CHAPTER VII
SEVERAL MOMENTOUS LETTERS
Monday and Tuesday passed very slowly to the anxious girls, and on Wednesday they began looking for the return of their scouting party. Polly figured that three days would prove ample time in which to investigate the conditions and determine whether or not the mine could be worked—providing it was found again. But in such a dreadful wilderness of torn-up trees, and washed out earth, where mile after mile of mountain-land had changed its appearance, who could hope to locate a tiny square of ground that had been staked as the wonderful mine? And with giant trees uprooted and tossed along the current of the land-slide, how could any one expect the insignificant wooden stakes to remain to mark the place?
Then Wednesday also passed without a sign of the returning engineers; so on Thursday, Mrs. Brewster told the girls they would have to drive into Oak Creek for supplies and the weekly mail.
This would be a break in the dull routine of waiting impatiently for news from the Peak, and all four of the girls willingly complied with the order. Two strong horses were hitched to the ranch-wagon, and the gay party drove away, leaving Mrs. Brewster waving her hand as they rumbled down the road past the Cliffs.
The colored stones reminded Polly of Kenneth's story, and she turned to Eleanor and said: "I wonder if he wrote home to ask his mother about her brother?"
"Even if he did it will be fully a fortnight before he can have an answer. But we ought to get a letter to-day, telling us whether the boys are coming over Sunday, or not," replied Eleanor.
"Yes, I know; I thought we'd stop at the post office first of all," answered Polly.