in that pocket.

Quickly turning over several more stones, he found more pockets, with
nuggets of various sizes in each. In a short time his specimen pouch
was pretty well lined with the precious metal.

Meanwhile his friend Jack was equally successful, the chief difference
between them being that the latter washed out the earth on the banks
above, and found his gold in little grains and specks, but in such
quantities that he felt as if his fortune were already made. Towards
evening Watty hallooed and was replied to. As they walked rapidly
towards the pre-arranged rendezvous, each hit on the same idea--that of
deception!

"Well, what luck?" asked Watty with a careless air that ill concealed
the elation of his heart.

"Only a little dust--nothing to speak of--at least not as compared with
what some fellows get," said Jack, whose laughing eye gave the lie
direct to his melancholy tones. "See here, Watty, this is all I've
got."

As he spoke, the hypocrite poured the glittering contents of his pouch
into his tin wash-pan.

"Well, _what_ a lucky fellow you are!" said Watty, with mouth expanded.
"Just look here; this is all that I have got."

He opened his bag and displayed the nuggets, with the big one in the
midst!

Need we say that these youths found it difficult to express their joy
and astonishment? The fact was evident that they had at last discovered
unusually rich ground, and they travelled back to the camp to tell their
lazy comrade the good news.

It was near sunset when they reached the little plain or open space at
the mouth of the gorge. Here Jack turned aside to cut a stick of
peculiar form, which had caught his eye on the way up, and which he
meant to keep as a souvenir of their discovery and the spot. Watty
sauntered slowly across the plain.

He had just reached the wood on the other side, and turned to wait for
his comrade, when he heard two shots in quick succession. There was
nothing unusual in this, but when he heard the Philosopher utter a loud
cry, he started, cocked his gun, and ran a few steps back to meet him.
Next moment Jack burst from the thicket and ran across the plain at a
speed that told of imminent danger. From the same thicket there also
rushed a large grizzly bear, whose speed was greater than that of Jack,
though it did not appear to be so.

All the blood in Watty Wilkins's body seemed to fly back to his heart,
and immediately after it rushed to his brain and toes.