n into them before we know it and
give them the advantage."

This dread handicapped the boys to some extent. The trail was not
distinctly marked, often winding and precipitous, and compelling them
to halt and examine the ground and consult as to their course.

While thus engaged, they awoke to the fact that they had gone astray
and were not following the trail at all.

CHAPTER XX.

A SOUND FROM OUT THE STILLNESS.

The error occurred in this way: The trail that the boys had been
assiduously following was so faintly marked that the wonder was they
did not go astray sooner. In many places, there was little choice as to
the route, because it was so broken and crossed that one was as
distinct as the other. Nevertheless, Frank pressed on with scarcely any
hesitation, until he again reached a depression where the soft ground
failed to show the slightest impression of shoe or hoof.

"My gracious!" he exclaimed, stopping short and looking at his
companion; "how far can we have gone wrong?"

"We can find out only by returning," replied Roswell, wheeling about
and leading the way back.

They walked more hurriedly than before, as a person naturally does who
feels that time is precious, and he has wasted a good deal of it.

The search might have been continued for a long time but for a
surprising and unexpected aid that came to them. They had halted at one
of the broken places, in doubt whither to turn, and searching for some
sign to guide them, when Roswell called out:

"That beats anything I ever saw!"

As he spoke, he stooped and picked up something from the ground.
Inspecting it for a moment, he held it up for Frank to see. It was a
large nugget of pure gold.

"These mountains must be full of the metal," said Frank, "when we find
it lying loose like that."

"Not so fast," remarked his companion, who had taken the nugget again,
and was turning it over and examining it minutely. "Do you remember
that?"

On one of the faces of the gold something had been scratched with the
point of a knife. While the work was inartistic, it was easy to make
out the letters "F. M."

"I think I remember that," said Frank; "it is one of the nuggets I
found yesterday, and marked it with my initials. Those folks must have
dropped it."

There could be no doubt of it. What amazing carelessness for a couple
of men to drop a chunk of gold worth several hundred dollars and not
miss it!

It must have been that the mouth of the