THE MESSAGE DECIPHERED
It was indeed an old fashioned attic into which the two girls
emerged. It was high in the middle and the sloping roof formed the
sides.
“Where is your inspiration leading you?” Margaret inquired as she
bent to follow Virginia into a dark cobwebby corner.
“It’s my old play trunk,” the western girl replied, “where I put all
of my old castaway toys as I outgrew them, and so, what is more
natural than that I should also have placed there the key to the
code when I had outgrown it.” As she spoke Virginia was dragging a
small dust-covered trunk, over near the window, which was the only
opening through which light was coming.
The cover was lifted, revealing all sorts of play-things, dolls,
books and mechanical toys.
“Oh, good!” Virginia exclaimed, joyfully. “Even if we don’t find the
key to the code in here, how glad I am that I happened to remember
this old trunk. What pleasure it will give to the Mahoy children. I
will have someone carry it down and let them play with these things
to their hearts’ content.” As she spoke she took from the trunk
first one toy and then another. She did this eagerly, for time was
flying and she well knew that she must find the code, but she seemed
doomed to disappointment, for everything had been taken from the
trunk and not a scrap of paper had been revealed. “How provoking!”
she declared as she arose.
Margaret had picked up a queer old doll dressed in the costume of an
early pioneer, when, from the folds of its print gingham dress, a
yellow paper fluttered to the floor. With a cry of joy, Virginia
pounced upon it. “Oh! Oh!” she exclaimed, “that dear old doll,
Patience Putney has been keeping it for me all this time. Now we
will begin to decipher my brother’s message. Goodness, I do hope it
isn’t too late. Give me the doll, Megsy, I’ll take her downstairs
and enthrone her in a place of honor to reward her for her faithful
vigilance through all these years.”
Down the ladder the girls scrambled and into the living-room they
hurried. Then on the desk the message from Malcolm was spread and
also the key to the code.
Both heads bent over the latter as Virginia said eagerly: “First of
all look for a Q with two tails and see what it means. Malcolm has
written that all alone at the top so I think we would better
decipher it first.”
“Here it is,” Margaret said, pouncing her finger on the character in
question. “It means ‘Very important. Great haste required.’”
“Oh, Megsy,” moaned Virginia, and just then the clock chimed twelve.
“It is three hours since we first received the message.
“Now look for a T with a cross on the bottom as well as on the top.”
Virginia began as they both searched the key, then she added, “Here
it is! I’m beginning to recall now how I used the key in earlier
days. I believe I will take it by myself, Megsy. I think that I will
soon be able to decipher the message.”
“All right and while you are doing it I will make your bed. Perhaps
if I leave you all alone, you will make better headway,” the other
girl said, suiting her actions to the words.
Fifteen minutes passed before Virginia sprang up and hurried to her
friend’s open door. Margaret sat by the sun-flooded window sewing.
She glanced up eagerly. “What is it, Virg? You look troubled.”
Virginia sank on the bed truly the picture of despair. “Oh, Megsy,
what shall I do?” she said, “but first I’ll read you the message.
‘Dear sister. I find the ore to be of excellent quality; the best I
do believe that has been found in these parts for many years. Pat
Mahoy and I must go at once to Douglas and record the location
papers. Send one of the cow-boys to stay in the hut on Second Peak
until we return. Tell him that he is to report to me if he sees
anyone lurking about the property.
“‘Hastily, Malcolm.’”
Virginia looked up woefully. “If only I had been able to read the
message before I told Slim to join Rusty in the north! That is fully
two hours ago and by this time he is far out of reach. However, he
might have gone by the way of the Dartly Ranch, and, if he did, I am
sure that Mrs. Dartly would have insisted upon his remaining there
for the noon meal. I’ll call up and inquire.”
Skipping to the telephone in the living-room, Virginia was soon
talking with her nearest neighbor four miles away. “Slim isn’t here
now,” that good woman replied. “He did stop some time ago and I
asked him to stay to lunch but he said he had some business to talk
over with old Mr. Dodd up at Double Cross Ranch and that he would
get some frijoles there. If it’s very important Virginia, I could
send my boy over to the Dodds, but it would be several hours before
he could make the round trip. It’s a pity now that they haven’t a
’phone.”
“No, indeed, don’t send Jack. I’ll just have to manage some way
without Slim. Thank you, Mrs. Dartly.”
Margaret was standing near, eagerly waiting for Virginia to finish
the telephone conversation.
The western girl rose with a determined expression in her eyes as
she said: “Megsy, there is only one thing left to do, and I’m going
to do it.”
“What is it?” the eastern girl asked.
“It is that I must go myself and stay in the log cabin on Second
Peak until my brother returns from recording the location papers in
Douglas. He will have started already, believing that I will at once
obey his instructions and send one of the cow-boys to watch the
property, and since it is as much to my interest as his to have it
protected, I must go.”
Margaret’s eyes were wide with amazement. “Why, Virginia,” she
exclaimed, “do you mean that you, a mere girl, would go and stay
alone all night in an old log hut on that desolate mountain?”
Virginia nodded. “Well, then, I’m going with you.” Margaret’s tone
sounded as determined as her friend’s.
“But I couldn’t allow you to go, dear,” Virginia protested. “You
aren’t used to the loneliness of the mountains as I am. I love it.
Then night noises do not frighten me in the least and there is very
seldom a wild animal prowling about that is not more afraid of me
than I am of it.”
“If you go, I’m going also,” Margaret repeated with emphasis, then
putting her arms about her friend, she declared gaily: “It will be
something exciting about which to write to dear old Babs.” Then she
added with sweet seriousness. “I’d be heaps more worried and unhappy
all alone here on the ranch, not knowing what might be happening to
you than I would be were I with you. If you are to be eaten by a
grizzly, then I wish to be devoured also.”
Virginia laughed as she began to don her khaki riding habit. “What
if the fierce outlaw that is supposed to be hiding somewhere in the
Seven Peak Range should happen to visit the hut in the night?” she
asked merrily. Not that she had any faith in the existence of the
rumored outlaw, but she wished to persuade Margaret to remain at
home.
“Let him come if he wishes,” the eastern girl said. “If you aren’t
skeered of him, neither am I.” This sounded very brave, but in her
heart Margaret was hoping that they would meet neither a bear nor an
outlaw.