Crystal Cove, 1864
The Sheriff stood in front of the jail cell door, staring with a grim expression at the four teenagers within.
"You see this here badge? It means if'n there's a crime in Crystal Cove, I solve it," said Sheriff "Iron Will" Williamson, aka Dead Justice.
"Sorry, Sheriff," said Maria, leader of the Mystery Gang. "We were just trying to help capture the Ghost Riders."
"Well, I don't need no help from no womenfolk," said Dead Justice. "When Cletus Darrow found gold here a few years ago, he created a lawless gold-rush town. I came here and brought justice with my shootin' iron and my good left hand."
"You're a right smart sheriff, everyone kin swear to that," said Stella.
"Don't try to curry favor. Give me your names, little ladies, and I'll send word to your folks to come git you out of the hoosegow."
"I don't like your disrespect," said the raven-haired leader. "I am Maria Pacheco, and my family has had a land grant here from when this whole region was part of Mexico."
Dead Justice snorted and said nothing.
"And I'm Stella Houston, a Texan," said the red-haired member of the gang.
"Houston? Any relation to the ex-governor of Texas?" asked Dead Justice.
"Yup. He's my uncle," said Stella.
"That don't carry much weight with me. The man was a durn fool to lose his office by refusing allegiance to the Confederacy," said Dead Justice.
"Some might say that wasn't so foolish," said the third girl. "The South's chances aren't looking so good. They're running out of supplies and money. Not to mention that slavery is wrong."
"And your name is?" asked Dead Justice coldly.
"Patience Sullivan, daughter of the local Methodist minister, Andrew Sullivan." She was blond, shorter than the others, and wore glasses due to too much reading by candle-light.
"He's one of them Northern Methodists, I reckon," said Dead Justice.
"Lahk, I'm Abigail Hawgshank, but everyone calls me Sissy," said the tallest of the young women. "Daughter of Betsy Hawgshank."
"The divorced woman who works at the Rose Quartz Saloon? Sometimes called Sweet Betsy from Pike?" asked Dead Justice.
""Lahk, it's not her fault things didn't work out with my father. They had a tough time coming west from Ohio," said Sissy.
"You're more mixed than a pack of wildcats and coyotes," said Dead Justice. "How did you all ever get together?"
"My mother, Doña Elena Pacheco, was a widow and she married Stella's father, Mr. Adam Houston," said Maria. "We're step-sisters."
"The other two are friends we invited to help work our cattle ranch to keep 'em out of trouble," said Stella.
"I guess the ranch explains the bull I got tied up outside," said Dead Justice. "One of your'n?"
"Tiny's a talking bull, and a full member of the gang," said Patience.
"Huh? That's got to be a load of bull if'n I ever heard one," said Dead Justice.
"It's the truuuth!" bellowed a deep voice from outside.
"Well, I'll be jiggered," said Dead Justice.
"We're dab hands at mysteries and spooks," said Stella. "Give us another chance, please."
"You gals want to look into spooks and such-like? Better look around Scorpion Wells. I hear tell they got a haunted mountain near there. But don't blame me if'n you don't come back alive."
"We'll check it out, Sheriff," said Maria.
"Do we hafta?" asked Sissy. ""Lahk, I'm allergic to haunted mountains."
"You do that and stay outa my way," said Dead Justice. "I got my hands full already. Nitro Wisinski is in the area."
"Who's that?" asked Stella.
"He's a bank robbin' owlhoot. His family's from Poland, but he was raised in Mexico," said Dead Justice.
"Is Nitro a Polish name?" asked Sissy.
"It's short for nitroglycerine, an explosive," said Patience. "It must be his criminal nickname."
"Yep, nitro's a newfangled explosive liquid that's used in mining. Wisinski uses it to blow open bank safes. I asked Darrow Mining Company to send me some samples so I'd know what I'm dealin' with."
"May I see some?" asked Patience. "I'm interested in chemistry."
"You may not," said Dead Justice. "It's unstable stuff. Drop a bottle and it'll blow ya to kingdom come."
"Land sakes!" said Sissy.
"I'm busy and tired of all this chitchat," said Dead Justice. "I'll let you off with a warning this time, but stay outa crime-solving in my town."
The Mystery Gang camped by a small river in the vicinity of Scorpion Wells.
"Easy on the chow, Sissy," said Maria.
"Lahk, I'm so hongry I could eat a bear, claws and all," said Sissy.
"Be careful," said Patience. "If you start to get hefty it'll be harder to find a man."
"I'm still growin'," said Sissy. "'Sides, I ain't that interested in 'em."
"You will be when you're a mite older," said Patience.
"That's as may be, right, Stella?" asked Sissy.
"Yup," said Stella, giving her a warm smile.
"Enough, you twoooo," said Tiny. "Loook, I see sooomething in the water."
There was a metal bowl of some sort a little way out in a shallow part of the stream.
"A drinking bowl, mebbe," said Stella. She went out and retrieved it.
"Let me try it," said Tiny. "I'm gooood and thirsty."
They offered him the bowl and he lapped up water from it.
"Hold on, this isn't a bowl," said Patience. "It's a helmet, like the ones the conquistadors used to wear. Strange, it isn't rusty at all."
"It has words carved inside it," said Maria. "Segundo llave. That means second key. Strange."
"How'd it get here?" asked Stella.
"Maybe a flash flood washed it down from the mountains," said Maria. "I remember an old story about a conquistador who used to come into Ensenada Cristal a hundred years ago. Some say he lived up on Mount Diabla."
"Lahk, where's Ensenada Cristal?" asked Sissy.
"That's what they used to call Crystal Cove," said Patience. "Mr. Darrow renamed the town to the English translation of the old name after he found gold-bearing rose quartz ore here."
"Ain't there a legend the conquistadors left a cursed treasure in these parts?" asked Stella. "Mebbe it's up on the mountain, not buried under Crystal Cove."
"I saw we climb up there and take a look around," said Maria.
"I can't goooo up mountains," complained Tiny.
"Lahk, I'll stay back with you and keep you company, Tiny," said Sissy. "No curses on a devil mountain for me."
"We'll need to go back to the ranch first for climbing supplies," said Maria. "Tiny can stay there."
"I'll be left ooout, but oookay" said Tiny.
"Let's camp here tonight and get some shut-eye," said Stella. "We can firm up our plans tomorrow."
That night, all of them had nightmares.
"I dreamed of being chased through red-curtained rooms by a horned devil," said Patience.
"Lahk, me too," said Sissy. "It was plain awful."
"Me tooo," said Tiny. "And I saw all of yoooou."
"And I saw you-all," said Stella.
"So did I," said Maria.
"It's strange, but I don't feel quite myself this morning," said Stella. "Maybe I'm just tired after the nightmares, but I'm feeling out-of-sorts."
"Lahk, it feels like I kinda lost something, but I don't know what," said Sissy. "Not as happy, all of a sudden."
"One thing I've lost is my patience," said Patience. "Let's get a move-on back to the ranch."
"You're not the trail boss here, I am," snapped Maria.
"Go noooow," said Tiny in an irritated tone.
They packed up and hit the trail, trying to keep their tempers in check. Each was wondering if they might be the one to find the treasure of the Sierra Diabla.
