stake lines."

By the end of July the sand and gravel taken from the bedrock of
Mosquito Hollow gulch had been disposed of, and now a month was given to
a general clearing up of the dirt taken from half a dozen little hollows
which lay on either side. It was terribly hot again, but the workers
took their time over what they did, and often rested during the middle
of the day. Three days before the first of September they were done.

"There, that settles it!" cried Foster Portney, as he flung down his
shovel. "No more work for me until I have paid a visit to the States."

"Hurrah!" shouted Randy, and he gave his pick a whirl which sent it
thirty feet off. "I'm just aching for a sight of civilization."

"And for an old-fashioned meal," added Earl.

Fred's eyes glistened, but he said nothing. He was wondering what sort
of a reception he would receive when he got home. He had sent on two
letters from the gulch, but no answer had come back and there was no
telling if the communications had reached their destination.

The next day was spent in the delightful task of counting up the
proceeds of their venture. Of course it was impossible to calculate
closely, yet they were conservative in their estimates, and in the end,
when their nuggets and dust were turned over to the United States mint
in San Francisco, they were not disappointed as to the check received in
return.

The upper claim during the time it was worked by Dr. Barwaithe and
Captain Zoss in the spring had yielded five thousand dollars. Of this,
as per agreement, two thousand dollars went to the doctor, a like sum to
the captain, and one thousand dollars to Foster Portney. Added to what
they had made previously, the doctor and the captain now held a matter
of nine thousand dollars' worth of gold between them. Not a fortune, but
still a tidy sum, all things considered.

The Portneys, of course, had fared much better. The total yield of gold
to them from start to finish footed up to fifty-two thousand dollars. Of
this amount, as we know, one-half went to Earl and Randy, which gave the
lads exactly thirteen thousand dollars apiece. Twenty-six thousand
dollars was Foster Portney's share, but out of this he had been
compelled to spend three thousand dollars in bringing the party up and
keeping them, and he would have to spend nearly another thousand in
getting them home.

During the early summer of the present year, Earl, Randy, and Foster
Portney had held a pri