thing more," thought he, as he went in and
seated himself at the table. "If they had wanted to do mischief, they
might have pulled a chunk from the fire and set the whole thing to
going, but instead of doing that they just contented themselves with
robbing us. Forty dollars. Where did they get it? Two gold eagles and
bills enough to make up the balance. Here's tobacco enough to last both
of them a week; needles and thread, so it don't seem to me that they
ought to have been satisfied to go around with their jackets full of
holes, as I saw them, and----What's this? It's something pretty
precious, I guess, because it is wrapped up tightly."

It was a small parcel tied up in buckskin that caught Tom's eye just
then. It was so neatly wrapped up in numerous folds that by the time Tom
got them unfolded he fully expected to find some quartz or some more
gold pieces; but when he brought it to light, there was nothing but a
little piece of paper, with ordinary lines drawn upon it. Did he throw
it away? He spread it out upon the table as smoothly as he could, and
set to work to study out the problem presented to him. One thing was
plain to him: the line which ran up the middle, paying no attention to
other lines which came into it at intervals, was a gully. Right ahead it
went until it branched off in two places, and there it stopped. What did
it mean?

"It means something, as sure as I am a foot high," said Tom, settling
back in his chair and holding the paper up before him. "There is
something buried there, and how did these people come by it? I guess
that Elam had better see that."

Filled with excitement, Tom bundled the things back into the bag, and
put the bag into his pocket, wondering what sort of history those two
men had passed through. Did they know anything about the nugget? The
idea was ridiculous, simply because there were some marks on a paper
which he did not understand.

"There was only one of them who escaped with the nugget, and he buried
it within ten miles of the fort," said Tom. "And Elam says, further,
that he was so sick and tired when he was relieved that he could not
draw a map to lead anyone to it. No matter; there's something there, and
I am in hopes it will----By George! they are coming back."

There was no doubt about it, and he might have heard them before if he
had not been so busy with his reflections. He listened and could hear
them tramping through the bushes, and all on a sudden one raised