aterials brought up, they had put this down
to the folly of the "Britisher" who had organised the party!

When the mining party alone remained, a diligent search was at once
begun for the shaft which had been sunk. This they knew was near the
river.

Three days were spent and no signs of the shaft were discovered, when
Seth came across a short stump of charred wood at the edge of the river
bed.

He led Mr Rawlings and Noah Webster to the spot, and they agreed that
this was probably the site upon which the dwelling-house had stood.

"The river, you see, has changed its course a bit," Noah said. "These
streams come down in big floods in winter, and carry all before them,
often changing their beds. If it came across the mouth of the shaft it
would fill it up with boulders and gravel in five minutes. Waal, what
we've got to look for is a filled-up hole hereabouts. Mostly, the rock
lies just under the surface gravel, so if we get crowbars and thrust
down we shall find it sure enough."

A few hours' search, now that the clue was obtained, led to the
discovery of the lost shaft. The lode was now traced extending either
way, and as it was at once agreed that it would not do to commence
another so near the river, a place was fixed upon a hundred yards back
from the old shaft, and the whole of the stores and tools were removed
to this spot.

Then the whole force set to to get up a large hut of galvanised iron,
which they had brought, with its framework, from Chicago.

Timber is sometimes scarce in these regions, and it would not have done
to have relied upon it. The hut contained a large general room where
all would take their meals together, a store-room, a bed-room for the
men, and a smaller one for Mr Rawlings, Seth, Noah, and Sailor Bill. A
small "lean-to" as a kitchen was erected against the hut, and layers of
coarse turf, eighteen inches thick, were built up against the outer wall
all round for additional protection, as the winter would be bitterly
cold, and a great thickness of material would be required to resist its
inclemency.

There was an equal partition of labour. The black cook took possession
of his kitchen, Jasper was to act as general attendant, and Seth assumed
the position of manager of the works, with Noah Webster under him as
deputy, while the men were divided into three gangs, each of which would
work eight hours a day at the work of sinking the shaft.

STORY ONE, CHAPTER SEVEN.

FI