er, but Griggs caught him by the arm.

"I'll drink that," he said; "I'm not afraid of a little sand."

He drank till the sand touched his lips, and then held it in the
sunshine, looking into the tin, stooped and refilled it, and rinsed it
round, to pour away a mixture of sand and water, refilled again, and
repeated and repeated till nearly all the sand had gone; and then he
held out the cup in triumph, for the others to see a few glistening
pieces of yellow metal about as big as small, smooth, flattened shot.

"Gold!" he cried. "Now then, all we have to do is to follow up this
river into the mountains. The golden city is there."

And they followed that river for weeks, living upon the salmon, and
washing for gold from time to time, and rarely without finding a few
tiny nuggets, while the river grew more narrow, more rugged, more
difficult of access, and drove them at last into cutting off curves and
windings in the vast plain through which it flowed.

But the golden city was not there, nor anywhere else in their
wanderings, which at last from sheer necessity in the way of supplies
drew near an end.

But the journey was not yet over, for, to the surprise of all, they
dropped one day upon a large settlement, with stores and all the
necessaries required by civilised man.

Here they rested and recouped for a month, exciting no surprise, for
prospectors were common objects there. Neither did their departure,
after they had purchased all they needed, excite remark, for men came
from the mountains to buy powder and blankets, and wandered off again in
parties, generally with mules to bear their loads.

It was like getting out of prison to be far away in the wilds again, the
boys said; and then the search went on week after week, month after
month, always in vain; but despair and disappointment never cast a
shadow over their little camp, for it was a delightful, healthy,
exciting life, with every day bringing something new, and the golden
city appearing generally in the distance after their most tiring days,
when they had eaten, drunk of the crystal waters, and rolled themselves
in their blankets to sleep.

It was then that the golden city came, bright and tempting, the visions
of their dreams always luring them on when they rose refreshed by their
rest in the clear air of the mountain or the plain.

"Oh, we're going to do it yet," Griggs would say merrily; and then they
tramped to rest their ponies, and galloped w