e place if it wasn't for the Indians,"
cried Ned.

"Ah, I wasn't thinking about the gold then, my lad."

"The gold!" cried Bourne contemptuously. "What is the gold, after all,
but so much yellow metal?"

"That's right enough, sir," said Griggs, "but precious--"

"Precious!" said Bourne, with more contempt in his tone. "A fancy
word."

"I hadn't finished what I meant to say, sir," said Griggs.

"Finish then," cried Bourne. "I don't believe you are a slave to the
lust for gold."

"Slave, eh?" said Griggs merrily. "Britons never shall be slaves, as
you sing--nor Murricans neither. No, sir. I was going to say precious
useful, when you cut me short."

"I beg your pardon, Griggs."

"Granted, sir. I was speaking as a man who has toiled for years and
years to get a decent living by his plantation, and I must say, after
all my disappointments I should like to drop all at once upon that gold
city where the stuff's lying waiting to be carted away."

"Yes," said the doctor; "after all our lost labour it would be
pleasant."

"I don't want to wear gold chains and rings, and to keep carriages,"
continued Griggs, "but I should like to have enough of the yellow stuff
to put in a bank, and one might do a good deal of good if one made a
pile."

"Yes, I quite agree with you," said the doctor. "We all do, and we'll
work till we find it."

"Of course," cried Wilton; "but I don't like that striking off south
to-morrow; why should we do that?"

"It means getting clear of the Indians," said Griggs, "and into a more
likely part."

"But we should have to go right across that desert yonder. I could see
it stretching away to the horizon from one point we passed to-day."

"So did I, sir," said Griggs.

"Then why not keep hugging the mountains?"

"Or letting them hug us, Ned," whispered Chris.

"Didn't use the glass when you looked out over the salt plain, did you,
Mr Wilton?" said Griggs.

"No; there wasn't any need. I could see nothing else but one vast
alkali plain."

"That's a pity, sir," said the American.

"That's what I say, and I propose that we keep on in the mountains till
we can see a place likely to be that we are looking for."

"Look here, gentlemen," said Griggs, "I'm Amurrican, and I speak with a
slow sort of drawl which comes nat'ral to me. You don't give me time.
I've got a lot more to say about that lookout and the glass, only--
snip-snap, you cut my speech right in two."

"I'm very sorry