lippers in the water
here. Stream's too swift for them."

The men were over the sides of the boats and into the water directly,
and, thus lightened, the vessels were run close up to the bank before
they grounded side by side.

"We'll lighten your boat more still, gentlemen, in the morning," said
the captain, "and pole her along to find a deeper channel. It's too
late now, and we're all tired. My word!" he continued, as he stood on
one of the after-thwarts and looked down through the crystal-clear water
at the sandy gravel; "why, this looks just the sort of place where you
might wash for gold."

"Hah!" ejaculated Brace: and then to himself: "He has done it now."

The captain's loudly-spoken words had been plainly heard by all, and
seemed to send a magnetic thrill through every man.

Without exception, at the word "gold" all stopped in what they were
doing and stared down through the clear water at their feet with eager
dilated eyes, while to Brace it appeared as if each hearer held his
breath in the excitement which had chained him motionless there.

Briscoe's eyes flashed a meaning look at Brace, who glanced at him, and
then he cried: "Yes; that's what I was thinking, skipper. S'pose we
have a try?"

"All right, do," said the captain good-humouredly. "But never you mind,
my lads: get the things ashore. You, Dellow, take a rifle and have a
look-out for squalls--Injuns, I mean. Not that there's much likelihood,
for there's no cover for the enemy here. Now, then; what are you all
staring at? Are you struck comic? Never heard the word `gold' before?"

The men all started as if they had been rudely awakened from sleep, and
began to carry the necessaries ashore, while Brace turned to the
American, who was busy at the locker, from which he was getting out a
couple of the shallow galvanised-iron wash-bowls they used.

"Cast loose that shovel from under the thwart, Brace, my lad," he said.
"I say, sure there are none of those little flippers about?"

"Oh, yes, I'm sure," cried Brace, laughing. "We should have known if
there were before now."

"That's right," said Briscoe, stepping overboard, "for I don't feel as
if I wanted bleeding."

"Are you going to try for gold?" asked Sir Humphrey.

"That was what I thought of doing," said the American, "for the place
looks so likely. Gravelly sandy shallow in a great river which runs
down from the mountains."

"Oh, you won't find any gold here," said Lynton, s