anything over on me. If I could get my hands on Ramon, I'd teach him
to do as I tell him. If he had stuck around, I'd know what all this
fuss is about."

But that was all that Kie was to know f