er parts," said Wilton.

"That's right, sir."

"How long had he been out here, then?" asked Ned eagerly.

"Can't say, squire; but a many, many years, for he was pretty nigh worn
out, warn't he, doctor?"

"By privation principally," said Bourne thoughtfully.

"Privation had had a good deal to do with it certainly," said the
doctor; "but Griggs is right, he was nearly worn out."

"With his long fight?" said Wilton.

"Principally from old age. He must have been very far past seventy."

"What?" cried Bourne.

"Oh yes, he was very old," replied the doctor quietly.

"Ay, he seemed so," said Griggs. "Old enough to be a hundred; not that
he was. I'll say eighty. Well, he might easily have been wandering
about in his gold hunt for twenty or thirty or forty years."

"Oh, absurd!" cried Wilton.

"P'r'aps so, sir; but look here, he went out with a party of
prospectors, didn't he?"

"Yes."

"And he was the only survivor?"

"To be sure; he told Lee so."

"Well, it's an old story about the parties of prospectors going out into
the desert in search of gold and never coming back."

"Yes, we have heard it often."

"Then tell me this, Mr Wilton," said Griggs sharply. "When a party
goes out exploring, what sort of chaps are they?"

"A very brave, enterprising set."

"Of old men, I s'pose, sir, nearly worn out?"

"Nonsense! Able-bodied, vigorous, young and active fellows," cried
Wilton decisively.

"That's right, sir. Then how many years is it since that poor old
fellow was young, able-bodied, and vigorous, and started off into the
desert with his party? It wasn't yesterday, I'll be bound."

"No!" said Wilton, very slowly and thoughtfully.

"He managed to live a long time out here, sir, eh?" said Griggs,
smiling, "and so can we. We've got a hundred times his chance, for, as
I said before, we know what he didn't."

"What do you mean?" said Ned's father.

"We know that the gold city is somewhere, and we've got his plan to work
upon. Now, doctor," continued the speaker suddenly, "what do you say to
making a start for the mountain to have a look round?"

"The sooner the better," said the doctor, "only let's make a stack of
our stores."

"That's soon done," said Griggs, and all started to place the bales so
that the mules might not investigate matters that were no concern of
theirs.

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

DISMOUNT!--QUICK!

"Isn't it grand!" cried Chris, as he tightened the girths of his saddl