‘I found it sticking to two rocks, baas. Each end of it was fast on to a rock, so that it was a sort of little bridge between the two pieces of rock.’
‘Come and show me and Baas Fritz the place.’
The boy went on ahead to show the place as requested.
‘Do you think it is gold, Steve?’ asked Fritz.
‘I am sure of its being gold. There must be lots of it, too, if it can be picked up in this way,’ was the answer.
The boy stopped and pointed to some rocks which were lying in the cleft of a low hill. The cleft was a little rivulet when it rained, as the sides of the hill sloped down to it, thus causing all the water to run towards it, and so form a temporary stream.
The boy pointed to two masses of quartz forming the two banks of the cleft or ravine. He showed them the marks where he had broken off the bar of gold.
The young men examined the masses of rock or quartz closely. Steve took a large stone and knocked two small pieces off the quartz, and looked at the freshly-broken surface. It was interlaced with gold! They examined an outcrop of quartz further on, and found it to be as rich as the other. Fully twenty-five per cent. of the quartz seemed to be gold.
Fritz had whispered to Steve not to let the boy know what it was. He had to put forth great self-control to restrain his excitement.
They turned quietly back and walked home.