Nancy Drew: The Secret of Shadow Ranch Walkthrough

Welcome to Gamezebo's strategy guide for Nancy Drew: The Secret of Shadow Ranch. How to Play Controls The cursor will change into different icons when it moves over interactive areas on the playing area. Left click the mouse to perform an action when an icon is shown. The default cursor is the magnifying glass, which will glow red when it is moved over an area that can be examined more closely. The directional arrows forward, back, up, down, quarter turn left, quarter turn right and …

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Welcome to Gamezebo’s strategy guide for Nancy Drew: The Secret of Shadow Ranch.

How to Play

Controls

  • The cursor will change into different icons when it moves over interactive areas on the playing area.
  • Left click the mouse to perform an action when an icon is shown.
  • The default cursor is the magnifying glass, which will glow red when it is moved over an area that can be examined more closely.
  • The directional arrows forward, back, up, down, quarter turn left, quarter turn right and half turn will move Nancy in those directions.
  • In some areas, a double arrow is seen when the cursor is moved to one side of the screen; this means that Nancy will slowly rotate in that direction.
  • The hand icon is used to take and interact with different objects.
  • The question mark icon allows Nancy to talk to talk to different characters in the game. The conversation window shows the character’s lines in blue and Nancy’s lines in green.

Taskbar Icons

A: Game menu. See the game menu section for more information.
B: Tool box. Displays all items that have been collected in the game. Select the All button to view all of the items, the eye icon button to view items that can be examined more closely or the hand button to view items that can be used on other objects in the game.
C: Journal and task list. View Nancy’s notes on the case so far or view the task list, where any tasks that have been completed can be ticked off.
D: Phone. The phone is used to receive e-mails, search the Internet for keywords and to call any contacts that are stored on the phone.
E: Help. Presents a summary of important information to know about the game.

Game menu

  • A. New game. The gameplay challenge screen is shown. From here, you can choose to see a Gameplay Overview for an interactive tutorial on how to play the game, select Junior Detective for the easier version of the game or Senior Detective for the harder version of the game.
  • B. Load & Save Game. You can enter a name for the game in the text bar at the top of the screen and then click the save button to save, or select one of the previously saved games and then click load to restore the game.
  • C. Continue Game. Continues a game that is currently being played.
  • D. Second Chance. If a mistake has been made in the game or you just want to restart a certain scene, the Second Chance button will return Nancy to an earlier point.
  • E. Game Setup. Change the voice volume, music volume, special effects volume and brightness. Toggle the closed captioning and auto move options. Select done to return to the menu.
  • F. Credits. View the list of people involved in the creation of this game. Left click to return to the game menu.
  • G. Help. Presents a summary of important information to know about the game.
  • H. More Nancy Drew. See other titles in the Nancy Drew series.
  • I. Exit game. Select yes to save the game before exiting, no to exit the game without saving or cancel to return to the game menu.

Difficulty

There are two difficulties to choose from when you select the plane tickets from the case file at the start of the game: Junior Detective and Senior Detective. Junior Detective allows you to view the task list throughout the game. Senior Detective does not allow you to view the task list and some puzzles become more difficult.


WALKTHROUGH
Day 1

The game starts in the Rawley’s den. Move forward and examine the portrait of Frances Humber on the wall. Examine the radio at the right side of the portrait and use it to hear a weather report. You can turn the radio off and on to hear auction news and again to hear a cattle feed commercial. Back away from the radio and the portrait. Quarter turn right and move forward to the bookcase in the corner of the room. Examine the bookcase and take the thin blue book on the bottom shelf to see the book “Like Wind Through my Heart” by Charleena Purcell:

Examine the book. Back away from the book and the bookshelf. Half turn and move forward twice to the wide bookshelf. Examine the right side of the bookshelf and select the purple book on the top shelf to read “A City Slicker’s Guide to Horses – Book Two”:

This book contains information that will be useful to know later on, including the pictures of the food, facts about horses and the different colours of the horses. Back away from the book and the bookshelf. Quarter turn right and examine the rolltop desk to see that it is locked. Back away from the rolltop desk and move forward to the blue chest at the corner of the room. Examine the top of the chest and open it to see blankets inside. Close the chest and examine the top of the chest near the wall to see three holes and a clock. Back away from the desk, turn slightly right and move forward to the low table near the fireplace. Examine the book on the table and read “A City Slickers Guide to Horses – Book One”:

The book contains information about different types of horses. Back away from the book and examine the clock on the fireplace to see a broken clock which has different colours to represent the hours:

Back away from the fireplace. Quarter turn right and move through the doorway to the kitchen. Examine the fridge to see a piece of paper with cooking measurements. The sheriff’s number will be added to Nancy’s phone directory. Back away from the fridge and return to the den. Use the phone, select the Web button and then select e-mail/messaging.

Read the urgent e-mail to see a note from Bess and George which tells Nancy to call them immediately. Back out of the e-mail, select the web button on the phone and then select the Internet browser. Select the Search button at the top of the phone to search for any keywords that are available so far. At the moment, you can read up on Arizona, Cliff Dwellings, Rattlesnakes, Scorpions and the Saguro Cactus.

Back out of the Internet browser and select the directory button. Select the Rawleys and then press the green phone icon button to call them. Talk to the Rawleys to learn that Ed was bitten on his arm by a rattlesnake that was in their room last night. She tells Nancy to get a horse from Tex, the head wrangler. She also wants Nancy to get an envelope from the rolltop desk in the den and deliver it to Mary Yazzie. Dave has the key to the rolltop and will also know the directions to the Mary Yazzie’s shop. She mentions a phantom horse and is just about to explain when the doctor walks into the room and she hangs up.

Call Bess Marvin and to learn that their plane has been diverted to Omaha and they may be delayed by hours. She says that Nancy should call them if she wants to know anything about 19th Century clothing.

Call Frank and Joe to learn that a rich client is constantly calling them to ask them to track down his missing laptop. Joe suggests that the three holes on the top of the blanket chest suggest that three square-bottom keys need to be used, and Frank says that “Father Time” is a clue.

Call the sheriff and Nancy will introduce herself to Hernandez. Talk to him and he will say that he liked Ed and Bet because they seemed determined to work hard on Shadow Ranch.

Enter the kitchen, quarter turn right and talk to the cook, Shorty Thurmond: He says that he saw Dirk Valentine’s phantom horse last night. Dirk Valentine was an outlaw around this area in the 1880s and was in love with the sheriff’s daughter, Frances Humber. Valentine was captured by the sheriff and hanged, and ever since then the ghost of his horse has been roaming the desert and cursing anyone that sees it. Half turn from Shorty and move forward twice to the blue door.

Open the door and move forward to go outside. Note that an exclamation mark has now appeared above Nancy’s journal at the bottom of the screen. This means that a new note or task has been added to the journal. Open the journal to read Nancy’s notes so far. If you are playing in Junior Detective mode, select the tasklist option to see the current tasks. It is always helpful to tick off the tasks as you complete them so that you know what needs to be done next.
Tasks complete:
NOTE TO SELF: When a task has been completed, remember to check it off!
(already checked)
Find out what the deal is with the ‘phantom horse’ that the Rawley’s mentioned.

Move forward to the junction of paths, move forward on the north-west path and then move forward again to the chicken coop. Talk to Dave and he will say that he saw the phantom horse too, and that it’s possible that someone may have deliberately put the rattlesnake in the Rawley’s room. Ask him about the key to the rolltop desk and he will hold it out in his hand. Take the key and he will give Nancy the directions to Mary Yazzie’s shop.
Task complete: Ask Dave for the key to the rolltop desk.

Half turn and move forward three times. Open the door and move forward to return to the Rawley’s den. Enter the den, quarter turn right and move forward five times to the locked rolltop desk. Examine the rolltop desk. Select the tool box icon on the taskbar to open the inventory, select the key and then select the X button to close the tool box. With the key selected, click the keyhole on the rolltop desk to open the desk. Open the inventory, put the key back in one of the slots and then press the X button to close the inventory. There are various items to examine and take in the desk:

Examine the bill of sale to see that the Rawley’s sold a trunk of junk items to Mary Yazzie for $85. Take the three levers. Examine the letter from Jane Nash, who is angry at the Rawley’s for letting her go without giving her a second chance. Take the envelope to Mary Yazzie in the tray. Back away from the desk and move forward to the blue blanket chest. Examine the holes on the top of the chest and use the three levers on the holes.

To solve this puzzle, move the levers on the chest to the correct positions using the colours on the fireplace clock as a guide. The red colour was at 12 o’ clock on the map, so move the lever on the red colour to the 12 o’ clock position. Using the same method, move the lever on the blue colour to the 2 o’ clock position and the yellow lever to the 7 o’clock position:

The chest will open after the levers have been turned to the correct positions.
Task complete: Those three holes on the top of that blanket chest in the den might be some kind of lock. Figure out how to open it.

Examine the watch and select the pointed end of the chain to open it. The initials M.H. can be seen on the inside of the watch. Examine the clock face to see a close-up of the face. Press one of the raised buttons (2, 4, 6, 8, 10 or 12) and see if it stays down. If the button raises again, try a different button and keep doing this until the button stays down. With one button down, try another button and see if that stays down as well. If it raises, try the first button and then a different button until both stay down. Keep repeating this method until you find the correct order to make all six of the buttons stay down. The clock face will open when this happens.

Take the watch chain to see a photograph of Frances and Meryl Humber inside the watch. Back away from the watch and take the unopened envelope. Open the envelope and take the piece of paper from inside to see a petroglyph map. Back away from the map and examine the letter from Dirk to read about a treasure that he hid for Frances. He mentions that he left a message in his cell. He ends his letter with the numbers 9, 12, 15, 22, 5, 25, 15, 21, which can be translated into letters of the alphabet to end up with “I love you”.

Back away from the letter and examine Meryl Humber’s red journal. It mentions a flower called Harrison’s Yellow that was Frances’ favourite flower. Go outside the den. Some tasks can only be checked off if Nancy returns to the den, so enter the den again and check the following tasks:
Tasks complete:
As long as I’ve got the key, I might as well take a good look around inside that desk.
Those buttons on the watch face of that pocket watch must do something! Figure out what!

Exit the den. Move forward to the path junction, then quarter turn right and move forward to the barn door. Open the barn door and move forward to enter the barn. Quarter turn right, open the door and move forward into the tack room.

Quarter turn left and talk to Tex about all topics: He wants Nancy to get the hat and gloves from the tack room and a canteen of water from Shorty. He then wants Nancy to saddle and bridle the horse and to lead the horse out to the mounting block in corral. He says he is going to ask Nancy some questions and won’t let her ride until she gets them all right. Finally, he gives Nancy instructions on how to dismount the horse, hook the horse up, take the saddle and bridle off and put them back where she got them from.

Nancy will be riding the bay horse named Bob. When Nancy asks if she can go riding now, he says that Nancy should go and talk to Shorty to see if there are any chores that need doing first. Exit the tack room. Exit the barn and return to the kitchen. Talk to Shorty about the canteen and he will tell Nancy what chores need to be done: All the ripe vegetables need to be picked in the vegetable basket that is hanging outside, a cooking fire needs to be made in the pit outside and a bucket needs to be filled with with water and left by the pit.

Exit the den and then return to the den to tick off the following tasks:
Tasks complete:
Ask Shorty if he’s got any chores for me to do.
Ask Shorty if he has any chores for me to do.
(same task, appears twice in task list).

Exit the den. Quarter turn left twice and examine the thermometer on the wall at the right side of the door to the den. Take the vegetable basket.
Task complete: Find the vegetable basket that I’m supposed to use.

Half turn from the wall. Move forward three times to the vegetable garden. Use the phone and search the Internet for Harvesting Vegetables to see pictures of vegetables when they are ripe. Back away from the phone. Examine the left vegetable garden and take the four red Northern Lights tomatoes:

Back away from the left garden and examine the right garden. Take the two red Beefsteak tomatoes and the two orange-yellow Golden Queen tomatoes.

Return to the kitchen and talk to Shorty to give him the vegetables. He now wants Nancy to take the old basket and fill it up with eggs from the chicken coop. Examine the basket and Shorty will remind Nancy to build the campfire. Examine the egg basket in the tool box and then examine the broken section. Rotate the pieces of the basket and then select the correct location on the basket. A piece will not be able to be moved if it has been placed correctly. Put all of the pieces in the correct locations.

Junior Detective:

Senior Detective:

After Nancy says “There. Am I good or what?”, select the red thread three times to repair the basket. Back away from the view of the basket. Exit the den and move forward on the north-west path to the chicken coop. Open the door and enter the chicken coop. Examine the pens and take the five eggs. If the white chicken is in the bottom-right pen, you will need to enter the den and then return to the chicken coop: The white chicken should then be gone.

Take the sixth egg from the pen where the white chicken used to be. After the six eggs have been collected, return to the kitchen and talk to Shorty to give him the eggs. Ask him for the canteen of water to get the canteen. Enter the den and move to the fireplace to see the newspapers in the basket:

Examine the newspaper, select it to crumple it and then take the newspaper. Examine the second newspaper to see a headline mentioning Denver bank robbers that were spotted at a local gas station. Select the newspaper to crumple it and then take the newspaper. Exit the den. Nancy now needs to find five bunches of branches. Move forward from the kitchen door, quarter turn left and then turn left until the porch is seen. Move forward and take the first bunch of branches at the left side of the porch:

Back away from the branches, quarter turn right twice, move forward, quarter turn left and move forward to the red pump house. Take the second bunch of branches at the right side of the pump house:

Back away, half turn from the pump house, move forward, quarter turn left, and move forward twice to the chicken coop door. Take the third bunch of branches at the right side of the chicken coop door:

Back away, half turn from the door and take the fourth bunch of branches by the old rusty wagon:

Back away, move forward, quarter turn left twice and move forward to the vegetable gardens. Move forward on the path between the gardens and take the fifth bunch of branches on the ground:

Go to the chopping block outside the den and examine the block. Examine the wood to put it on the block. Select the axe head and Nancy will put the axe head in the wood. Select the angle of the swing and the position.

Cut the first log:

Cut the second log:

Cut the third log:

After all three logs have been cut, take the logs. Go to the fire pit outside the den and take the red bucket:

Quarter turn right to see the red pump house. Enter the pump house and examine the sink. Use the red bucket on the sink and then turn the tap to fill the bucket with water. Take the bucket. Exit the pump house and return to the fire pit. Examine the ground at the left side of the fire pit and then put the bucket of water on the ground.
Tasks complete:
Fill the bucket by the fire with water, just in case.
Get your chores done!

Examine the fire pit and take the coded letter, which can’t be decoded at the moment. Use the crumpled newspapers, the branches and the chopped wood in the fire pit.
Task complete: Build a cooking fire outside.

Enter the tack room in the barn and talk to Tex about riding: He says that Nancy can ride now. Half turn right from Tex and examine the saddle on Bob’s post (below Cookie’s post):

Take the saddle. Back away from the post, turn slightly right and take the white hat on top of the barrel. Exit the tack room. Move forward, quarter turn left and examine Bob. Use the saddle on Bob. Select the saddle strap to raise it, select the cinch three times to tighten it and then select the saddle strap again to lower it. Select Bob’s neck to lead him out to the corral. Select the saddle and Tex will ask Nancy ten questions as Bob trots around the corral:

Q. Where’s a horse’s hocks?
A. On its back legs.

Q. Where’s a horse’s frog?
A. On the bottom of its hoof.

Q. How tall is a horse that’s fifteen hands?
A. Five feet.

Q. What kind of horse is a Paso Fino?
A. A gaited horse.

Q. How can you tell if a horse is colicking?
A. It keeps lying down, then standing up.

Q. What’s the difference between a bay and a chestnut?
A. A bay has black points.

Q. What tribe bred the first Appaloosas?
A. The Nez Perce.

Q. What part of a horse is most likely to be hurt when it founders?
A. Its feet.

Q. What part of the saddle should you always check before you head out on the trail?
A. The cinch.

Q. What is a mule?
A. The offspring of a female horse and a male donkey.

After answering the ten questions correctly, Tex agrees to let Nancy ride Bob outside the corral. Move forward and open the gate, then move forward again to view the map. Select Mary’s Gifts on the map to ride there.
Task complete: Study up on horses so I can pass Tex’s quiz!

Open the door and enter the shop. Move forward and examine the chest to see the initials EH and AH. Examine the chest again to see three square holes below the initials. Use the three levers on the holes to see that they fit. Back away from the chest and examine the folders on the table. Examine the left folder and flip through the photographs of the Indians.

Examine the right folder and flip through the pictures of Petroglyphs of the Southwest. Back away from the folders and examine the folder on the left table. Open the folder to see the tuning forks inside. Back away from the folder. Quarter turn left and examine the Arizona’s Petrified Wood brochure on the table to read about how wood is petrified.

Back away from the table, quarter turn left and move forward to the Run for Cover game. The aim is to guide the roadrunner to his hole while avoiding the coyotes. Play the game and complete the three levels using the following directions.

Level 1 – Junior Detective:
D2, R5, D5, R2:

Level 2 – Junior Detective
D2, R2, D3, R1, D2, R4:

Level 3 – Junior Detective
U2, R3, D4, R1, U4, R3, D2, L1, D2, R1:

Level 1 – Senior Detective
D2, R2, U1, R1, D1, L1, D5, R5.

Level 2 – Senior Detective
U2, R3, D4, R1, U4, R3, D2, L1, D2, R1:

Level 3 – Senior Detective
U2, R2, D2, L2, U3, D3, R2, U3, R5, U1:

Nancy wins a token after the third level has been completed. Examine the token and then take it. Examine the arrowheads in the frame on the wall to see a sign mentioning that they were surface collected on private lands. Back away from the arrowheads and examine the book table to see Charleena Purcell’s latest novel, Like Wind Through My Heart. Examine the description of Charleena Purcell and her number will be added to Nancy’s phone directory.

Back away from the book table and quarter turn left to the counter. Examine the picture on the counter and Nancy will comment on the beautiful horse. Back away from the picture and talk to Mary Yazzie: She reads the letter and sees that the Rawley’s have rejected the offer that she made to buy a piece of land from them. She mentions that her horse is named Banner and that she trains horses. She doesn’t know how to open the trunk in the corner. There are hundreds of petroglyphs found at Cougar Bend.
Task complete: Find out where the ‘rock pictures’ are that Dirk Valentine told Frances to mark on that map he made for her.

The tokens were used for something in the 1880s but she doesn’t know what for. Use the phone to call Charleena Purcell. If Charleena’s assistant doesn’t answer the phone, use the three levers on the holes in the chest in the shop and then try calling her again to talk to her: The initials E.H. and A.H. stand for Eldridge Humber and Abigail Humber, and the picture commemorates their wedding day on April 9, 1811.

Enter the shop and examine the holes on the chest: Mary says she will let Nancy have something from the chest if she gets it open. Enter the shop and examine the chest. Use the levers on the holes. Remembering the date that Charleena just told Nancy about the Humber’s wedding day (4, 9, 11), set the left lever to the 4 o’clock position, the middle lever to the 9 o’clock position and the right lever to the 11 o’clock position:

The chest will open when the three levers have been turned to the correct positions. Examine the watch and take it. Open the inventory and examine the watch. Use the chain from the inventory on the watch to open it. The initials F.H. can be seen on the inside of the watch. Examine the clock face to see a close-up of the face. This is another random puzzle and the solution is similar to the one that was used on the previous watch. Press one of the raised buttons (1, 3, 5, 7, 9 or 11) and see if it stays down.

If the button raises again, try a different button and keep doing this until the button stays down. With one button down, try another button and see if that stays down as well. If it raises, try the first button and then a different button until both stay down. Keep repeating this method until you find the correct order to make all six of the buttons stay down. The clock face will open when this happens.

Take the ripped photograph to see the words “Green bottle under” on the other side of the photograph. Exit the shop and call Charleena to tell her about the chest: She doesn’t what the green bottle refers to. Ride Bob and select Shadow Ranch on the map.
Task complete: Figure out how to open that trunk Mary bought from the Rawleys.

Examine Bob and take the saddle. Enter the tack room and use the saddle on Bob’s post: Nancy accidentally knocks Zeke’s saddle and a blue envelope drops out. Examine the envelope to see that Tex has written a letter to Jane Nash. Open the envelope to see a happy birthday card, which Nancy opens to discover that Jane Nash is Tex’s sister. Talk to Tex about his sister and he will deny that she used to work for the Rawley’s. Exit the tack room to see a cutscene where the phantom horse appears. As it rides past the pump house, a pipe in the pump house will blow and water gushes out.

Day 2

The next morning, Nancy is talking to Bet on the phone the events of last night. Nancy suspects that the horse was used as a diversion so that someone could sabotage the pump house. Enter the kitchen to see that Shorty has gone. Open the desk at the right side of the stove and examine the map of mineral deposits in the Shadow Mountain area. The number for the Southwest Geological Survey is added to the phone directory.

Back away from the map and Shorty will come back. He explains that he got the map because he thought there might be a gold mine around here. Talk to Shorty and Nancy will apologise for looking through his stuff. Ask about the chores and he tells Nancy to start by picking all the ripe vegetables from the garden again. Ask about Mary Yazzie: She becomes unfriendly when the Rawleys are mentioned. Ask about the pump house: All the water needs to be taken from the pump house.

Go outside, quarter turn left twice and examine the thermometer on the wall. Take the vegetable basket. Go to the vegetable garden and examine the left garden. Read the Harvesting Vegetables Internet entry on the phone to see which vegetables are now ripe. Take the five green Romano beans and the two golden-white Old Ivory Egg tomatoes:

Back away from the left garden and examine the right garden. Take the two red Beefsteak tomatoes and the three Black Turtle beans:

Return to the kitchen and talk to Shorty to give him the vegetable basket: He now wants Nancy to fill the egg basket again. Exit the kitchen and enter the chicken coop to take the six eggs. All the eggs can be collected on this day without having to disturb the white hen. Return to the kitchen and talk to Shorty to give him the eggs.

He now asks Nancy to make a cake for Tex’s birthday by using one of the recipes on the table. Ask for a canteen of water to get the canteen. Quarter turn right and examine the recipe box on the table. Take the Shadow Ranch Cake recipe to see the ingredients needed to make the cake:

Take the Shadow Ranch Cake recipe from the box. Back away from the recipe box and examine the counter on the left to put all of the ingredients on the counter. Select one of the ingredients on the counter to see a measurement. For example, the butter has the words “1 stick = ½ cup”. By examining the ingredients on the counter and by looking at the conversion chart on the fridge, the new measurements for the ingredients can be understood. The converted recipe is shown below:

2 Sticks Butter
2 Eggs
5 1/3 Cups Milk
2 Pints Flour
3 Teaspoons Baking Powder
7 1/3 Cups Sugar
3 Teaspoons Vanilla

Add two sticks of butter to the mixing bowl, two eggs, five cups of milk, two pints of flour, three teaspoons of baking powder, seven cups of sugar and three teaspoons of vanilla. Back away from the table and select the Bake option. Select the large circular pan to pour the mixture into it. Examine the oven controls. Set the temperature to medium and the timer to 45, then select the Bake button. Take the cake from the oven and then select it to test the cake. If the cake has been made correctly, Nancy will say that she should put the icing on the cake.

Select the icing to see various shapes of the flower decoration for the cake. There is a faint outline in the icing where the flower should be placed. Select the pieces of the flower, right click to rotate them and then left click to put them in the icing. If the piece has been correctly placed in the icing you will not be able to move it. Place all of the pieces correctly:

After placing all of the pieces, Nancy will say that it is a tulip. Select the green food colouring and select the stem of the tulip. Select the red food colouring and then select the leaves of the flower:

Back away from the cake. Exit the kitchen.
Task complete: Make a birthday cake for Tex like Shorty asked me to.

Move to the door of the red pump house to see that a no trespassing sign has been put on the door. Try to open the door and Nancy will say that she should call the sheriff first. Use the phone to call the sheriff. Talk to him about the pump house and he will say that Nancy can go inside.
Task complete: Call the sheriff and get permission to look around in the pump house.

Open the door and enter the pump house. Examine the rusty pipe and examine the blue arrowhead at the left side of the pipe:

This is the first of ten arrowheads that need to be found in the game. Take the arrowhead. Back away from the pipe, quarter turn left and examine the grate. Open the grate and move forward through the tunnel to the next grate. Open the grate and move forward into the cellar to see Dave. He says that he is looking for Dirk Valentine’s treasure. His Aunt Ellie was Frances Humber’s cousin. He found the other half of the torn photograph with the words “stairs to cellar” on the back.
Task complete: Keep your eyes peeled for a green bottle that’s under something!

After Dave leaves, quarter turn left and examine the purse on the shelf. Take the purse. Quarter turn left, move forward and open the grate. Move forward through the grate and Nancy suggests that the note on the pictures may refer to these stairs. Move forward down the stairs, half turn and examine the top of the stairs:

Open the top of the stairs and examine the pattern. The aim is to move the pieces on the pattern so that the block with the initials FH on it can be moved.

Junior Detective:

Senior Detective:

After solving the puzzle, a green vial is shown on the tile that the FH block was covering. Select the vial twice to take out three of Dirk’s letter to Frances. The letters mention a shawl, a beaded purse, crackers, polished rock, a flower that was used to decorate a cake and a flower that was on Frances’s favourite stationery. Back away from the view of the stairs. Move forward and open the grate.

Move forward into the cellar and go upstairs. Examine the door at the top of the stairs, then open it and move forward to return to the den.
Tasks complete:
Look for ‘green bottle under stairs to cellar.’
Find out what kind of flower Frances used to decorate the cake Dirk talked about in his letter.

Approach the portrait of Frances Humber and examine it twice to see a close-up of the stitching. Use the phone to search the Internet for Common Knitting Stitches: Nancy will recognise the knitting on the portrait as the daisy stitch. Use the phone to call Bess Marvin. Tell Bess about the beaded purse and she agrees to look into it. Exit the den.
Tasks complete:
Research 19th century fashion accessories and learn more about the purse I found.
Learn more about the shawl that Frances knit (Web search?). Maybe it has something to do with flowers.

Move forward to the chicken coop and talk to Dave: He tells Nancy that he wants the hole in the fence to be fixed, but the wire hasn’t arrived yet. Ask him about the letter from Frances Humber and then select the letter to read it: The letter mentions that Dirk had hidden something of great value, and that if Ellie finds it she can have it. Back away from the letter and ask about the jail that Dirk Valentine stayed in: It’s over in the Dry Creek ghost town. Dry Creek will now appear on the map.
Task complete: Dirk said there was a flower on Frances’s favorite stationery. Find out what it was!

Go to the barn and enter the tack room. Talk to Tex and he will admit that his sister did work for the Rawleys back in Phoenix. He says she got fired there and was mad, but is now over it. Ask to go riding and he will tell Nancy that the chickens and the horses need to be fed first. Half turn left and examine the green board to see the food measurements for the chickens: 2 scoops of chicken chow. Back away from the board and examine the bins. Open the far right bin and select the scoop to put chicken food in the yellow bucket (2½ lb). Open the far right bin again and do the same thing to put more chicken food in the yellow bucket (5 lb):

Back away from the bins and keep the bucket. Exit the barn and go to the chicken coop. Examine the food hopper on the front of the cage. Open the lid and then use the yellow bucket on the hopper. Return to the barn and enter the tack room. Examine the green board again to see the food measurements for all the horses on the ranch. The horses in the barn are Bob, Clyde and Ace, so we need to make rations A, C and D. Back away from the board and examine the bins:

Make the following rations for the horses:

Bob: Two scoops of oats, two scoops of corn and one scoop of mixed pellets. Back away from the bins and keep the bucket. Go outside to the barn and examine the bucket in front of Bob. Use the yellow bucket on the bucket in front of Bob to feed him. Return to the food bins in the tack room and put the yellow bucket on the floor.

Clyde: Three scoops of oats and one scoop of mixed pellets. Back away from the bins and keep the bucket. Go outside to the barn and examine the bucket in front of Clyde. Use the yellow bucket on the bucket in front of Clyde to feed him. Return to the food bins in the tack room and put the yellow bucket on the floor.

Ace: One scoop of oats, one scoop of corn and two scoops of mixed pellets. Back away from the bins and keep the bucket. Go outside to the barn and examine the bucket in front of Ace. Use the yellow bucket on the bucket in front of Ace to feed him. Return to the food bins in the tack room and put the yellow bucket on the floor.
Task complete: Feed the chickens and the horses for Tex.

Talk to Tex and ask him about riding. He will give Nancy his lariat if she beats his time on the course and throws the rope correctly:
Task complete: See if it’s okay with Tex if I go riding.

Take the saddle from Bob’s post. Exit the tack room. Move forward, quarter turn left and examine Bob. Use the saddle on Bob. Select the saddle strap to raise it, select the cinch three times to tighten it and then select the saddle strap again to lower it.

Select Bob’s neck to lead him out to the corral. Select the saddle and then select the barrel to start riding around the course. When Bob is about to pass by one of the barrels, select the top of the barrel to make him do a sharp turn around it. Do the same thing for the remaining barrels without hitting one to finish the course in less than ten seconds. Select the sawhorse twice and then take the rope from the sawhorse to start spinning it. Click the left mouse button when the rope becomes a perfect circle to throw it over the broom on the sawhorse:

Throw the rope over the sawhorse at least four times out of five and Tex will congratulate Nancy. Back away from the sawhorse and Tex will hold out the lariat for Nancy. Take the lariat:
Task complete: Get a lariat from Tex by playing (and winning) those games he set up for me in the corral.

Take the saddle from Bob’s post and exit the tack room. Move forward, quarter turn left and examine Bob. Use the saddle on Bob. Select the saddle strap to raise it, select the cinch three times to tighten it and then select the saddle strap again to lower it. Select Bob’s neck to lead him out to the corral. Select the saddle to ride Bob. Move forward, open the gate and move forward again to view the map. Select Cougar Bend on the map: Nancy will see Mary Yazzie on the way to Cougar Bend. Move forward twice. Examine the arrowhead and then take it:

Back away and examine the left side of the rock face to add two petroglyphs to the petroglyph map:

Back away and examine the right side of the rock face to add another petroglyph to the map:

Back away twice and quarter turn left. Examine the arrowhead on the ground and take it:

Move forward four times to the top of the sloped rock to add two more petroglyphs to the map:

Quarter turn left to add three more petroglyphs to the map:

Quarter turn left and move forward three times to the bottom of the sloped rock. Move forward, quarter turn left and move forward to the right side of the rock face. Examine the two petroglyphs to record them:

Back away and then look up to see a branch at the top of the cliff. Use the lariat on the branch and throw it when it forms a perfect circle. Back away from the view of the branch and then climb up the rope twice to record two more petroglyphs:

Task complete: Figure out a way to get up on that ledge at Cougar Bend.

Climb up to the top of the rope to record three more petroglyphs:

Quarter turn left to record another petroglyph:

Half turn to record the final petroglyph. Take the arrowhead:

Open the inventory and select the petroglyph map. The aim now is to put all of the petroglyphs into the correct positions on the map. The locations of the petroglyphs on the rocks can be used as a guide. The correct layout for the petroglyphs on the map is shown below:

After the petroglyphs have been put in the correct positions on the map, Nancy will read the sentence “Beneath cappys keys pappys name please.”.
Task complete: Mark where all the petroglyphs are on that map Dirk made for Frances.

Back away from the petroglyph map. Climb down from the cliff and return to Bob. Ride Bob and select Dry Creek on the map. Move forward to see a stone fall from the roof of the general store. Move forward again and then quarter turn left to to face the general store. Go to the right side of the store and move forward to the ruined outhouse. Examine the arrowhead in front of the outhouse:

If a scorpion appears, back away from the arrowhead, walk to the other side of town and then return to the arrowhead: The scorpion should now be gone. Take the arrowhead. Back away, quarter turn left and examine the device on the porch in front of the general store. Take the red lever from the device. Back away from the porch, half turn and move forward to the barrel at the right side of the post office. Take the arrowhead:

Back away from the barrel. Half turn, quarter turn right and move forward to see the cemetery. Quarter turn left and move forward to the door of Cappy’s saloon to see that a combination lock has been placed on the door. Examine the lock. Return to Bob and ride him to view the map. Select Trail Stop on the map. Examine the arrowhead at the right side of the path:

Take the arrowhead. Move forward on the path and examine the arrowhead at the left side of the path:

Take the arrowhead. Move forward, quarter turn right and examine the grave of Charlie the mule. Back away from the grave, half turn left and move forward to the striped rock. Examine the rock to hear a rattling sound. Nancy will get bitten by a rattlesnake if she tries to move the rock, so leave it for now. Back away from the rock and return to the path. Quarter turn left and move forward. Examine the arrowhead on the left side of the path:

Take the arrowhead. Move forward and examine the arrowhead on the left side of the path:

Take the arrowhead. Return to Bob and select Mary’s Gifts on the map. Use the phone to call the sheriff and ask him about the lock to get the combination: 9274.
Task complete: Get the combination to the lock on that building in the ghost town from the sheriff.

Call Charleena and ask her about pappy: She says it refers to Dirk’s father, Cashmeer Valentine.
Task complete: Find out who ‘pappy’ is.

Ask about the token: She says it is a piece of Dry Creek scrip used for primitive arcade games back in the 1880s. Enter the shop and talk to Mary about seeing her riding near Shadow Ranch: She angrily denies riding near there. Exit the shop. Ride Bob and select Dry Creek on the map. Move forward seven times, quarter turn left and move forward to the combination lock on Cappy’s door. Examine the lock. Enter the number 9274 and the lock will open:

Open the main door and then select the saloon door to enter Cappy’s. Move forward twice to the table and examine the electrician’s manual. Back away from the table and move forward to the bar. Examine the cracker tin on the bar to read the line “Even the crumbs are crisp.”. Examine the bar at the right side of the cracker tin to see an indentation.

Back away from the bar, half turn right and move forward twice to the piano. Examine the bottom of the piano and open the panel to see letters that can be changed by clicking on them. The order of the letters is random. The aim is to spell the name of Dirk’s father, CASHMEER, by changing the letters in the correct order:

Change 7 to E, 6 to E, 8 to R, 3 to S, 5 to M, 1 to C and 4 to H to spell the letters CASHMEER. Take the parchment from the panel to see the following clue:

Task complete: Find out where ‘cappy’s keys’ are.

Back away from the piano, quarter turn right and move forward to the corner of the room to see that someone has been sleeping there. Back away from the corner, turn slightly right and move forward to the gambling machine. Examine the machine. Save the game at this point. Use the token in the gambling machine and then pull the lever to see characters appear. Press the button below the mean characters and then pull the lever again. If a nice character appears, restore the game and try again.

When four mean characters appear, Nancy will win some more tokens. Take the tokens. Exit Cappy’s saloon and quarter turn right to see some movement in the bank. Nancy says she feels like she’s not alone. Ride Bob and select Mary’s Gifts on the map. Enter the shop and examine the folder on the table to see the tuning forks, which Nancy realises may have been what Dirk meant in his clue. Back away from the table, quarter turn left and examine the petrified wood on the table to see one that wasn’t there before.

Talk to Mary about the wood: She says she got it when her friend was clearing out land for a new house. Ask about the tuning forks: She will let Nancy have the tuning forks if Nancy gives her ten arrowheads. Nancy automatically gives her the ten arrowheads that have been found. Move to the table and take the folder of tuning forks. Examine the box and Nancy will give her the ten arrowheads that have been found. Go outside the shop and call Charleena to ask about the crackers: She says that she will find out. Ride Bob to Dry Creek.
Task complete: Find ten arrowheads for Mary so she’ll give me those tuning forks. Look everywhere.

Move forward twice, quarter turn right and then move forward to the porch of the sheriff’s office. Examine the brand on the floorboard:

Select the brand. Examine the box, close it and then take the box. Enter Cappy’s saloon, quarter turn left and move forward to the bar. Examine the indentation at the right side of the cracker tin and use the box on the indentation. Use the crank on the box and then use the tuning forks on the box. Put the tuning forks in the correct holes to spell the name Frances:

Turn the crank to hear the sound of breaking glass:
Task complete: Do what the note Dirk left for Frances in the piano said to do.

Take the parchment from the broken light to read a new clue:

Exit the saloon and return to Bob. Select Shadow Ranch on the map to see Mary Yazzie and Tex on the way. Examine Bob and take the saddle. Enter the tack room and put the saddle on Bob’s post. Leave the tack room and exit the barn: It will become evening.

Note: I encountered a problem at one time where I exited the barn and it remained daylight, but on subsequent playthroughs this didn’t happen. If it remains light, make sure you have completed all the tasks in the list, talked to all characters about all topics, checked the web directories, phoned all contacts and also examined the electrician’s manual in Cappy’s saloon. When you return to Shadow Ranch and exit the ranch, it should turn to evening.

Enter the tack room and examine Bob’s saddle. Take the gloves. Exit the barn and go to the chicken coop. Examine the broken section of the fence. Examine the pliers and then put the broken section of the cage back together. The pieces of the fence will snap into place and stay there if they are placed in the correct positions. After fixing the cage, Nancy notices that the gloves are glowing from the powder on the electrician’s book in Dry Creek. A scene is shown where the phantom horse runs past and the power lines are broken.
Task complete: Fix the chicken coop like Dave asked (he said the wire I’ll need might not get here until after dark).

Day 3

The next morning, Nancy is talking to Bess on the phone the events of last night. She suspects that the horse is glowing  because the powder from the ghost town was rubbed on it, and thinks that the person may be hiding out at the ghost town. Enter the kitchen examine the fridge. Take the apple magnet. Talk to Shorty about anything he wants Nancy to do: He wants the ripe vegetables from the garden and more eggs from the chickens.

Exit the kitchen and Nancy will notice a horseshoe on the ground. Examine the horseshoe and then take it. Quarter turn left twice and examine the thermometer on the wall. Take the vegetable basket. Half turn and move forward to the vegetable garden. Examine the left garden and take the four red-yellow Northern Lights tomatoes:

Back away from the left garden and examine the right garden. Take all of the vegetables from this garden:

Return to the kitchen and talk to Shorty to give him the vegetables: He now wants Nancy to fill the egg basket. Exit the kitchen and enter the chicken coop. Take five eggs from the chicken pens. Enter the kitchen and then return to the chicken coop to take the egg from the pen where the white chicken used to be. Return to the kitchen and talk to Shorty to give him the eggs. Ask him for a canteen of water.

Exit the kitchen and enter the tack room. Talk to Tex and ask to go riding: He wants Nancy to put together a bridle that he took apart. Talk to him about the horseshoe: He says it looks like it has the kind of rock you would find by the ghost town. He was there a couple of weeks ago and his horse acted really strange when he was out there. Ask about Mary and he will deny seeing her. Turn slightly left and examine the can on the top shelf. Take the parts of the bridle. Right click to rotate the pieces of the bridle and put all of the pieces in the correct positions:

Take the bridle. Talk to Tex and ask to go riding.
Tasks complete:
As usual get Tex’s permission to go riding.
Put the bridle that’s in the can in the tack room back together for Tex so he’ll let me ride.

Take the saddle from Bob’s post and exit the tack room. Move forward, quarter turn left and examine Bob. Use the saddle on Bob. Select the saddle strap to raise it, select the cinch three times to tighten it and then select the saddle strap again to lower it. Select Bob’s neck to lead him out to the corral. Select the saddle to ride Bob. Move forward, open the gate and move forward again to view the map.

Select Mary’s gifts on the map. Use the phone to read the cracker question e-mail to get a website address. Read the bead pattern e-mail: The pattern was called Spiral Flower. Search for Kelleher to read about the Kelleher Baking Company. Enter the gift shop and talk to Mary about Tex: She will admit that she is in love with Tex, and she wants the Rawley’s ranch because there is so much petrified wood on the ranch.
Task complete: Find out why Mary is so eager to buy that property from the Rawleys.

Talk to Mary about the beads: She wants Nancy to sort out the rings in the display case. Examine the display case and sort the rings by color and pattern. Arrange the display case in the following way:

When you click a ring, it is rotated to show a symbol on the back which refers to the size of the ring. You now need to arrange the rings from smallest to largest within the same color and pattern. After putting the rings in the correct places, Nancy will say that it looks right. Talk to Mary about the display to get the beads. Examine the purse and then examine the pattern. The aim now is to put the beads on the thread in the pattern shown in the e-mail by Bess and George.

Select the bead and then select the needle to thread it. Select the needle if you make a mistake to remove the previous bead. Use the following pattern:
One yellow bead
One black bead and then one black and red bead four times
One red bead, one white bead, one red bead and then one white and red bead four times:

Nancy comments that the pattern looks like a poppy.
Task complete:
Dirk mentioned that Frances had a favorite beaded purse. Figure out if it had a flower on it.
Exit the shop and ride Bob. Select Dry Creek on the map:
Task complete: Find some beads and use the pattern from Bess and George to recreate the flower on that purse.

Move forward and select Dry Creek on the map. Enter Cappy’s saloon. Move forward to the table to see that the electrician’s book is gone:
Task complete: Go back to ghost town and find out where all that phosphorescent powder on my gloves came from.

Back away from the table, quarter turn right and move forward to the corner of the room. Examine the box in the corner of the room and try to take the key on top of the box: Nancy is knocked out by an unknown person and when she wakes up she is in the jail cell. Examine the marks on the wall. Each set of marks represents a letter. For example, the first set of marks adds up to 21, which is “u” in the alphabet, so type “u” and then press enter to move onto the next letter. Keep entering the code in this way to end up with the “under bank lamp”:

Back away from the wall. Half turn and take two of the bricks on the floor. Back away from the bricks and quarter turn right. Use the lariat on the chair and then click the left mouse button when a perfect circle is formed to stand the chair upright. Use the bricks on the key above the chair. Select the second arrow and then move the strength slider to the middle:

Press the throw button to knock the key onto the chair. Use the lariat on the chair to knock the key to the floor. Examine the key and then take it. Use the key on the cell door. Move forward and quarter turn left to see a piece of paper on the floor.

Take the piece of paper to see Dirk’s code. Examine the crumpled coded letter in the tool box, which can now be translated using Dirk’s code: Will need more supplies if house is not soon check book shelf again Dirk might have hidden it right under sheriff’s nose. Exit the jail. quarter turn right right and move forward, then quarter turn left and move forward to the bank. Examine the corner of the bank and move the brick:

Take the letter to read a new clue:

Return to Bob and select the Trail Stop on the map:
Task complete: Do what those hash marks in the jail cell said to do.
Move forward three times, quarter turn left and move forward to the striped rock. Examine the rock and then move the rock. Open the cover and then examine the panel to see a maze which is partially obscured by wood. The aim now is to slide the discs to the correct locations on the map.

Though it is possible to complete the maze with the wood there, an easier way is to back away from the panel so that the rock drops, lift the rock again and examine the panel. Do this five times and the wooden bars will be removed from the maze. Use the apple magnet to slide the pieces to the correct circles in the maze:

Examine the box and open it. We know that Frances’ favourite flower was the Harrison Yellow, so select the button in the middle until the flower is displayed. Select the buttons around the outside to display the following flowers:

A secret compartment will open when the correct flowers are shown. Take the note to read another clue:

Back away from the music box and return to Bob. Ride Bob and select Shadow Ranch on the map. Examine Bob and take the saddle. Enter the tack room and put the saddle on Bob’s post.
Tasks complete:
Think of a way to get out of this jail cell! Who roped me into this, anyway? I could be home, sitting in a nice comfortable chair. That would really rock right about now. Think Nancy, that’s the key! Think!
Figure out what six flowers will open the music box that I found in the desert.
Find out what ‘Harrison’s Yellow’ looks like.

Exit the barn and talk to Dave about being attacked in the ghost town: Nancy suspects it may be the bank robbers from Denver. Talk about his great aunt’s ring and he will hold it out for Nancy. Take the ring. Enter the tack room and take the saddle from Bob’s post. Exit the tack room. Move forward, quarter turn left and examine Bob. Use the saddle on Bob. Select the stirrup to raise it, select the cinch three times to tighten it and then select the stirrup again to lower it.

Select Bob’s neck to lead him out to the corral. Select the saddle to ride Bob. Move forward and open the gate. Move forward and select Dry Creek on the map. Enter Cappy’s saloon. Quarter turn right and examine the arcade machine. Use the ring on the red button above the coin slot and the aim of the game will now change to make the nice characters win. Save the game here. Use a token in the coin slot and pull the lever. Press the button below the nice characters and then pull the lever again.

If a mean character appears, restore the game and try again. When four nice characters appear, Nancy will win some a key. Take the key. Examine the music box in the inventory, open it and use the key in the keyhole. Take the piece of paper for a new clue:

Examine the petroglyph map in the inventory. Connect the lines on the map between the petroglyphs shown on the latest clue to see the letter V for Valentine:


Task complete: Follow up on the note that was in the music box.

Exit the saloon and return to Bob. Ride Bob and select Cougar Bend on the map. Move forward twice and then move forward to the right side of the cliff face. Look up and use the lariat on the branch. Throw the lariat when it forms a perfect circle. Look down from the branch and then climb up the rope to the ledge. Quarter turn left and examine the rock with the V petroglyph on it. Move the rock and examine the paper to read a new clue:


Tasks complete:
Do what Dirk told Frances to do in the message he left for her in the secret compartment of the music box.
Look all around for a rock picture shaped like a ‘V.’

Take the rock from the left side of the letter. Back away from the letter, quarter turn left and climb down from the rope. Return to Bob. Ride Bob and select Mary’s Gifts on the map. Enter the shop and talk to Mary about the rock: She polishes the rock and reveals a picture. Exit the shop and Bess will call to say her flight has been delayed. Ride Bob and select the Trail Stop on the map. Move forward twice, quarter turn right and examine the grave. Nancy will automatically hold up the picture agate. Half turn left and move forward to the tree shown on the picture agate to arrive at the cliff dwellings:

Quarter turn right and keep moving forward to reach a cliff. Use the lariat to hook onto the branch at the top of the cliff. Climb up to the top of the rope and Nancy will see the ancient cliff dwellings. Move forward five times and examine the inscription on the wall. Using Dirk’s letter, the message on the wall can be decoded:
1: Brown
2: Lime
3: Yellow
4: Red
5: Blue
6: Orange
7: Lime
8: Yellow
9: Brown
10: Blue
11: Lime
12: Orange
13: Blue
14: Brown
15: Lime
16: Orange
17: Red
18: Blue
19: Yellow
20: Lime
21: Blue
22: Lime
23: Brown
24: Yellow.

Go through the doorway to enter the maze. Notice that each doorway in the maze has a colour above it. The aim now is to follow the colours that were shown in the decoded message on the wall, while also checking every vase along the way in order to find five hidden keys.

The keys are randomly placed in the vases and some of them are not on the main path, so sometimes you will need to divert off the path you are following into a side room in order to check the vase for a key. After collecting the five keys and following the directions to the end, Nancy will arrive at a locked door. Examine the door and then select the panel. Put the five keys into the correct slots:

Move the bolt to open the door. Move forward into the room. Quarter turn right and move forward to the treasure. Open the box to see solid gold hearts. Exit the room and Nancy will see the person that has been sabotaging the ranch. Quarter turn left and move forward to reach the ladder. Go down the ladder. Half turn and move forward to go through the lime doorway.

Quarter turn left and examine the red stone above the door. Take the red stone. Back away, quarter turn left and examine the green stone. Take the green stone. Back away, quarter turn right and examine the slot. Put the green stone in the slot. Back away, quarter turn left and examine the slot. Put the red stone in the slot and then back away to complete the game.

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