esumed their journey Zeke
said, "It's so warm here in the middle of the day that I feel as if I was
suffocated. I guess we'd better stay here where we be 'till we've cooked
our dinner."

The descent had required so much effort on the part of every one of the Go
Ahead Boys that they were all willing to accede to the guide's suggestion.

"Zeke, how far do you think we'll have to go before we begin our search?"
inquired Fred.

"We'll have to go until we come to the claim," replied the guide dryly.

"But when shall we begin to look?"

"Keep lookin' all the while. I'm thinkin', though," Zeke added, "that we
shan't have to go more than three or four miles from the rim."

"You don't suppose he has staked his claim right on the top of the ground,
do you?" inquired George.

"What put that notion into your head?" laughed the guide.

"Why it looks so on Simon's map."

"That's all right," acknowledged Zeke. "That map doesn't show many
gulches, does it? But I'm not lookin' for a claim right on the flat part
of the rim."

"You'll tell us when to begin to look for the stakes, won't you?" asked
Fred who was deeply interested in the project which now was distinctly
before him.

"Don't you worry none about that," replied Zeke. "When you boys are ready
to start you say the word and we'll leave."

"I guess we're all ready to go now," suggested Grant.

"Off we go then," said Zeke, as he promptly arose and swung his pack to
his back.

The party by this time was moving in single file, Zeke still leading the
way and Pete following as the rear guard.

The two young Navajos had not remained in the line for any continued
length of time. They were moving back and forth, the expression of their
shining eyes betraying their keen interest. Indeed, the possibility of
discovering a mine had so aroused every member of the party that even the
guide who was leading could not entirely conceal his excitement by his
manner.

For nearly three hours the little expedition continued on its way.
Climbing proved to be more difficult than the descent had been, but at
last the party was near the rim.

There they halted once more while Zeke directed the Navajoes to move along
the side of the gulch beneath the rim while the others continued on their
way across the plateau.

"Yonder is Split Rock, I'm thinkin'," abruptly said Zeke as he stopped and
pointed to a huge rock unlike any others which the boys had seen in the
region. The stone had been