gget and the gold he
had with him when murdered! Let us look just one more day!"

"Well, son, I am sure that we all are just as anxious to find that Cave
of Gold as you can possibly be; but, where can we look that we have not
already looked? What is the use of going over exactly the same ground
that we have already been over many times? It isn't a question of
sticking. I'd say stick as long as there was any hope. But, as Ham says,
any fool with eyes in his head can see that there is no gulch opening
here. Either Stackpole was crazy, or we've struck the wrong canyon; and,
in either case, we might just as well give up the search and get back
where we know there is gold. However, I will put the matter to a vote;
and we will do as the majority wishes. Shall we start back for the
diggings in the morning? All in favor of starting back in the morning
stand up," and Mr. Conroyal's eyes glanced over the little company
seated around him.

All arose slowly to their feet, except Thure and Bud, who looked almost
ready to cry at this untimely ending of all their romantic dreams.

"I know it is hard, hard on us all, and especially hard on you two
boys," Mr. Conroyal said, turning sympathetically to the lads. "But it
would be foolish to waste any more time here. Now, let us have a last
look at that map, before we fling the cussed thing into the fire," and
he motioned Thure to hand him the skin map. "We don't want it to fool
anybody else."

Thure slowly took the map from its place of concealment in his shirt
bosom and reluctantly handed it to his father. Then all bent their heads
over it; but there was little interest in their faces. They had examined
the map too often and too closely to hope to find anything new in it
now.

Suddenly Mrs. Dickson uttered a little exclamation and pointed with her
finger to the roughly drawn tree in the left hand corner of the map.

"I wonder if that tree, with the arrow pointing downward toward the east
point of the cross, does not mean something," she said.

"Moses!" yelled Thure, jumping to his feet excitedly. "It does! It's the
key to the whole secret! I remember now! The miner said the gulch was
blocked by great rocks, that we must climb the Big Tree to the third
limb. You remember, don't you, Bud?" and he turned excitedly to Bud.

"Yes," answered Bud, now as greatly excited as was Thure himself. "He
said, 'Climb to the third limb. Remember, climb to the third
limb--third--third--' and then