Part 21 (1/2)

”If there is, we can all work it, can't we?”

”Yes, unless the captain and the doctor have struck soood There, that seeets Let us count them Fourteen in all, and worth at least four hundred dollars It paid to stay over in spite of what that hed, and the boys joined in readily, for the discovery of so ets picked out, they set to work to wash out the sand and dirt

While Foster Portney filled the pan and washed, the two boys took turns in bringing up water fro the ency The washi+ngs continued until it was quite dark, and by that ti like two ounces of gold dust extracted

”Not so bad,” said Mr Portney ”Perhaps to-ht,” declared Randy, as loath to quit the locality ”Somebody ”

”We'll leave the pick and the shovel in it, and that will prevent them,”

was the answer; and this was done Noas any tools reot back to camp they found the doctor and the captain already there The two had tried half a dozen spots, but only one had yielded sufficient gold dust to warrant their continuing to work it They listened with keen interest to the account of the findto take a hand at prospecting that locality the next day

Eight o'clock found all hard at work While the captain and Earl washed, the others went into the opening of the cliff and brought out all that rereat deal, and shortly after noon every shovelful was heaped up close to the artificial pool of water Dr Barwaithe had constructed While the washi+ng continued, Foster Portney exa, and then led mass of brushwood and tundra until he caulch a hundred feet distance fro old, it is either in that gulch or this, and I ah we hly first”

By the s froold to the credit of the prospectors,in all a find of about five hundred dollars Previous to going into ca found should be divided into five parts, one to go to the captain, one to the doctor, and three to Foster Portney for himself and his nephews The Portney share, as we knoas to be divided, one-half to Mr Portney and one-quarter to each of the boys Thus the boys received each three-twentieths of the entire a to pay out for expenses, which were bound to be considerable, and each was perfectly willing that his uncle should have the one-tenth extra of the whole amount on that account

”Three-twentieths of five hundred dollars is seventy-five dollars,” said Randy to Earl, when they were alone ”We've each earned that, free and clear, so far That's not bad”

”If only we can continue, we'll make our fortunes,” replied Earl, earnestly ”But the pocket's at an end, and noe've got to prospect elsewhere”

The days went by, and they tried the first of the gulches froether, and then each old often it was never in paying quantities, and the end of the week saw theed

”It wouldn't be so bad, only we ru e shall find gold again”

”That's the fortunes o' prospectin',” said the captain ”It 'in!”

”I ulch on Monday,” put in the doctor ”It's full of loose sand, isn't it?” he went on to Foster Portney

”Yes, the sand and gravel are at least two feet thick,” was the answer

”I believe there is gold there, as I said before, but to clear off the brush and moss will be no easy task”

”We came out here for work,” said Earl ”I didn't expect to sit around and sun hed at this reht ato be held over at the Bottom at noon

Mr Portney, the boys, and the doctor walked over, nearly half a e of the camp They found about fifty miners collected around an iby three of the women present followed, and then came a short sermon on the brotherhood of man and the value of a faith which would carry a , even in that desolate region At the close of the service a collection was taken up, for the preacher's benefit, soold dust into the little cha the preacher had provided for that purpose

At this ain met the Wodley croho had located about a mile up Gold Bottom Creek, at a place called Rosebud, a name particularly inappropriate, since no roses were to be found in the vicinity Wodley and his coht the ”doctor's flock” ht do worse than to locate just above them

”We'll re to try again over where we are”

Wodley had heard again fro, as he terone up Hunker Creek and staked out three claims soulch is called The claims had overlapped some already staked out, and the hts and had threatened to drive out all the newco over to Hunker Creek myself,” concluded Wodley ”But I don't want to quarrel with anybody”