at's a strike to start on, isn't it!"

He had hoped to make the first find himself, but he was too unselfish to
begrudge his brother that pleasure. Leaving the lump in his uncle's
possession, Randy led the way back to where the find had been made, and
all three set to work without delay to empty the "pocket," as Foster
Portney called it, and examine the contents.

"Here's another!" cried Earl, presently. "It's not quite so large,
though."

"But it's worth at least a hundred dollars, Earl," answered his uncle.
"And see, here are a number of little fellows worth from ten dollars to
fifty each. Randy has struck a bonanza beyond a doubt. Don't scatter
that dirt too much, for we must wash out every ounce of it for little
nuggets and dust."

"And maybe there is a vein of gold back there," said Randy, proudly.
"If there is, we can all work it, can't we?"

"Yes, unless the captain and the doctor have struck something equally
good. There, that seems to be the last of the nuggets. Let us count
them. Fourteen in all, and worth at least four hundred dollars. It paid
to stay over in spite of what that miner said, didn't it?" And Foster
Portney laughed, and the boys joined in readily, for the discovery of so
much gold had put all into the best of humor.

The nuggets picked out, they set to work to wash out the sand and dirt.
While Foster Portney filled the pan and washed, the two boys took turns
in bringing up water from the pool, using for the purpose a rubber water
bag the man had thoughtfully provided for just such an emergency. The
washings continued until it was quite dark, and by that time half of the
dirt had been gone over and something like two ounces of gold dust
extracted.

"Not so bad," said Mr. Portney. "Perhaps to-morrow we'll do even
better."

"I could keep on all night," declared Randy, who was loath to quit the
locality. "Somebody may come in and take the claim away from us before
morning."

"We'll leave the pick and the shovel in it, and that will prevent them,"
was the answer; and this was done. No miner dares to touch another's
"prospect" so long as any tools remain in it.

When they got back to camp they found the doctor and the captain already
there. The two had tried half a dozen spots, but only one had yielded
sufficient gold dust to warrant their continuing to work it. They
listened with keen interest to the account of the find made by Randy,
and were quite willing to take a hand at prospecting t