than a foot long, and upon it was a small tin box, black and
rust-eaten by the passing of ages. With trembling fingers Rod took it
in his hand. It was very light, probably empty. In it he might find
the dust of John Ball's last tobacco. Then, suddenly, as he thought of
this, he stopped in his search and a muffled exclamation of surprise
fell from him. In the glow of the torch he looked at the tin box. It
was crumbling with age and he might easily have crushed it in his
hand--and yet it was still a tin box! If this box had remained why
had not other things? Where were the pans and kettles, the pail and
frying-pan, knives, cups and other articles which John Ball and the
two Frenchmen must at one time have possessed in this cabin?

He returned to the door. Mukoki and Wabigoon were still at the dead
stub. Even the flare of light in the old cabin had not attracted them.
Tossing his torch away Rod tore off the top of the tin box. Something
fell at his feet, and as he reached for it he saw that it was a little
roll of paper, almost as discolored as the rust-eaten box itself. As
gently as Mukoki had unrolled the precious birchbark map a few months
before he smoothed out the paper. The edges of it broke and crumbled
under his fingers, but the inner side of the roll was still quite
white. Mukoki and Wabigoon, looking back, saw him suddenly turn toward
them with a shrill cry on his lips, and the next instant he was racing
in their direction, shouting wildly at every step.

"The gold!" he shrieked. "The gold! Hurrah!"

He was almost sobbing in his excitement when he stopped between them,
holding out the bit of paper.

"I found it in the cabin--in a tin box! See, it's John Ball's
writing--the writing that was on the old map! I found it--in a tin
box--"

Wabi seized the paper. His own breath came more quickly when he saw
what was upon it. There were a few lines of writing, dim but still
legible, and a number of figures. Across the top of the paper was
written,

"Account of John Ball, Henri Langlois, and Peter Plante for month
ending June thirtieth, 1859."

Below these lines was the following:

"Plante's work: nuggets, 7 pounds, nine ounces; dust, 1 pound, 3
ounces. Langlois' work: nuggets, 9 pounds, 13 ounces; dust, none.
Ball's work: nuggets, 6 pounds, 4 ounces; dust, 2 pounds, 3 ounces.
Total, 27 pounds.
Plante's share, 6 pounds, 12 ounces.
Langlois' share, 6 pounds, 12 ounces.
Ball's share, 13 pounds, 8 ounces.
Divisi