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Page 68
Mr. Lang discovered nothing of importance, nor was the camp
disturbed that night.
Early next morning Grace went out to familiarize herself with
their surroundings and also to try to shoot some game, for the
party needed fresh meat. She had gone only a short distance when,
her gaze focused on a yucca tree ahead. Fastened to the tree was a
sheet of paper, evidently recently put there, and on this was a
crudely drawn heart with a bullet hole through it. Beneath the
heart were scrawled the words:
TAKE NOTICE HI LANG AND YOUR FRESH KIDS!
Grace stared in amazement for a moment, then removed the paper
from the tree and flattened it out on a rock. Taking a pencil, she
drew a smaller heart below the one already there and filled it in
entirely in black. She put the paper back in place and, drawing
her revolver, put a bullet hole through the center of the black
heart.
"I hope they'll take the hint," she muttered, and turned back
toward the camp, knowing that the sound of her shot would cause
anxiety.
"What were you shooting at?" cried Hippy, who had started to run
toward the sound.
"At a mark," replied Grace truthfully.
"Oh, all right. Breakfast's ready."
Grace went to the stream that flowed from the foot of the
waterfall near by. The stream followed a shallow ravine for a
short distance then disappeared in a crevice in the rocks. As she
was washing her face, Grace straightened up to throw her hair out
of the way. She gasped in amazement:
"Gracious, I'm getting nervous! I thought I saw a face peer out
from behind the waterfall!"
Hi came in, stating that he had shot a bear.
"It's a small one, and after breakfast I'll have him over here and
we'll have bear steak."
"Did you get anything else, Mr. Lang?" asked Elfreda.
"Well, I learned that we were not trailed here, but were headed
off. I think that's Alkali Pete's--otherwise known as Snake
McGlory--work. Then, too," and he turned his eyes on Grace, "I saw
a black heart."
"A black heart!" was the cry.
After the story was told Anne asked:
"Do you know what it means?"
"No, Mrs. Nesbit. But keep away from the yucca tree. A gun may be
trained on the spot. Never be without your weapons in this
country," he warned, "and keep eyes and ears open." Then he left
them, to go for the bear.
Grace walked to the waterfall with Elfreda.
"Grace Harlowe Gray, I've been studying that map," Elfreda said.
"Look here. I think this is the very place meant."
"Oh, Elfreda, I believe you're right!" cried Grace after studying
the map, which Elfreda put before her, for a moment. "There's the
pyramid rock and the waterfall. Yonder are the three rocks
designated as 'the three bears,' and there's the trunk of what was
a yucca tree, and the stream disappears just a few yards beyond
us--'stream's end,' as it says on the map! Elfreda---"
"Grace, look! A rag doll over there on that boulder!" interrupted
Elfreda.
The two girls went over. The doll was soiled, but had evidently
not lain out in the weather.
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