hat locality the
next day.

Eight o'clock found all hard at work. While the captain and Earl washed,
the others went into the opening of the cliff and brought out all that
remained of the dirt and loose stones. There was not a great deal, and
shortly after noon every shovelful was heaped up close to the artificial
pool of water Dr. Barwaithe had constructed. While the washing
continued, Foster Portney examined the sides and the bottom of the
opening, and then moved forward through a tangled mass of brushwood and
tundra until he came to the bed of a second gulch a hundred feet
distance from the first.

"There is nothing more in the pocket," he declared. "And if there is any
more gold, it is either in that gulch or this, and I am half inclined to
think it is over there, although we may as well prospect this gulch
thoroughly first."

By the morrow the washings from the pocket came to an end, with four
more ounces of gold to the credit of the prospectors, making in all a
find of about five hundred dollars. Previous to going into camp it had
been decided that for the present everything found should be divided
into five parts, one to go to the captain, one to the doctor, and three
to Foster Portney for himself and his nephews. The Portney share, as we
know, was to be divided, one-half to Mr. Portney and one-quarter to each
of the boys. Thus the boys received each three-twentieths of the entire
amount found; not a large portion, but then they had nothing to pay out
for expenses, which were bound to be considerable, and each was
perfectly willing that his uncle should have the one-tenth extra of the
whole amount on that account.

"Three-twentieths of five hundred dollars is seventy-five dollars," said
Randy to Earl, when they were alone. "We've each earned that, free and
clear, so far. That's not bad."

"If only we can continue, we'll make our fortunes," replied Earl,
earnestly. "But the pocket's at an end, and now we've got to prospect
elsewhere."

The days went by, and they tried the first of the gulches from end to
end, sometimes working together, and then each man and boy for himself.
But though they struck gold often it was never in paying quantities, and
the end of the week saw them somewhat discouraged.

"It wouldn't be so bad, only we made such a fine start," grumbled Randy.
"Now there's no telling when we shall find gold again."

"That's the fortunes o' prospectin'," said the captain. "It may be we
won't git