me thing over and over every day, and I was glad that nobody had
connected my name with a lost nugget. Elam would go along on foot,
leaving his horse to follow or not as he pleased; and if he found a
little pile of stones on the bank that didn't look as though it had been
thrown up by nature, he would go into the bushes and perhaps be gone for
an hour. We had long ago passed the pocket, and were continuing on our
way slowly and laboriously up the canyon, and one day Elam startled Tom
by calling out:

"I reckon you will think I am all right now. Here is the place where
that fellow camped."

In less than two seconds Tom and I were by Elam's side. Cautioning us
not to go too far so as to disturb things, he plainly pointed out to us
the marks of a person's figure on the leaves. Some of the bushes had
been broken down, and the leaves had blown over where he lay, but by
carefully brushing these aside the impress of a person's form could be
seen. There was no doubt about it, and I told Elam so in a way that made
him all right again.

"Where do you suppose that fellow is now?" said Tom.

"I don't know," said Elam. "My impression is that he died."

"But he wouldn't have given this map to a man when he knew it to be
wrong, would he?"

"I tell you that there's a heap of things connected with this nugget
that we shall never find out. We are on the right trail yet. I tell you
I feel encouraged."

We all did for that matter, and every day we searched both sides of the
stream to find that man's camping place, and when we found it we would
call the others up; but one day Tom came into camp, and his face was
full of news.

"I don't want to raise any false hopes," said he, "but if I have not
found something I will give it up. It's on the left-hand side of the
creek. In the first place there were four stones laid up the bank, and
the bush at whose foot they lay had been broken down and leaned away
from the bank. And further than that, it was held in position by two of
the branches, which were firmly tied about it."

"Tom, I believe you have found it," said I.

"It is too far away to find it before dark, but I will go there the
first thing in the morning," continued Tom, who was so excited that he
could scarcely speak plainly. "We want to take along our picks and
shovels, too."

We both glanced at Elam, but he didn't say anything. He was lying back
on his blanket, with his pipe between his teeth and his hands under his
head.