und him. Leaving the rest picking out the tiny flakes from
the earthy bed, Howe and Jones spent the day in examining the
localities around where they thought it most likely the ore was to be
found, but obtained only torn hands and feet for their labor, and were
glad to give up the search and return to camp. During their absence the
children had collected a great deal, sometimes finding nuggets as large
as a walnut.

"Oh! well," said Jones, in a fretful tone, when the children displayed
their wealth before him, "I can get enough when I am over the
mountains, if I have missed it to-day."

"As for that, we will share with you," said Jane. "You have lead us so
far out of the wilderness where, without your aid, we might have
perished. We do not forget this, and what we have to bestow, which is
very little, is at your command."

"Well, well, there is no need of it: I tell you I have lumps of gold
over the mountains larger than I can lift. Besides, can I not get some
myself out of the earth to-morrow?"

After a few days' sojourn here, they prepared themselves as well as
their scanty means would allow, to cross the barrier before them. All
day long they rode over the broken ground, along which the trail lay,
and at night halted far up its rugged side, where they could look down
upon the rolling valley below. Here they found the night air very cold,
and they were obliged to enclose boughs around them to break the wind
from their miserable retreat while they slept.

Taking an early breakfast, they started on, and at night, having made a
good day's ride, reached within a short distance of the summit of the
mountain. Here they experienced much difficulty in respiration. The
vegetation also became very sparse; the ground sometimes in large
spaces being covered with piles of slate and limestone, among which,
not a shrub could take root. They often terminated in precipices making
the trail through their windings difficult and dangerous. By the aid of
large fires they spent the night very comfortably, and the next morning
determined, while still refreshed by rest, to cross the summit and make
the descent so far as would make respiration less difficult, for even
now they were at times dizzy and faint. To ride through these difficult
places was impossible, and dismounting, they passed up the narrow path
one at a time; sometimes the ascent was so glassed with ice and so
steep that they were obliged to pull themselves up by clinging w