antities sufficiently
large to warrant working. At the place, however, which they subsequently
named Chihuahua (pronounced in the vernacular Chee-waw-waw) the
perspicacious Jones had given it as his opinion, formed after mature
deliberation and a sapient examination of some two or three shovelsful
of dirt, that there was a satisfactory "color in that ar bank." Some
hard work of about a week demonstrated that there were excellent
diggings there, and then work was commenced upon it in good earnest. The
cabin was built, Gentleman Dick's choice of location being unanimously
approved; two or three trips were made across the "Range" to the nearest
settlement for materials and provisions; and then the real labor began.
As they cut through the heavy bank of mould and gravel, gradually eating
a long trench to the bed-rock, prospects grew better and better. At
last, one day a narrow ledge of brittle, shaly rock came in view,
covered with a coating of thick, heavy yellow mud, of which Old Platte
gathered a panful and betook himself down to the river-side. A war-whoop
from the direction in which he had disappeared came ringing through the
gooseberry bushes to their ears, and with a responsive yell and a
simultaneous dropping of shovels and picks they all dashed off to his
side. He was discovered in a condition of great excitement, dancing
wildly round the pan, in the bottom of which about half a teaspoonful
of coarse yellow nuggets were shining among the black sand. It was a
grand prospect, and with the exception of Gentleman Dick, whose
exultation was of a very mild and reserved order, the proprietors of the
Chihuahua Claim behaved in a very undignified and unseemly way; Thompson
and Jones organizing an impromptu sparring-match, and Old Platte
standing indecorously on his head in a neighboring clump of bushes.
Sundry war-whoops and divers indications of activity showed that work of
a very lively and energetic character was being prosecuted that
afternoon on the bar; and when the sun sunk to rest behind the purple
mountains, and the blue mists of evening rose in the valley, they had
their sluice-boxes and "riffles" in order, and were ready to commence
washing at sunrise.

It did not take very long to clean the ledge, and early in the afternoon
the water was shut off. When it was found that the "riffles" yielded
thirteen ounces of gold that would coin eighteen dollars and a half to
the ounce, a firm conviction seemed to settle upon