Sourdough had gone to the edge of the cliff and had seen McAlister pick up Blackjack's book. He still didn't trust him, and as he watched he saw the sheriff inspecting the quartzite boulder. Sourdough decided to go down and have a look for himself.The rest of the group resolved that there was no place on the mesa to bury the gold. It was all solid rock! And it would have been a nearly impossible task to carry the amount of gold they had heard about to the top of the cliff. They didn't know what the carved figures meant that they had found, but the gold had to be elsewhere. They joined Sourdough and began to make their way back to the trail.
McAlister was skirting the huge stone as the newly-energized group met him at the bottom of the hill. He was about to show them the pattern on the stone, but the beam of light had moved and it took him a few minutes to find it again. As the group studied the small sun Frenchie noticed a detail that McAlister hadn't. One of the lines forming the rays of the sun was longer than the others, and at its end there was a mark like an arrow pointing toward the west. The six people moved slowly toward Mare's Leap, scrutinizing everything in their path on both sides of the trail. They were almost to where Marsh was guarding the gang, and still hadn't found another clue. They decided to take a break, have something to eat, and study the journal again.
Blackjack had a fit when he saw his book in McAlister's hand. He laughed and sneered, and told the gold-seekers they would NEVER find HIS gold! That his code was so complicated even HE couldn't remember it all! Marsh laughed. He knew the bandit was bluffing, but he also knew that Blackjack was a very clever man, and that he was telling the truth about the quest being difficult.
Tracinda began to read the page across from the one containing the pictures. Blackjack had scribbled a cryptic verse. She thought it was pretty silly, but she showed it to the others anyway.
Alone in the shadows my wheel does rest,
No one can find it without a test.
Look after twelve or you will lose,
A day with sunlight you must choose.
The light begins and grows and grows,
The period begins as it does close.
The figure used is that of gold,
To pass this test you must be bold.Step lively!
After studying the pages of the journal the five people went back to the quartzite boulder. McAlister told the group about finding the carved sun only after noticing the bright circle of light shining on it. As the afternoon sun moved west, the ray of sunlight beaming through the hole in the sandstone was moving east. It was also no longer a circle. The shape had changed to an oval and it was growing thinner. It would soon disappear altogether!
Sourdough wasn't much on riddles, but Blackjack's verse began to make sense. He felt he knew the secret .... and it wouldn't be much longer before he could test his theory.
