Jeb heaved a mighty sigh as if he was pa.s.sing on his rainbow dreams forever. Then he turned sorrowful eyes on John.

"Wall, Ah cain't fergit that pooty gal in a hurry, even when Sary heaves in sight wid a heaped plate of puddin' fer me. Ah s'pose Ah'll hev to let _her_ marry me, er git out to onct. Sence yuh've ben talkin', Ah have a sort of weakenin' fer her capable ways, and sh.o.r.e ez shootin', she'll grab the first chanst Ah gives her to know the wust, because this is leap-year."

John shouted with laughter again, and Tom Latimer turned back his horse to ask what the joke was about.

"Nothing that concerns little boys like you, Tom," laughed John, as he winked at his friend.

"But I feel sure I can be of help to Jeb as well as to you, John,"

insisted Tom.

"No, Mis'r Tom. It's all over," sighed Jeb, in a funereal tone. "Ah've made up mah mind to take the med'cine, er beat it!"

With that, Jeb spurred his horse on and joined his master, leaving John to merely hint at the great trouble that almost disrupted the household at Pebbly Pit. "Now, thank Heavens, I have saved the ranch from ruin, and united two hearts that ought to beat as one, hereafter!"

Tom laughed. "I'm glad you confessed to your profession. I'll be wary of your match-making, in the future."

"But you have to find matches before you can make them," laughed John.

"You are so blind that you only see one pretty girl at Pebbly Pit, whereas there are four!" exclaimed Tom, smilingly.

"Four! Anne Stewart is one, and Miss Maynard may _consider_ herself lovely enough for a match--I don't. But mother and Sary will never consent to your including them in your match-making."

"Hah! I thought so! You are so blind over Anne Stewart, that you fail to see how your own little sister is growing up to be a stunning miss. Why, she will be a beauty at twenty, for she is on the high-way there already."

"Tom!" gasped John. "Wh-y--Polly is only a child!"

"That's what all brothers think of their pretty sisters. Some day, a fine young fellow will think differently, and you'll want to club him.

But the trouble is, that Polly will think exactly as the handsome man thinks, and she will not listen to her big brother's advice to remain a little girl.

"Besides Polly, there is Eleanor Maynard. She, too, is a fine girl and will grow to wonderful womanhood. Now, John, take more notice of your 'little' sister, for she is what we boys call a 'peach.'"

"Ha, ha, ha! I've never heard you say so much about a girl in my life!

If I didn't _know_ better, I'd say you were half-way in love with Polly, yourself. But I know what a quitter you are whenever there is a girl in the party," laughed John.

Tom flushed slightly but made no reply. Before John could tease him any further, the party reached Four Mile Blaze. Mike tolled off the riders, and warned each one to give strictest attention to the going as one misstep meant a crippled horse or a serious accident.

From there on, the men rode through the lodge-pole forest to avoid the great ma.s.s of debris formed of rocks, earth, and torn-up trees that obstructed the old trail. Simms felt sure his man had escaped in some miraculous manner, after the avalanche swept him from his feet. But seeing the mountains of wood-trash that were washed down from the peak and piled up everywhere, he lost faith.

Still he and his men were bound to make the most of the least hope, so they sought thoroughly over the side where the two miners had been discovered, that day. Nothing but trees, rocks, and earth piled in toppling heaps on the steep slope of the mountain were seen, however.

While Simms and Bill sought over every foot of ground for their missing friend, Mike led Sam Brewster and his two engineers, down the opposite slope, to a blaze that told them they were going towards the cave. But the nearer they came to the claim, the greater was the destruction of the forest. Finally they could see where the ledge had been, but so ma.s.sed up was the trash that had been swept down and over the side, that it was impossible to reach the ravine.

Mike chuckled: "Him unner alla trees on Grizzly Sly--him yaller insides safe nuff!"

"You're right, Mike," laughed John. "If the gold is in that spot it is safe enough for a long time to come."

"I think this slide was the luckiest thing that ever happened to the girls," ventured Tom Latimer, thoughtfully.

"Why?" anxiously demanded Mr. Brewster, visions of his darling being carried away to school uppermost in his mind.

"When we are ready to bore for the gold, this trash will be an easy thing to burn and clear away. Meantime, it keeps off all claim-jumpers or thieves who need a little hard yellow metal."

"But you must admit that it is a tough proposition to mine here," said Mr. Brewster. "A land-slide is apt to happen any moment and bury all the apparatus. All previous efforts will be wiped out and you must begin all over again. Then consider the difficulty of transportation, from this peak down the long trail, and over miles of rough country to the Oak Creek railway."

"Hoh! a mere bagatelle, Mr. Brewster, when gold weighs in the other scale. Why, men will dig through the earth for gold! See what happened in Alaska. Once men found gold to be had for the pain and privation they would be forced to endure, they gladly gave up home, loved ones,--all--for the l.u.s.t of gold.

"And see what that drive did for Alaska. Railroads opened, cities founded, people settled there, and all because men fought with odds against finding buried gold!"

"We wouldn't have to worry over this out-of-the-way mine if father would consent to have his cliffs utilized," hinted John.

"Not with my consent!" retorted Sam Brewster.

"Well, come on, Mike. Let's pitch camp and get something to eat," said John, resignedly.

"It's not that I have any silly sentiment over the cliffs, my boys--don't mistake me there. But I have a serious reason for refusing to coin money out of that beauty--at least for a few years to come."

"If I guess the truth about it, will you admit it to me some day?"

quizzed Tom Latimer, his eyes twinkling.

"No, sir! Not even to my wife--it's _my_ secret!"

CHAPTER V

POLLY AND ELEANOR VISIT THE BEAVERS

After breakfast the four girls asked each other what there was to do.

They had had so much excitement all week, that the simple life palled on them.

"It's exactly like drinking milk after you have been kept on spice-beer for a long time," laughed Eleanor.

"Well, Nolla and I have an invitation to spend the day with friends of mine. We can ride over there any time," said Polly.

"Then for goodness' sake, come on! I'll be asleep again if we don't do something," exclaimed Eleanor.

"All right, I'll saddle Noddy and you can have Choko. We will have to harness them ourselves now that Jeb is away, and the other hands are working on the ranch."

"You're not going far, are you?" asked Anne, suspiciously.

Polly laughed. "Not as far as we went yesterday."

Mrs. Brewster had been told where Polly planned to take Eleanor, and she smiled approvingly. A nice luncheon was packed up and placed in the panniers of the burros, and the three grownups stood and watched the two girls ride down the trail to Rainbow Cliff.

As they went, Eleanor said: "Did you mention the name of your friends? I forgot, if you have."

Polly laughed. "Maybe I told you, but I don't remember now. Anyway, you wouldn't know them if I did tell you their names."