OFF FOR THE WEST
Frank looked quickly at his brother, and Andy, in turn, turned a rather
startled gaze on Frank.
"What's that you said?" asked the younger Racer lad.
"The treasure of Golden Peak," murmured Frank. "Is that a joke, or just
a pleasant little way you Westerners have of making conversation?"
Billy laughed and said:
"Well, boys, I'm afraid, after all, that it may be only a joke. But
for all that there is a place out near my uncle's ranch on the Kansas
prairies that is known as 'Golden Peak.' It's a sort of big hill."
"And is there treasure in it?" asked Andy, eagerly. Frank, too, in
spite of the fact that he was slower to enthuse than was his brother,
looked much interested. "Is there gold out there, Billy?"
"I don't know," was the frank answer. "I'll tell you all I can about
it, and you can judge for yourselves. But first let me say that,
treasure or no treasure, I hope both of you can come West with me, and
help me and my uncle get ahead of the men who are trying to spoil his
business. He says he thinks, from what I have told him about you, that
you'd be just the kind of fellows to do it."
"Many thanks!" exclaimed Frank, making an exaggerated bow.
"Oh, but I mean it!" insisted Billy, quickly; "and I know my uncle
does, too. As I told you before, his name is Richfield Thornton, and
his place--which is a big one--is near Sageville, in Kansas. I have
lived with my uncle nearly all my life--ever since my father and mother
died when I was a small chap. I never had any brothers or sisters, and
my uncle took care of me--he and his wife.
"When I grew old enough I used to help him with his business, after
he found out that he couldn't trust several men whom he had made his
confidential secretaries. That's why he gave me this work to do for him
in the East. I came on to school, but I'm afraid I'm more interested in
my uncle's affairs than in lessons. Though after I clear this mystery
up I'm going to buckle down to study."
"But what is the mystery?" asked Frank.
"It has to do with a big irrigation scheme my uncle wants to carry
out," replied the Western lad. "You see, in addition to raising cattle
my uncle has a big tract of grain and other crops, and he's in a region
where it doesn't often rain. Not far from his place is a small stream,
and a lake, and he figured that by building a dam across a valley he
could make a larger lake, and have water stored for irrigation purposes
whenever he wanted it. He would also have water to sell to other ranch
owners.
"He started to get possession of the necessary land, and I helped him.
We found that a certain parcel, that was much needed, was owned by a
small corporation out East, and I came to get their signatures to the
papers, allowing us to buy and flood their property. I did get their
consent, and then the trouble about Golden Peak cropped out. That's
what we're up against now, and it looks as if we were going to have a
hard time."
"But what is Golden Peak?" asked Andy.
"As I said, it's a big hill that would come about in the middle of the
lake my uncle intends creating by the building of a dam. This hill is
covered with a lot of yellowish rocks, and I think that's how it got
its name. But there are certain men, or rather one man in particular,
who seems to think that there is a real treasure of gold in the peak,
and he's doing his best to prevent us from surrounding it with water."
"Who is this man?" asked Frank.
"His name is Sam Shackmiller, and he's the lame man who I believe
attacked me," answered Billy, quietly.
"What! the black-bearded man who was hanging around here a while ago?"
cried Andy.
"That's the one," admitted Billy. "I had been warned to be on the
lookout for him, and it was well that I was. He is a dangerous man."
"Was that why you acted so strangely?" inquired Frank.
"Yes. I couldn't tell when he might sneak up on me."
"What did he want?" came from Andy.
"Certain valuable papers which I had secured from the corporation,
giving us the right to flood their land. Among them was the final
document we needed to allow us to go ahead with our work, and it
included a court order. It is very valuable, for one of the signatures
on it is that of a man who has since disappeared. If I lost the
document, or if it was taken from me, we would have no authority for
going ahead with the scheme until we could find the missing man to get
him to sign a new paper. And he might not do it. So you see I have to
be on my guard."
"But what about this Sam Shackmiller?" Frank wanted to know.
"Well, while he and some others with him, whom I have not been able to
locate, claim Golden Peak, they really have no right to it. But they
have certain papers, which seem to prove their title to it, and the
courts have recognized that right. My uncle claims that their documents
are forged--at least the name of one man is--the same man who has
disappeared, and if we can prove that his signature is not genuine it
would invalidate their claim to Golden Peak."
"Then you could go ahead with the irrigation scheme?" suggested Andy.
"Yes, but I think my uncle is going ahead anyhow," said Billy. "He is
relying on being able to prove later that Shackmiller and his crowd
have no legal claim to Golden Peak, and so he is going to take a chance.
"In fact the dam is almost built, and soon the waters of the stream
will begin to back up, making the irrigation lake. Then Golden Peak
will be under water."
"Treasure and all?" exclaimed Frank.
"Yes, if there _is_ a treasure there," laughed Billy. "I don't believe
there is. Lots of people have had a try for it, but they never found
anything.
"It seems that some years ago an old prospector came into town, saying
he had struck it rich. He said he had discovered a treasure on Golden
Peak; but whether it was gold, silver, or precious stones, no one
ever found out, for, before he could tell he went crazy. For years he
wandered about trying to relocate the treasure, if there was any, but
that was all, except for the queer stories he told. So you see the
thing simmers down to this:
"My uncle has a good title to every bit of land in the irrigation
valley save Golden Peak. He owns all around it. The title to Golden
Peak is in dispute and my uncle is sure that he has a moral if not
a legal claim to that. If he can prove this one signature a forgery
he will be all right. And he may be without that. But, at the same
time, there is a certain document, of which, if the other fellows got
possession, they could use against us, and stop the work."
"And who's got this document?" asked Andy.
"I have," said Billy quietly. "Here it is," and going to a tattered
Latin dictionary he pulled from between the pages a folded paper.
"Great Scott!" exclaimed Frank. "I shouldn't think that was a very safe
place to keep it, with that dangerous man about."
"The simplest place is the best," declared the Western lad. "I carried
it about with me, and was nearly robbed of it. Then I decided to hide
it here."
"Good idea," said Andy. "Nobody would think of looking in a Latin
dictionary unless he had to."
"You wouldn't, anyhow," chimed in his brother.
"Oh, I'm as fond of study as you are," came the quick retort.
"But now the question is: Will you come West with me?" went on Billy.
"If uncle is going to put the finishing touches on his dam, and flood
the valley, he'll need my help. There may be a fight--or trouble--at
the last minute. I do wish you'd come and help me. I want you--my uncle
wants you. Come on!"
"And have a try for the treasure!" exclaimed Andy. "Shall we go, Frank?"
"Why, I'd like to--first rate," was the answer; "but I don't see how we
are going to leave school before the term is ended. Dad and mother----"
"Oh, they'll let us go, I'm sure of it!" broke in Andy. "I'm going
to telegraph to them and find out. Think of it, Frank! Out on the
prairies! At the ranch--helping build a big dam--keeping off fellows
who may want to dynamite it--finding the treasure of Golden Peak!"
"Oh, I know it would be great," admitted Frank. "But can we leave?"
"There isn't much more to this term," said Billy. "You could easily,
during vacation, make up the work you miss."
"Perhaps," agreed Frank. "Go ahead, Andy, and wire the folks."
So it came about a little later that Mr. and Mrs. Racer received a long
and expensive telegram--for Andy sent it collect--explaining matters,
and asking permission to go out West.
"Those boys!" exclaimed their mother. "We never can allow it!"
"Oh, I don't know," said Mr. Racer, thoughtfully. "I happen to know of
this Mr. Thornton, and he's a fine man. I never met his nephew, but our
boys seem to like him. I'm almost persuaded to let them go. It will be
a good experience for them. And I have always wanted them to see the
West."
"Oh, but their schooling!"
"Well, as they say, they can make it up. Besides, there is not much of
the term left--hardly half--and all education isn't in books, you know."
"Oh, I just know something will happen to them," sighed Mrs. Racer.
"Nonsense!" exclaimed her husband. "I guess I'll wire them they can
go." And just to get even with his sons in a joking way he sent a much
longer message than was necessary, and he sent it _collect_.
"They've got too much pocket money anyhow," he chuckled; "and they
made me pay for the one they sent me."
But Andy and Frank never grumbled when they had to pay the telegraph
toll. The importance of the message drove everything else out of their
minds.
"Hurray!" they cried, bursting into Billy's room. "We can go!"
"Good!" exclaimed the Western lad. "Off for the prairies! That's the
only place to live!"