"With a gold mine as rich as yours, you'll be lionized without the
lion!" laughed Anne.
"By the way, did you bring your nugget, Polly?" asked Eleanor.
"Reckon I did!"
"Then before we leave, don't you think we ought to make some sort of a
plan, or mark the spot so we can find it again? We don't want to make
the same mistake old Montresor did, you know!" said Eleanor, anxiously.
"I have a plan all made. I did it while sitting by the fire this
morning, before you girls were awake," said Polly, taking off her hat
and removing a folded paper.
The girls were surprised at the accuracy of the sketch, and Anne said,
"Any one can find it from these directions!"
"Thank you, but you see, it would be hazardous to risk any one else
coming here. The importance of keeping the whole adventure a profound
secret until we have duly filed papers and can claim right of ownership
to the claim, can be seen now. I hardly think it wise to speak of the
crevice or danger of a land-slide until after we get some inside
information about taking hold of the mine," said Polly, seriously.
An hour more was used by Polly in staking a legal claim and marking the
corners with heaps of stone. She also left a very deep blaze in each of
the four trees that cornered the large square area she thought would
cover the cavern.
Noddy soon found the Top Notch Trail when they were again on the way
homeward. By riding steadily all morning, they reached the spot where
the rattle-snake was waiting for transportation.
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