“Girls,” Virg suddenly exclaimed, “our guest of honor has forgotten to come. There he goes riding along the creek bottom, so we’ll have to drink the tea, for, if we don’t, it will soon be cold.”

“Oh dear, that is too bad! It’s piping hot now and this pot holds six cups. Can’t we find another guest of honor to—”

“Lookee! Lookee!” Betsy had leaped to her feet and was pointing toward the trail that led from the sandhills.

Two horsemen were approaching at a gallop, and Virginia cried, “Oh, how I hope one of them is Brother Malcolm.”

“Then the mystery will be solved,” Betsy exclaimed joyfully.

As the horsemen neared, Virg and Margaret ran out of the summer house and waved their handkerchiefs for they were no longer in doubt as to the identity of the newcomers.

There was an answering shout of joy from the one in the lead and Malcolm leaped from his horse and ran toward them waving his sombrero. The older cowboy led the ponies to the corral.

“O brother, brother,” Virginia’s welcome was at once laughing and tearful, as she was caught in the lad’s strong arms. “I’m glad, glad I went away just for the joy of knowing what home means. Not that I didn’t always love it here, but Oh, brother, you can’t guess how many wakeful hours I had just hungering to hear your voice, and now, if you’ll let me I’m going to stay right here for ever and ever and ever.”

The giant of a lad laughed happily as he turned to greet his ward, who, with flushed cheeks and a wistful light in her tender brown eyes, was waiting near until the brother and sister had welcomed each other. Then Babs came and Betsy was introduced. “This is our would-be young detective,” Virg said merrily. “She declares that the desert is an ideal setting for a mystery and so we girls are going to make up one and let her solve it.”

“You won’t have to invent one,” Malcolm declared as he dropped into the yucca chair toward which his sister had led him. “Lucky and I have been awake two days and nights trying to solve one that is very real. Slim is working on it, too, but he has a Mexican boy with him and they have ridden toward Sonora.”

“Oh Mr. Davis!” Betsy leaned forward eagerly. “What are the clews? Do tell us.”

But Virginia said: “Not until brother has had some refreshment.” Then to Malcolm: “I don’t suppose you’ve had a 

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