out, yet not one of them
complained.

"There they are!" cried Dave, some time after noon, as they made a turn
around some rocks; and in a few minutes the friends were together once
more.

"All safe?" asked Abe Blower, anxiously, and then, when assured that no
harm had come to the boys, he added: "Mighty glad to know it!"

"So am I glad!" put in Tom Dillon, heartily. "It was sure some
landslide! Almost as bad as the one that wiped out the mine!"

"We've got good news!" cried Roger. "We have relocated the lost mine!
Dave did it!"

"You and Phil did it, too," said our hero, modestly.

"Wot! Have ye located the Landslide Mine?" roared Abe Blower.

"We sure have," returned Phil. "Look here!" And he brought out some of
the nuggets he carried. And then Roger and Dave did the same.

"This is grand!" exclaimed Tom Dillon. "Nuggets, an' pretty big ones,
too. But how do you know it's the mine?"

"We found some landmarks," answered Roger. "And my uncle's coat and a
note-book----"

"And his pick, crowbar, and lantern," added Dave. And then the three
boys told their story in detail.

"It must be the lost mine," said Abe Blower. "An' if it is, I
congratulate ye!" And he shook hands all around. "Tom, they got ahead o'
us," he added, with a grin.

"So they did," was the answer. "Well, I'd rather have it that way than
have those other fellers locate the mine. By the way, I wonder how they
fared in the landslide?" the old miner continued.

"Three of them, Merwell, Haskers, and Blugg, were below me," answered
Dave. "They were over yonder," and he pointed with his hand.

"Wot! Down on thet ledge?" cried Abe Blower.

"Yes."

"Humph! Then I reckon it's all up with 'em," went on the old miner.

"What do you mean?" asked Roger.

"I mean it's likely they was wiped out," was the reply. "When the fust
quake an' slide came I was lookin' down towards thet ledge. I saw some
heavy rocks go down, and a big mass o' dirt, too, an' the ledge was
buried out o' sight. If they was down thar, it's more'n likely they was
buried alive!"

"Oh, I'd hate to think that!" cried Dave, with a shudder.

"Do you think the landslide is at an end?" asked Phil, anxiously.

"There is no tellin' about that, lad. We'll go up on the mountain, and
to the safest place we can find, and then wait," said Tom Dillon.

This was done, and an hour later, worn out completely, all sat down to
rest and to partake of lunch. They could look far along the mountai