ave taken our plantation as a gift."

"That's about how it stands, sir," said Griggs. "They wouldn't. Why
should they? It would only make them more work and less profit. You do
as I do, sir--I mean, as I'm going to do: nail up the doors and
shutters. I don't suppose any one would meddle with the shanty. If he
did he couldn't take away the land, so it would be here all right if you
ever came back and wanted it, which isn't likely, is it?"

"Not at all," said Bourne emphatically.

"Didn't say you were going gold-hunting, I s'pose, sir?" asked Griggs.

"Not exactly."

"Then some one did ask questions?"

"Everybody did," replied the doctor, "and I said we were going
prospecting."

"Oh, you might have said the real thing, sir. They sneer at you as much
for one as for t'other. But that don't matter. I don't know, though:
if they knew as much as we know we should have the whole settlement
after us; not that I should mind every one I know having a nibble at the
yellow cake, but where half-a-dozen people might manage to find enough
water, fifty folk would die of thirst, and perhaps tell us it was all
our fault."

"Yes, the smaller our party the better, I say," said Bourne.

"Which means I'd better stop out of it, sir," said Griggs shortly.

"No, it does not, Griggs," cried the doctor warmly. "Cer-tain-ly not,"
added Bourne. "You will come with us, of course."

"Well, I--"

"That'll do, Griggs; no backing out," said Wilton shortly.--"Now then,
what about stores?"

"I propose that two of us decide what money will be necessary, and then
go over to Mainton with two mule-carts and spend it on such things as we
shall want. That will take a week, including the obtaining a
sufficiency of ammunition."

"Which means plenty, gentlemen, for we might be regularly besieged in
our wagon, and have to beat the Injuns off."

"I don't anticipate that," replied the doctor calmly, while the boys
felt their nerves tingle; "but we will be prepared. Then we shall come
back--I mean those who undertake the task will come back, and that will
be all that is necessary to be done, save having one or two good
discussions as to the route we shall take. Then we'll start upon our
wild quest."

"Wild indeed, I'm afraid," said Bourne.

"Nay! Not it," cried Griggs. "We've got plenty of time."

"And plenty of room," said Wilton, laughing.

"To be sure we have," continued Griggs. "Lookye here, I've been
thinking this little b