brown lizard."

"That's a baby Gila monster. Isn't it a beauty? If you'll look at it
closely you'll see that it's not ugly at all. Look at the design of
his back, like an Indian rug." Tommy took the jar in his hand
caressingly.

But Enid shuddered and turned to something more interesting which Bet
was already examining.

"What's he got there, Bet?" asked Enid laying her arm across her
friend's shoulder.

"Looks like an old map! Isn't it quaint?" Bet was looking at it
intently. "I love old maps. Where did you pick this up, Tommy?" she
inquired.

"Oh, a Mexican wanted some money and offered to sell it to me for five
dollars," the boy answered with a smile. "He was such a wicked looking
old fellow that I figured I might as well buy something from him as
have him rob me. So I gave him five dollars. The map was all in
tatters but I pasted it together. I rather like it myself."

"Five dollars!" exclaimed Bet. "And I'm almost sure you could sell it
to a museum for fifty. That map is a beauty."

"If I ever get my five dollars back from it, I'll be surprised.
Personally I don't believe it's worth fifty cents, Mex." Tommy
shrugged his shoulders, and rather scorned Bet's enthusiasm.

"Why it's worth more than that just as a curiosity. Look at the arrows
and X marks. And that weird looking tree! I wonder what it's all
about?"

"It's a useful map," declared Tommy with a smile. "It hides a
stovepipe hole in that chimney. I couldn't do without it in the
summer."

The girls all laughed. Only Bet was seriously interested in the map.

"I believe it's a treasure map," she murmured half to herself as if
dreaming. "I'd love to hunt for treasure." Then she turned to Tommy
Sharpe: "Judge Breckenridge says there is an old legend of a treasure
here in Lost Canyon. Of course he makes fun of it, but it might be
true. What do you think about it, Kit?"

"I'd hurt too many people's feelings if I told you what I think about
it," answered Kit.

"Go on, don't mind us. Say what's on your mind," laughed Tommy.

"Well, I'm surprised, Tommy Sharpe, that you would fall for that old
story about a treasure being buried here. I thought boys were supposed
to be clever," Kit said contemptuously.

"There's a treasure there all right," Tommy stated it with certainty.
"I have Ramon Salazar's word for it. He looked me in the eye and told
me."

"Now I know you're not telling us the truth. Ramon Salazar couldn't
look