t down and started to eat.

Still the professor did not come.

Tommy Sharpe called him from the summit of the cliff, waited, and
called again many times. But there was no answer.

"Guess you'd better take a walk down there and see what's keeping the
old chap," advised Seedy Saunders. "He never goes far away without his
breakfast."

Tommy returned in a few minutes without seeing anything of the
professor. He said: "I saw tracks going up the creek and there are
fresh hoof prints, but that doesn't tell a thing."

"Oh, he's all right. I won't worry about him," laughed Seedy. "I can
just see his face if he thought we imagined he was lost. He's such an
independent old fellow, he'd be displeased."

Nine o'clock came and still the professor did not make his appearance.
The boys each took turns in riding down the creek and calling, but when
the girls arrived at ten, the missing man had not returned. He had not
been to the ranch and the girls had seen nothing of him.

"Something has happened!" exclaimed Bet anxiously. "The professor
isn't the sort of man to wander away like a lost soul. He's too
interested in this treasure to leave it for a minute. Some enemy is at
work."

"Melodrama from the movies," laughed Kit. "Bet is bound she's going to
have some western bad man stuff."

"Don't be silly, Bet," said Enid impatiently. "Our old professor
hasn't got an enemy in the world."

"Hasn't he? How do you know? Just suppose Kie Wicks found out about
the treasure. He'd want to get rid of the professor first thing."

"That's an idea, Bet," replied Enid, suddenly growing excited. "I
never thought of Kie."

"But what good would it do him to get rid of the professor?" asked the
sensible Shirley. "Kie Wicks knows we are all backing the old man, so
what would be the use of making away with him?"

"That's true," agreed Bet with a puzzled frown. "If I thought that Kie
Wicks had a hand in this I'd... I'd...."

"What would you do, Bet?" asked Shirley.

"I'd tell him right to his face what I think of him."

"Heaps of good that would do," Kit shrugged. "Kie has heard about
himself from lots of people."

But Kie Wicks' scheme worked out just as he planned. In their anxiety
over the professor's disappearance, the treasure was left unguarded and
when the girls returned to the camp, they were confronted with guns
held in the hands of two burly ruffians, swarthy, heavy giants who
terrified them by their looks.