out and pass
over the side, till only a small patch of sand of a coarse grain
remained on the tin; and at last, as if satisfied with his task, he
stepped out on to the dry bank, and held the plate sidewise for the
water to drain off. This took some few minutes, the hot sun drying the
sand as he turned it about with one finger.

Every movement was performed with the most patient deliberation, and in
utter unconsciousness of the fact that we were watching him, both eager
to learn the result of his search.

It was a long time before we knew, for Quong turned the sand about over
and over again, and then inspected it with a peculiarly magpieish air,
before he shook his head, tossed the sand away, and selected another
spot in the stream, where he went through the same process, while we lay
and watched him till the final examination. This time, just as I fully
expected to see him toss out the sand, he rose up with a triumphant look
on his yellow face, and caught sight of us. His jaw dropped, and he
appeared frightened, but the dread seemed to pass away, and he came
towards us with his tin.

"Me washee gole," he said, excitedly. "Fine gole."

"Where?" said Gunson, abruptly. "Let's look."

He stretched out his hand for the tin, which was placed in it
hesitatingly, Quong's face betokening that he did not expect to see it
again.

Gunson gave the half-dry sand a shake which spread part of it over the
bottom of the tin, then another and another, while I looked on eagerly,
and at last he uttered a contemptuous "pish!"

"I thought you said you had found gold."

"Yes. Quong fine gole. Washee gole."

"Washee gole! Where is it then?"

The Chinaman took back the tin, shook it, peered in among the grains of
sand; shook it again and again; then shook his head instead, and looked
up at Gunson.

"Yes; washee gole," he said, in a tone of voice which seemed to mean,
"but it's gone away now."

"Fancy, my lad, fancy. There, lie down and rest. I'll have a try when
we come to a likely place. We must work in the river."

"No; too muchee water," said Quong.

"Yes; here. We must go up higher."

"Quong washee gole," said the little fellow again.

"Well then, where is it?"

Quong shook his head despondently once more.

"Washee gole," he whined, and again his tone of voice seemed to say to
me, "and there was some in that plate, but where it's gone to now I
haven't the least idea."

"Come along and have a rest."

"A