diggers gathered up their tools and other paraphernalia. They lugged them up to the car.
When they reached camp, Wanna suggested that she and the girls go on to the museum and turn in the clay doll. Ned and Dave said they would see them later.
When the Indian geologist and the girls reached the Lost City Museum, the curator greeted them with a big smile. “I can tell from your outfits that you have been working. Any luck?”
Proudly, Bess opened a case in which she had been carrying the clay doll she had found and mended with Dave’s help.
The man blinked. “You found this?” he asked.
“Yes, I did,” Bess answered. “There were several pieces. We couldn’t find the one that belonged in here.” She pointed out the hole in one of the doll’s arms.
“It was probably crushed underfoot,” the curator stated. “But it hardly shows.”
He accepted the doll with thanks, saying the state of Nevada would be very happy to receive this.
“Incidentally,” he said, “you did a great job of mending this. Very professional looking. It is perfect.”
Bess beamed happily, then she said, “We made a great discovery. I don’t know whether Nancy wants to tell about it or not. We’re trying to keep it a secret.”
“Yes, we are,” Nancy told him. She laughed. “But I think it’s safe to tell you about it. We just don’t want a lot of gold seekers coming to the place where we’re working. One of the boys actually found a gold nugget way down underground.”
“What!”
“That’s right,” Wanna spoke up. “As you know I have some pet theories concerning the desert. The students seem to be proving that my ideas are correct.”
“That’s wonderful!” the curator said. “Do you want to divulge any more?”
Nancy told him about the morning’s adventures and the finding of the turquoise bead.
“But the greatest thing of all was the geyser.” As the man’s eyes opened wider and wider in astonishment, she went on to describe it.
“This is amazing,” he said. “Why, you know, we might even be able to make this valley fertile again!”
At the remark George grinned. “And bring back American elephants and camels and even giant sloths.”
“Oh stop!” Bess begged.
The others laughed and Wanna said, “All joking aside, if we could have a river running through this desert, it wouldn’t take long before it became a good place to live.”
She and the girls said good-by to the curator and drove back to camp. The cool quarters and hearty lunch were a welcome change for Nancy and her friends.
Afterward the other group of diggers displayed some of their finds. They had uncovered many arrowheads, some stone mallets, and a cylindrical stone about two inches thick and highly polished.
Professor Maguire said, “I believe this was a rolling pin, which the squaws used to crush corn into flour.”
“What a weapon to use on an enemy!” George remarked.
Nancy picked up the stone. “Um, heavy,” she said, putting it down quickly. Then she tried rolling it. “In ancient times it seems to me people always did things the hard way.”
“They had to use what was at hand,” the professor told her.
At four o’clock that afternoon Nancy and her friends were ready to start out again. They could hardly wait to continue their work. Everyone hoped there would be no more visitors. Archie, meanwhile, had told the whole camp about the opening where Nancy’s group was digging.
It was decided that the first thing she and her friends would do would be to enlarge the hole near the lower end. The diggers would take turns going down on the ropes, two at a time. For a while they turned up only pieces of broken pottery and stone axes.
“This must have been a large populated area at one time,” Ned remarked to Nancy, who was his partner.
The young sleuth did not reply, for at that moment a trowel she was using hit something solid. Hoping it was a valuable piece and not just a rock, Nancy carefully worked around it.
When they reached camp, Wanna suggested that she and the girls go on to the museum and turn in the clay doll. Ned and Dave said they would see them later.
When the Indian geologist and the girls reached the Lost City Museum, the curator greeted them with a big smile. “I can tell from your outfits that you have been working. Any luck?”
Proudly, Bess opened a case in which she had been carrying the clay doll she had found and mended with Dave’s help.
The man blinked. “You found this?” he asked.
“Yes, I did,” Bess answered. “There were several pieces. We couldn’t find the one that belonged in here.” She pointed out the hole in one of the doll’s arms.
“It was probably crushed underfoot,” the curator stated. “But it hardly shows.”
He accepted the doll with thanks, saying the state of Nevada would be very happy to receive this.
“Incidentally,” he said, “you did a great job of mending this. Very professional looking. It is perfect.”
Bess beamed happily, then she said, “We made a great discovery. I don’t know whether Nancy wants to tell about it or not. We’re trying to keep it a secret.”
“Yes, we are,” Nancy told him. She laughed. “But I think it’s safe to tell you about it. We just don’t want a lot of gold seekers coming to the place where we’re working. One of the boys actually found a gold nugget way down underground.”
“What!”
“That’s right,” Wanna spoke up. “As you know I have some pet theories concerning the desert. The students seem to be proving that my ideas are correct.”
“That’s wonderful!” the curator said. “Do you want to divulge any more?”
Nancy told him about the morning’s adventures and the finding of the turquoise bead.
“But the greatest thing of all was the geyser.” As the man’s eyes opened wider and wider in astonishment, she went on to describe it.
“This is amazing,” he said. “Why, you know, we might even be able to make this valley fertile again!”
At the remark George grinned. “And bring back American elephants and camels and even giant sloths.”
“Oh stop!” Bess begged.
The others laughed and Wanna said, “All joking aside, if we could have a river running through this desert, it wouldn’t take long before it became a good place to live.”
She and the girls said good-by to the curator and drove back to camp. The cool quarters and hearty lunch were a welcome change for Nancy and her friends.
Afterward the other group of diggers displayed some of their finds. They had uncovered many arrowheads, some stone mallets, and a cylindrical stone about two inches thick and highly polished.
Professor Maguire said, “I believe this was a rolling pin, which the squaws used to crush corn into flour.”
“What a weapon to use on an enemy!” George remarked.
Nancy picked up the stone. “Um, heavy,” she said, putting it down quickly. Then she tried rolling it. “In ancient times it seems to me people always did things the hard way.”
“They had to use what was at hand,” the professor told her.
At four o’clock that afternoon Nancy and her friends were ready to start out again. They could hardly wait to continue their work. Everyone hoped there would be no more visitors. Archie, meanwhile, had told the whole camp about the opening where Nancy’s group was digging.
It was decided that the first thing she and her friends would do would be to enlarge the hole near the lower end. The diggers would take turns going down on the ropes, two at a time. For a while they turned up only pieces of broken pottery and stone axes.
“This must have been a large populated area at one time,” Ned remarked to Nancy, who was his partner.
The young sleuth did not reply, for at that moment a trowel she was using hit something solid. Hoping it was a valuable piece and not just a rock, Nancy carefully worked around it.
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