gun.

The boys had expected their uncle to come back by Tuesday as told; but
in the afternoon one of the miners, working down Mosquito Hollow,
brought word from Dawson City that Mr. Portney could not get his lumber
for two or three days, and might be absent the remainder of the week in
consequence. So there was nothing to do but to keep on working at the
claims with the hand pans, and this Randy and Earl did, Fred helping
them as far as he was able. The boy who had been so ill-treated and half
starved was growing stronger rapidly, and he showed a willingness to do
even the most disagreeable things which was as astonishing as it was
gratifying.

Friday found the trio working up along a little split in the rocks on
the right bank of the gulch. The split was not over two feet wide by
twelve feet long, and it was filled with gravel and muck, with here and
there the nest of a field mouse among the tundra. Earl had suggested
clearing out the split, and he had gone in first to loosen the gravel
with his pick. About three loads of soil had been removed and carted
down to the gulch stream, and now Earl found the balance of the split
blocked by a huge rock.

"Doesn't seem to amount to much," he said, throwing down his tools to
mop the perspiration from his brow.

"Let me go in there," suggested Fred, and caught up the pick. Swinging
the tool over his shoulder, he brought it down with all force at a spot
where the rock showed a slight crack.

"Look out, or you'll break that pick!" called out Randy, when the front
half of the rock fell away, and Fred had to jump up to avoid having his
feet crushed. As he made the leap, his eyes caught sight of a surface of
yellow half hidden by muck and moss. He struck at it with the pick, and
out came a nugget nearly as big as his fist. He grabbed it up in a
transport of delight.

"Look! look! A nugget! Oh, what a big fellow! How much do you think it's
worth?" he cried; and rubbed the muck off with his coat sleeve. "It
looks as if it was solid!"

"It is almost solid," said Earl, weighing the find in his hand. "It's
worth two or three hundred dollars at least." And then he added, by way
of a caution, "You'll have to remember, Fred, that this is my uncle's
claim."

"Oh, I know that. But it ought to be worth something for finding it,"
said Fred, wistfully.

"Certainly, we'll make it right."

"Of course we will," added Randy. "Let us see if there are any more
nuggets in there. This may b