s the searchers made their way upward, and thus confirming Lance's
theory. He did not, however, devote much time to the actual search for
gold; his object was just then to trace the gold to its source, and, at
the same time, to note what capabilities existed for damming off the
most promising spots, with a view to future operations.

A happy idea, as Blanche thought it, suddenly occurred to that young
lady.

"Oh, Lance!" she exclaimed, "what geese we are?"

"Are we, darling?" said her companion. "Probably if anyone happened to
see us just now," sliding his arm round her waist and kissing her, "they
would be inclined to think so. Nay, you need not pout, it is entirely
your own fault; the fact is, that you looked so pretty the temptation
was simply irresistible."

"Was it?" she retorted. "Well, I think it very rude of you to interrupt
me like that, just at the moment I was about to give utterance to a
brilliant idea; but seriously, Lance dear, do you not think we could
collect a sufficiency of this gold to purchase our freedom from these
horrid men."

Evelin thought the matter over for a minute or two.

"I am afraid not," he said at last. "I have not the slightest doubt
about our being able to collect a sufficient quantity of gold; the
ground seems to be absolutely _gorged_ with it; but the difficulty would
be in the effecting of an arrangement by which these fellows would be
persuaded to release us after the payment of the ransom. They would
take the gold and afterwards simply break faith with us. No; our
services are of too much value to them, unluckily, for them ever to
voluntarily permit our departure; and we shall therefore have to follow
out our original plan of escape, if possible--unless a better offers.
But we will endeavour to possess ourselves of some of this enormous
wealth; and we must trust to chance for the opportunity to convey it
away with us."

They were now near the head of the ravine, which seemed to terminate in
a sort of _cul-de-sac_, a huge reef of auriferous rock jutting out of
the ground and forming an almost perpendicular wall across the end of
the ravine. On reaching the base of this wall, the tiny stream they had
been following was found to have its source a yard or two from the face
of the rock, bubbling up out of the ground in the midst of a little pool
some three yards across. It was near this spot, therefore, in all
probability, that the precious metal would be found in ric