me lizards which scared me almost as much as if they
had been rattlers. They were ten or twelve inches long. They had a funny
way of running and every few steps would turn around and look at me."

"I'm not surprised," said Grant soberly, breaking in upon the
conversation. "I understand precisely the feeling of those lizards.
There's only one of your kind in all the world."

"You're right for once in your life," retorted John. "Now tell me," he
added, "what your plans are. What is the next thing to be done?"

"Now that little Johnnie has arrived," laughed Grant, "I think the best
thing we can do, if Zeke and Pete agree, is to stay here to-night and
start on early to-morrow morning."

"Start where?" demanded John.

"Why for Simon Moultrie's claim."

"I had almost forgotten about that," laughed John, "but I guess that's as
good a trip as we can make."

By this time Zeke had supper prepared and the boys responded to his
announcement with a zeal that caused the guide to say, "You boys must not
forget that one of our packs is gone. We may have to go short on our
rations."

The statement at once led to the story of the coming of the two white men
and their strange departure. Grant explained how Zeke and Thomas Jefferson
had each made a search, but the two men had disappeared. It was suspected,
however, that they had gone farther into Thorn's Gulch and were determined
to make their own search for the lost claim of Simon Moultrie.

"If they get there first," said Zeke dryly, "we may have our troubles
staking any claim when we come."

"Well, we shan't get there unless we start," declared Fred, whose mood now
had changed completely. "I'm for starting as early as we can get John up
to-morrow morning."

"Never you mind your Uncle John!" declared that worthy individual. "I
shall be ready before you are."

Whether or not it was the rivalry of the boys that caused them to rise
early the following morning is not known, but the sun had not yet appeared
above the eastern horizon when after a breakfast, prepared by Zeke and
Pete, the Go Ahead Boys, together with the guides and the two Navajos, who
now by common consent had become members of the party, once more began
their search for the claim which Simon Moultrie had staked.

CHAPTER XX

TWO CROW TREE

The party was compelled to move somewhat slowly as Fred and George had not
yet entirely recovered from their recent experiences. Their spirits,
however, were high