CHAPTER XIV
THE VICTORY
Serenely oblivious of all the excitement that had been caused at Pebbly Pit by the accident, Tom Latimer drove Mr. Maynard and the happy betrothed pair back to the ranch. John and Anne sat on the back seat while Mr. Maynard sat beside Tom. Finding that John and his fiancée needed no assistance from him in entertaining themselves, Tom gave his full attention to the banker from Chicago.
Hence, by the time they reached Rainbow Cliffs, Mr. Maynard was like the blood-hound when he scents a new trail—he was more than anxious to join these energetic men in financing the vast projects so well described by young Latimer.
At the Cliffs Mr. Maynard placed a hand on the lines in order to stop the horses. He gazed and gazed, as if he saw the great walls covered with gold dollars instead of colored stones. Then he sighed and smiled at Tom.
"This promises to be the luckiest thing I ever did—sending Nolla to Pebbly Pit for her health!"
"And wait until you see Nolla! My, but she is rosy and roly now. And besides, Mr. Maynard, she is a born financier. I love to listen to her plan and then see her work out her own schemes. She has one on the carpet at present, and I verily believe she will pull it off!" exclaimed Tom, very much interested in his subject.
"Yes, that girl of mine is worth more to me than any gold-mine or other treasure in the world."
"Oh, really! Well, this time 'listening fools heard some good of themselves'," laughed a merry voice from a crevice in the wall, and immediately afterwards, Eleanor sprang out, with Polly close upon her heels.