The Princess Club / Family Secrets / Mountain Madness by Catherine Marshall

boys half his size. She’d even seen him throw a rock at little Mountie O’Teale.
    Lundy had done those things out of pure spite. There was no telling what he’d do for a chance to get rich.
    â€œAin’t no more gold to be found, Lundy,” Ruby Mae said. She barely recognized her own squeaking voice. “We done found it all.”
    â€œLiar!”
    Lundy lurched down the bank toward Ruby Mae. She stumbled and fell in the shallow water at the edge of the creek.
    â€œYou tell me or I’ll knock your head clean in two!” Lundy cried. He waved the big rock in front of Ruby Mae’s face. “I’ll do it, too!
    You know I will!”
    â€œStop it, Lundy!” Clara said. “Ruby Mae’s tellin’ the truth. We found the gold in this here creek, only there ain’t no more to be had. We looked and looked ourselves already.”
    Lundy lowered the rock, taking in this new information. “Right here, in Dead Man’s Creek?”
    â€œUp there, just a few feet,” Ruby Mae said, slowly getting to her feet.
    â€œHow do you know there ain’t no more gold?”
    â€œW—we don’t,” Ruby Mae stammered. “Not for sure and certain.”
    Lundy dipped in a bare foot at the creek’s edge and stirred up the rocks on the bottom. Then he bent down and scooped some into his palm, still clutching the big rock in his other hand.
    â€œDon’t believe you,” he pronounced at last. “These is just creek rocks. Nothin’ special about ’em.” He scowled at Ruby Mae. “You’re a-tryin’ to put one over on me.”
    â€œNo we ain’t,” Bessie said in a quavery voice. “It was just one of them things, Lundy. We was just plumb lucky, is all.”
    Lundy stood. Angrily, he slapped the rock in his palm. “How come you all get to be plumb lucky, and I get nothin’? That seem fair to you?”
    â€œThat’s how luck is,” Ruby Mae said with a helpless shrug. “It don’t make a whit of sense.”
    She looked over her shoulder, trying to plot an escape. They could try running for it, but Lundy would be faster. He was bound to catch one of them. Ruby Mae was one of the fastest runners in school—faster even than a lot of the boys. She’d probably be able to get away. But she couldn’t risk leaving her friends behind. If she had to stay and fight, she would. Three to one, they might just have a chance. If only they were closer to the mission, they could try calling for help. But out here, no one would hear them.
    Lundy moved close to Ruby Mae, so close she could smell the tobacco on his breath. “Tell me this, Princess Ruby Mae. What makes you so all-fired special you should get all that gold?” Again he raised the rock high. Its sharp edges glinted in the sun.
    â€œI . . . I have an idea,” Clara said suddenly. “S’posin’ we give you some of the gold, sort of like a reward. For not hittin’ us and all.”
    â€œClara!” Ruby Mae moaned, but secretly she was relieved. After all, she wasn’t going to enjoy the gold much if her head was split in two.
    â€œA reward?” Lundy repeated. He stroked his stubbled chin.
    Clara nodded. “Like for instance, s’posin’ we give you a nugget of gold if’n you let us go?”
    â€œOr even two?” Bessie added hopefully.
    â€œLet’s not get carried away,” Ruby Mae muttered.
    â€œThat’s an idea, all right,” Lundy said, sounding reasonable at last.
    â€œFor starters,” Ruby Mae said, “how about you just toss that silly ol’ rock aside?”
    Lundy thought for a minute. His face darkened. “I got me a better idea. How about you three princesses just tell me where the gold’s hid and give it all to me? Or else I’ll bash your royal heads in!”
    Lundy grabbed a lock of Ruby Mae’s hair and yanked her closer. She let out a