t."

"Well, look sharp."

"All right. But if we go--"

"_But if_! Why, we are going."

"I hope so," cried Ned. "But I say, Griggs, what are you going to do
about your shanty? Are you going to lock it up and leave the key with
the nearest neighbour?"

"Tchah! Nonsense! I'm going to put together what I want in a mule-car,
ready for hitching the two kickers on, and then I'm going to take a
hammer and a bag of spikes, and nail up the door and window. I shall
advise your gov'nors to do the same here."

"But of course we shall take no end of things with us," said Chris.

"You won't, my lad. We shall load up two or three cars, but it will be
with meal and tinned meat, bacon and ham. Tea, coffee, and sugar, of
course. Ammunition, a few tools, a waterproof or two, and a tent.
That's all."

"What about clothes?"

"Oh, we shall bring them on our backs. It's going to be light
marching-order, I can tell you."

"That won't matter," said Ned. "I shall like it. I say, Griggs, it'll
be like one long jolly great picnic."

"Yes, if we keep well, and the Indians let us alone."

"But, shall we meet Indians, Griggs?" cried Chris excitedly.

"Not we. Sooner go miles round; but they'll meet us, I expect."

"Oh!" said Chris thoughtfully. "But what for?"

"To get our mules and carts, and all we have with us."

"But what about ourselves?"

"Oh, we're no use to them," said the American dryly. "They'll pitch us
aside as so much rubbish--if we'll let 'em."

"Get on!" cried Ned. "He's talking like that to frighten us. But I
say, Griggs, what about the gold?"

"Well, what about it?"

"If there's tons upon tons of it, how are we going to bring it away?"

"Ah, yes. I've been thinking about that," said the American dryly, "and
I've settled upon this."

"Yes! What?" cried the boys eagerly.

"To find it first. It's of no use to settle how you'll cook your bird
till you've caught it."

"But we couldn't expect the mules to drag tons of metal across the
desert."

"Oh yes, we could, easily. We might expect a deal more than that; but
they wouldn't do it."

"Get out! He's laughing at us, Ned."

"Of course I was. Here, are your governors up yet?"

"They weren't when we came out," replied Chris.

"Well, I wonder at them, I dew," said Griggs. "Sleeping, with an idea
like this to think about. I never had a wink all night. Say, this is
going to be a change from pruning and weeding, eh?"

"Oh, it's gl