on we
shall be able, I doubt not, to tackle them. I like your proposal,
however, and as soon as we can get a crew together, we will sail up the
Chesapeake and try what we can do."

Vaughan, grieved by the long, though unavoidable, delay which had
already occurred, was willing to take part in any plan his friends
proposed, and they accordingly at once set to work to collect a crew for
the expedition. They had, however, except the promise of good pay, no
inducements to offer. Had they proposed an expedition to the Spanish
Main they would speedily have collected as many men as they required;
but as only hard knocks were to be expected, without the chance of
prize-money, those who would have had no objection to the two combined
hung back. The captain at length, in despair, promised that if men
would come forward, and they should succeed in their enterprise, he
would take a cruise in search of Spaniards, and that the prizes taken
should be divided equally among all hands. This offer was likely enough
to have succeeded, when a party who had been out hunting returned full
of excitement, with the news that they had discovered a vein of gold, or
as some said a mine, at a stream some six miles distant from James Town.
The news spread like wildfire through the settlement, and every one was
eager to be off with spades and pickaxes to gather up the golden
treasure. The seamen who had engaged to serve on board the _Rainbow_
were among the first to be off; those who were labouring in the fields
left their ploughs; the few who had opened shops closed their doors and
set out, for there were no buyers of their wares.

The governor and admiral, and a few other officers, remained at their
posts. Captain Layton, in very vexation of spirit, refused to go even
to look at the mines, declaring that "all is not gold that glitters;"
and it might be, after all, this seeming gold was no better than dross;
or that if gold it was, it would stay there till he had time to go and
fetch it. Roger and Vaughan were of his opinion; indeed, neither would
have left those they were bound to protect, were it to prove as rich as
the mines of Peru and Mexico. Some days had passed away, when some of
the explorers came dropping in, their backs heavily laden with sacks
full, as they said, of gold-dust.

"Mixed with not a little dross, I guess," observed Captain Layton, who
met Ben Tarbox staggering along under as heavy a load as he had ever
attempted to