y'd take a few shots at me. Easy ones, of course, so's I could
live to enjoy it."

"There are other ways of making fake mines," went on Dick, "but I
didn't read much about them."

"Do you think the Hop Toad and Dolphin mines are fakes?" asked Frank.

"That's what I'm afraid of. But I'm pretty sure Smith and his
confederates didn't use any such method as shooting the gold into the
rocks. It's in too deep for that, and they could hardly hope to fool the
assayer that way. No, they must have some new scheme, and maybe I can
discover it."

The boys walked along briskly, and, almost before they realized it, they
saw that they were approaching the mine.

"Now, go easy," advised Dick. "We first want to see if there is anyone
in sight. If not, we'll take a trip down."

Near the mouth of the shaft was some machinery used to lift the bucket
from the mine. The boys could see the dull gleam of the coals under the
boiler of the hoisting apparatus, for the fire had been banked. But
there was no sign of anyone around, and, after peering cautiously about,
the boys reached the edge of the shaft.

"Now, if dey had an elevator fer us it would be dead easy," spoke Tim.
"But I don't see how youse is goin' to git down."

"Wait until I take a look," replied Dick.

He approached the mouth of the mine and uttered an exclamation that
brought the other boys to his side.

"There's a ladder leading down," he said. "We can use that. Now to
explore a gold mine."

Seeing that he had his candles and matches ready, Dick began to descend.
The other boys waited until he was down some distance and then followed.
The ladder, as they could see, was built against the side of the shaft,
and it was far enough away so that the ascending or descending bucket
did not touch it.

"Hold on!" cried Dick, from the dark depths. "I'm going to light a
candle."

Presently a faint gleam came up the shaft, and Tim and Frank could make
out Dick's form standing below them on a rung of the ladder. They also
lighted candles, and the descent continued. In about a minute Dick
called again:

"Easy now, fellows; I've struck bottom. Got down to the first level, I
guess."

In a little while Tim and Frank joined him. They found they were
standing in a sort of cave, hollowed out under ground. Resting at the
foot of the shaft was a big bucket, attached to the wire cable that
extended to the hoisting drum.

"Is dis all dere is to de mine?" asked Tim.

"No, there see