Part 26 (1/2)
”Why, really, I don't know. I never thought to notice. I saw an arrow and I think it was pointing toward that hill over there--but then again it might be pointing away from it. I'm not sure.” Joy stopped helplessly, and clutched her aching foot.
”You're helpful at least,” Kit shrugged her shoulders. ”I do believe she's just teasing us. Joy would never find anything!”
”Then go and see for yourself!” snapped Joy.
”I'll do it,” replied Bet suddenly letting go of Joy in her excitement.
Joy collapsed with a groan.
Bet turned to help her but Enid shoved her aside. ”Here is where I s.h.i.+ne. You go and find your arrow and I'll play nurse and fix up Joy's ankle. You're lucky, Joy Evans, that it isn't broken.”
”It feels as if it were,” sobbed Joy.
”I don't see any arrow,” called Bet in a disgusted tone. ”Don't be mean, Joy. If there isn't one here, say so.”
”Go on, Bet, up a little higher!” cried Joy.
Bet crept along the ledge, climbing from one projection of rock to the next.
There was a sudden cry of joy. ”Here it is!”
The professor craned his neck to get a glimpse of the arrow. ”Which way does it point, child?” he asked eagerly.
”It points toward the hill, that way,” replied Bet, studying the markings carefully.
”That's our good luck. If it went the other way, it would be across the claims of Kie Wicks and his friend Ramon. Come on down, child, before you fall.”
Bet slid down easily, her nimble body could cling to the sheer cliff, or so it seemed to those who watched her.
”I think we'll call you the goat girl, Bet, you sure can climb rocks,”
exclaimed Kit admiringly. ”I never could do it.”
”And you an Arizona girl?” laughed Bet.
”An Arizona girl only knows how to ride horses,” retorted Kit.
”And if they can all ride the way you can, they need no other accomplishment.” Bet ran to join the professor.
The old man was examining the ground in the direction the arrow was pointing.
”Who ever would have thought to look up at that rock for an arrow,” Bet said excitedly.
”But you see, Bet, we're starting in the middle. Somewhere there's a map that shows all this, and by that map you would know you had to look at that cliff for the arrow,” explained the professor seriously.
”But where to next?” asked Bet.
”Follow the arrow, that's all we know,” answered Kit.
There was no more digging on the claim that day. Even lunch was eaten by them in a half-hearted way. Joy was suffering with her ankle or she might have done justice to Tang's picnic spread.
The professor was in a delightful dream. This was the sort of thing that he loved.
”Do eat something, Professor Gillette. You'll be sick if you don't,”