Mystery Ranch Read online

  “Sand paintings?” asked Benny. “I never heard of sand paintings.”

  “They are very interesting,” said Mr. Pond. “They are beautiful, too. The Indians took sand of all colors: blue, green, red, yellow, black, brown. They looked for a nice, flat place, and painted it with colored sand. They put the different colors in the right places. They would make a round sun like this.”

  Mr. Pond quickly made a big yellow sun on the ground, to show Benny how it was done.

  “Do you think there are any sand paintings in our field now?” Benny asked hopefully.

  “No,” answered Mr. Pond, smiling. “There haven’t been any Indians here for many years.”

  “I’d rather have Indians here than whoever is living in that hut,” said Jessie.

  “I think you’re right,” said Mr. Pond. “But don’t worry about that. we’ll go to Stony Creek tomorrow and tell the sheriff, Mr. Bates, about this.”

  He glanced at Henry, and the boy understood that Mr. Pond would tell the sheriff about some other things, too.

  CHAPTER 12

  The Mystery Man

  Early the next morning, the four Alden children climbed into Mr. Pond’s car. He had come to take them to Stony Creek. They were going to see the sheriff, Mr. Bates.

  Mr. Pond was very quiet. He was worried about these nice children. He liked them, even though he had only known them a short time. And he was worried about Jane Alden, too. He had known her for many years. He knew well enough that she had always been cross and hard to get along with. But he was very sorry for her. He didn’t want any of them to be upset by these three strange men.

  They drove up in front of the courthouse in Stony Creek and Mr. Pond stopped the car.

  “Come right in,” called Mr. Bates. “I’m glad you came. I don’t often have so much company.”

  “Hello, Bates,” said Mr. Pond. “These are the Alden children.”

  “I had already guessed that,” said Mr. Bates. He took his guests to a small back room and shut the door.

  They all sat down.

  “Well, what brings you here?” asked Mr. Bates.

  Mr. Pond said, “We came to see you about police business. There is something going on in the Alden woods. It looks as if someone has been living in an old hut there.”

  Mr. Bates didn’t look surprised. He just waited for Mr. Pond to go on.

  “That isn’t all,” Mr. Pond said. “Three strange men tried to make Miss Jane Alden sell her ranch. They told her it was no good. Say, Bates, you act as if you knew something that I don’t. What do you really think about all this?” Mr. Bates just sat and smiled.

  “Maybe you won’t have to worry about those men any longer,” he said. “And I don’t think anyone will be staying in that hut, either. But I’ll wait and let Mr. Carter tell you all about it.”

  “Mr. Carter? Who would that be?” asked Benny.

  “He is a very important man,” Mr. Bates said, still smiling. “Here he comes now.”

  A car stopped just behind Mr. Pond’s. A good-looking young man got out. He was very tall. He had soft brown hair. When he stood in the door, Jessie and Violet looked at him with their mouths open. Then they looked at one another.

  Jessie could hardly talk. “Oh, Violet,” she whispered, “Our Mystery Man!”

  “Are you surprised?” asked Mr. Carter, laughing.

  “We certainly are,” said Benny. “We thought you might be a bad man. That is, Henry thought so, anyway.”

  “Benny!” Henry said, blushing. “I didn’t really think that, Mr. Carter. I just thought the police should—I mean—well, you were a stranger, and—”

  “That’s all right, Henry,” said the Mystery Man, smiling again. “That was a smart thing to think.”

  “But if you’re not a bad man, who are you?” asked Benny.

  “Well, I’ve been working for you, but you didn’t know it.”

  “Working for us?” asked Benny. “You don’t look like a ranch hand.”

  “There are many ways to work,” Mr. Carter said. “And one of them is looking for uranium.”

  “Uranium!” Jessie cried. She had finally found her voice again.

  “Yes,” said Mr. Carter. “My job is to look for uranium. I found a field of it right on your ranch.”

  “Do you mean that all of that Indian dust is really uranium?” asked Violet.

  “It certainly is,” Mr. Carter answered, looking at all the surprised faces around him.

  “But why were you looking there?” asked Violet. “And who are those three tough men?”

  Mr. Carter answered slowly, “I work for a man you may have heard of. Mr. Alden of Greenfield.”

  “Grandfather!” the children cried.

  “Yes. Mr. Alden hired me to look for uranium for him. There is a lot of it in this part of the country. But when I found it on your ranch, I also found that someone had been there first.”

  “That must be those three men!” Henry said.

  “Yes. They were looking for uranium, too. But they are not honest. When they found a place that had uranium, they tried to buy the land cheap. They didn’t tell people what they had found.”

  “That’s just what they tried to do to us,” Violet said.

  “Yes,” Mr. Carter went on, “but Mr. Bates and I caught up with them. You won’t be bothered by them again.”

  “Are they the ones who stayed in that hut on our ranch?” asked Jessie.

  “Yes. But I had an eye on them. They couldn’t have hurt you,” Mr. Carter said.

  Henry spoke slowly, “This means that the ranch is worth a lot of money, doesn’t it?”

  “It certainly does,” said Mr. Carter.

  “Wait till I tell Aunt Jane!” shouted Benny.

  “Can we tell people?” asked Henry.

  “I suppose so,” said Mr. Carter. “It is no longer a secret. I’m afraid your ranch will not be quiet much longer. Your place will soon be full of strangers. Maybe some of them will try to take rocks away from your uranium fields.” He looked worried for the first time since he had come in the door.

  “What can we do?” asked Jessie. “It would be terrible to upset Aunt Jane just when she is getting better.”

  “Can you help them, Mr. Pond?” asked Mr. Carter.

  “No, I’m afraid not,” said Mr. Pond. “It is too big a job for me. I think the children need a smarter man than I am. And they need someone with enough money to dig a mine.”

  Henry said, “I think I know the very man.”

  The four children shouted together, “Grandfather!”

  CHAPTER 13

  Fast Work

  Mr. Carter spoke, “I think your grandfather will be glad to help. I can go to Greenfield and tell him the whole story.”

  He looked at his watch and got up quickly. “Good-by, children, and the best of luck.”

  In one minute he was gone.

  Benny said, “Mystery men work fast, don’t they?”

  “There’s just one thing wrong,” Henry said. “Aunt Jane didn’t want Grandfather to come to her ranch. Maybe she will be angry if he comes to help us.”

  “Well, maybe she will be good and glad!” said Mr. Pond, laughing. “She ought to be thankful if he will come. She won’t like it when people begin to go across her land.”

  The children were quiet all the way home. They were wondering how to tell Aunt Jane.

  “Let’s not worry,” said Violet at last. “Things always work out all right for us.”

  But even Violet was in for a surprise.

  Watch met them at the door, barking and wagging his tail. Maggie was smiling in the kitchen. Aunt Jane was laughing at them from the front room! She was sitting in her long chair, all dressed. The children had never seen her in a dress before.

  “Dear Aunt Jane!” cried Violet. “You are up and dressed! I was never so glad in my life.” She bent over and kissed the little old lady.

  Aunt Jane was surprised at the kiss. But she was very pleased.

 
“I will bring the kitchen table in here,” said Henry.

  “Why not eat on the table that is in here?”

  “But that is your very best table,” said Jessie.

  “It is your table, remember,” said Aunt Jane. “I’d like to eat on it, if you want to use it.”

  A happy family sat down to supper that night.

  “Now, tell me everything that happened in Stony Creek,” said Aunt Jane.

  The children took turns. They told her everything. They told her what a fine man the Mystery Man was. They passed quickly over the three tough men, because they did not want to frighten her.

  “They caught them anyway,” said Benny, “So no more trouble from them.”

  At last, everything had been told except one thing—Grandfather.

  “About these strangers,” said Benny. “Mr. Carter says this place won’t be quiet any more. Everyone will come to see the uranium. And maybe some will take away rocks.”

  Aunt Jane nodded. “What does he think we ought to do?”

  “He says we can’t take care of it ourselves,” began Henry. “We must have help from some man who can do things in a big way and who has money to have a mine dug.”

  Aunt Jane said slowly, “I know one man who can do it. My brother, James.”

  For a minute the children could not speak. Then Jessie cried, “Oh, he could, Aunt Jane!”

  “And now I wonder if he would,” said Aunt Jane, “after the way I’ve treated him.”

  “I’m sure he would,” said Jessie excitedly.

  “Well, I hope so,” said her aunt. “I could never stand hundreds of people running all over my ranch—your ranch. I’ll send your grandfather a night letter.”

  “If you will write a night letter,” said Henry, “I’ll take it to Tom Young’s house and have him send it tonight.”

  “You care a lot for your grandfather, don’t you?” asked the old lady, with a sharp look.

  “And we care a lot for you, too,” said Henry.

  “Get me some paper at once, Henry,” said Aunt Jane, “before I change my mind.”

  The children were very quiet while their aunt wrote the night letter. They were afraid every minute that she would change her mind.

  “Listen to this,” she said at last. “‘Will you take over all business of the uranium fields, now owned by your grandchildren? For once I am glad to have you for a boss. The children and Watch send love. Jane.’”

  “Perfect!” said Henry.

  Next morning, right after breakfast, a telegram came for Aunt Jane.

  She read it aloud, “‘I shall be glad to take over this business. You do not have to see me. Decide how much land you want to keep for yourself and we will build a fence around it. I will send a guard for the house. James Alden.’”

  “A guard for this house!” cried Benny. “Isn’t this exciting!”

  Jessie called, “Look! Here’s a car already!”

  The car was full of telephone men. One of them asked Aunt Jane very politely where she wanted the telephones.

  “Telephones?” asked Benny. “Are you going to put in two?”

  “We have to put in four,” he said. “I guess you folks don’t know what you are in for.”

  “No, I guess we don’t,” said Henry. “I think I had better go to town and telephone Grandfather now. I may not have a chance later.”

  Henry left with Watch.

  How wonderful it was to talk with Grandfather!

  “Now, listen carefully,” Mr. Alden said, “Your aunt’s ranch must always be kept a pleasant place for her to live. So, when you have time, let her decide where the fence should go. Then she could always do anything she wanted with the ranch itself. Do you understand?”

  “I think so. You mean we still might want to run the ranch?”

  “Exactly.”

  Henry noticed that his grandfather still called the ranch “hers.” He also knew that he must get right at the fence. When his grandfather said, “When you have time,” he meant right away.

  Henry went back to the ranch and told his aunt what Mr. Alden had said.

  “Grandfather wants us to decide where that fence shall go.”

  “I know already,” said the little lady. “Here is a plan of the ranch. I have marked where I want the fence to go.”

  Aunt Jane listened. “Here comes another car,” she said.

  “Poor Aunt Jane!” said Jessie. “You’ll never get any rest.”

  “That’s Grandfather for you,” said Benny.

  The men were sent by Mr. Alden to put up the fence. Henry was glad that his aunt had the plan ready in time.

  Jessie asked, “Do you want Henry to carry you to bed, Aunt Jane?”

  “No. I want him to help me to the kitchen window, so I can see the cars drive up. I want to see everything.”

  Henry took her to a big easy chair by the kitchen window.

  “Doesn’t Grandfather work fast?” asked Jessie.

  “He always did,” said her aunt. “Once he worked too fast for me. But not now. Here comes another car!”

  “I just can’t believe it,” said Violet, “we’ll never get any work done.”

  Benny came in to tell the news. His face was red with excitement.

  “The guards are here!” he shouted. “They will stop people from knocking on our door all the time and asking us about the uranium. They say we will get tired of it. But I wouldn’t, would you, Aunt Jane?”

  “I’m not tired of it yet,” said Aunt Jane.

  CHAPTER 14

  The Boss

  Boy, look at that car!” said Benny, looking out the window. It was long and low. It was painted yellow and black. A man got out of the car. A guard spoke to him and nodded, and the man came to the back door.

  Henry opened the door, and the man said, “James Alden asked me to come and see his sister.” “Come in,” said Henry. “This is my aunt.” The man smiled at the little old lady. “James Alden is one of my best friends,” he said.

  “Sit down,” said Aunt Jane, in a kind voice. “We seem to have all our callers in the kitchen. Some day we may use the front door.”

  “The kitchen is all right with me,” said the stranger, with a quick smile. “My name is Gardner. I am a mining man. Your brother sent me to take care of your uranium field.”

  Benny asked, “Are you the boss of everything?”

  “That’s a good way to put it,” agreed Mr. Gardner.

  “Will you let us watch you dig?” asked Benny.

  “Yes. There are some men digging in your field now. Do you want to see them?”

  “We certainly do!” said Henry at once.

  They started across the field.

  “Keep your eyes on that white place on the mountain. The hole is there,” Mr. Gardner said.

  When they came to the hole, they saw two guards beside it. Two other men were standing in the hole with long sticks in their hands.

  “Those are geiger counters!” shouted Benny.

  “That’s right,” said Mr. Gardner.

  The men heard his voice and looked up. When they saw who it was, one of them came out of the hole.

  “It’s good, sir,” he said. “Want to hear it?”

  The boss listened. “Good!” he said. “Noisy, isn’t it? Let the children listen. After all, they own the whole works.”

  Benny was so excited that he almost fell into the hole.

  “How it snaps!” he said.

  “There must be a lot of uranium here,” said Henry, as he listened to the geiger counter pop.

  When the children walked into the house again, Aunt Jane was sitting by the window in the front room.

  “Did you have a good time?” she asked.

  “Wonderful!” said Benny. “We listened to the geiger counter, and it made a terrible noise. That means uranium, Aunt Jane.”

  “Does it? I am glad to hear it.” She seemed to be very pleased.

  After dinner that evening the children left Violet alone with their aunt.
Violet was sewing.

  “Aunt Jane,” she said gently, “I really don’t understand why you didn’t let your own brother help you when you needed money.”

  “I might as well tell you the whole story,” said Aunt Jane. “Father and mother went East. Your grandfather was a very young man. He wanted to sell the ranch and go into the mill business.”

  “I begin to understand,” said Violet softly.

  “I’m glad somebody understands,” said Aunt Jane. “I loved the ranch. So I said I’d stay here. But I couldn’t run the ranch. I didn’t know how. I had twenty men working for me. Then I had to let the men go, one by one. At last, only Sam was left. I sold the horses and cattle.”

  Aunt Jane paused. “How could I ask your grandfather for money? He never wanted me to stay here and I wouldn’t give in and say that I was wrong.”

  “I’m glad you told me this, Aunt Jane. I’ll help you get to bed, now.”

  Things happened fast on the Alden ranch in the next few weeks. A mine was dug. Big machines worked night and day. Houses for workmen were built. New stores opened in town. The train was not taken off. Instead, there were four trains every day. Two telephone girls stayed upstairs all day to answer the telephones. And Aunt Jane made a surprising announcement.

  “I want to give a party!” she said.

  “A party?” asked Henry. “When?”

  “My birthday is next week, and I want a birthday party.”

  “People don’t give their own birthday parties,” said Henry. “Let us give the party for you.”

  “No,” said Aunt Jane. “This is my party. And I am going to ask your grandfather if he will come!”

  Violet said, “Oh, I’m so glad, Aunt Jane! I’m sure he will.”

  The children’s wish had come true.

  “Telephone to him!” shouted Benny.

  Aunt Jane, her face very pink, called her brother.

  “Hello, James,” she said brightly. “I want you to come to my birthday party.”

  “Ahem!” said Grandfather. The children could hear his deep voice.

  “Of course I will, if you want me. I’ll bring you a present, too.”

  “No, just come, and forgive me for everything.”