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They were looking for uranium, too. But they are not honest. When they found a place that had uranium, they tried to buy the land cheap. They didn’t tell people what they had found.”
    “That’s just what they tried to do to us,” Violet said.
    “Yes,” Mr. Carter went on, “but Mr. Bates and I caught up with them. You won’t be bothered by them again.”
    “Are they the ones who stayed in that hut on our ranch?” asked Jessie.
    “Yes. But I had an eye on them. They couldn’t have hurt you,” Mr. Carter said.
    Henry spoke slowly, “This means that the ranch is worth a lot of money, doesn’t it?”
    “It certainly does,” said Mr. Carter.
    “Wait till I tell Aunt Jane!” shouted Benny.
    “Can we tell people?” asked Henry.
    “I suppose so,” said Mr. Carter. “It is no longer a secret. I’m afraid your ranch will not be quiet much longer. Your place will soon be full of strangers. Maybe some of them will try to take rocks away from your uranium fields.” He looked worried for the first time since he had come in the door.
    “What can we do?” asked Jessie. “It would be terrible to upset Aunt Jane just when she is getting better.”
    “Can you help them, Mr. Pond?” asked Mr. Carter.
    “No, I’m afraid not,” said Mr. Pond. “It is too big a job for me. I think the children need a smarter man than I am. And they need someone with enough money to dig a mine.”
    Henry said, “I think I know the very man.”
    The four children shouted together, “Grandfather!”

CHAPTER 13
    Fast Work
    M r. Carter spoke, “I think your grandfather will be glad to help. I can go to Greenfield and tell him the whole story.”
    He looked at his watch and got up quickly. “Good-by, children, and the best of luck.”
    In one minute he was gone.
    Benny said, “Mystery men work fast, don’t they?”
    “There’s just one thing wrong,” Henry said. “Aunt Jane didn’t want Grandfather to come to her ranch. Maybe she will be angry if he comes to help us.”
    “Well, maybe she will be good and glad!” said Mr. Pond, laughing. “She ought to be thankful if he will come. She won’t like it when people begin to go across her land.”
    The children were quiet all the way home. They were wondering how to tell Aunt Jane.
    “Let’s not worry,” said Violet at last. “Things always work out all right for us.”
    But even Violet was in for a surprise.
    Watch met them at the door, barking and wagging his tail. Maggie was smiling in the kitchen. Aunt Jane was laughing at them from the front room! She was sitting in her long chair, all dressed. The children had never seen her in a dress before.
    “Dear Aunt Jane!” cried Violet. “You are up and dressed! I was never so glad in my life.” She bent over and kissed the little old lady.
    Aunt Jane was surprised at the kiss. But she was very pleased.
    “I will bring the kitchen table in here,” said Henry.
    “Why not eat on the table that is in here?”
    “But that is your very best table,” said Jessie.
    “It is your table, remember,” said Aunt Jane. “I’d like to eat on it, if you want to use it.”
    A happy family sat down to supper that night.
    “Now, tell me everything that happened in Stony Creek,” said Aunt Jane.
    The children took turns. They told her everything. They told her what a fine man the Mystery Man was. They passed quickly over the three tough men, because they did not want to frighten her.
    “They caught them anyway,” said Benny, “So no more trouble from them.”
    At last, everything had been told except one thing—Grandfather.
    “About these strangers,” said Benny. “Mr. Carter says this place won’t be quiet any more. Everyone will come to see the uranium. And maybe some will take away rocks.”
    Aunt Jane nodded. “What does he think we ought to do?”

    “He says we can’t take care of it ourselves,” began Henry. “We must have help from some man who can do things in a big way and who has money to have a mine