tove was in working order.

The afternoon proved terribly long to all of them. Sometimes they would
take turns at dozing, for the patter of the rain among the leaves, and
on the canvas above their heads, made a sort of lullaby that induced
sleep. Several times the rain would die out for a short time, only to
make a fresh start again after exciting false hopes.

"Well," observed Jack, as evening drew on apace, "we might have been a
whole lot worse off. The tent hasn't leaked a drop, that I've noticed;
and thanks to the stove we've been comfortable enough. Let's hope it'll
rain itself out during the night, and give us a chance to get moving
tomorrow."

This did not prove to be the case, for it turned out to be one of those
easterly storms that usually last the better part of three days, with
almost a constant downpour, though not very heavy at any time.

When another day came, it was still dark and gloomy, though not raining
just then. They managed to get a chance to stretch themselves outside
before it set in again. Steve was the one who did most of the
complaining, though Toby grumbled quite a bit also.

Along toward noon, it brightened up some. Toby even declared with bated
breath that he fancied he glimpsed a tiny patch of blue sky, "large
enough to make a pair of trousers."

"But the signs all show that it's clearing off," observed Steve,
exultantly, fixing his weather-sharp eye on the aforesaid patch of azure
sky. "You know the old saying is, 'Between eleven and two it'll tell you
what it's going to do,' so I'm counting on our having a decent afternoon
of it."

His prediction proved to be correct. The clouds began to part, and at
exactly noon, according to Jack's watch, the sun looked out from behind
the dark curtains that had hidden his genial face for so long a spell.

"It'll take the whole afternoon for the woods to get decently dry
again," Jack was saying just then; "so we'll have to keep quiet for a
little spell. But I've got a scheme on foot that will take two of us
away all of tomorrow, and perhaps the day afterwards, leaving one to
guard the camp. And you two fellows must toss up to see who goes, and
who stays."

CHAPTER XVII

THE PROSPECTORS

"Well, for one, I don't want to be kept in suspense so long," Toby
began; "and I move we settle that question right away, Steve, by drawing
straws."

"After all, it had better be you who goes with Jack, Toby," the other
generously went on to say