“I suggest that we take and dig a bit along the front of that ledge and perhaps find some pockets. Then after we have tried that for awhile, we can pick out likely spots in the face of the ledge which indicate that it is crumbling there, and by using very small charges of dynamite break it away and screen or wash the contents of the pockets until we find our tourmalines.”
Phil never gave thought to a chance of failure. They had found one tourmaline there, and the old map that had guided them to the spot had hinted at riches. Also the faith of the first owner of the map had transferred itself to Phil.
Work started in earnest the next morning, and the four of them, the three chums and Nate, shoveled away until their hands were blistered. It was not until the fourth day that they were rewarded.
Nate was the one to whom the honor of finding the first pocket was given. He gave a shout and the chums ran to his side.
“I swan, but thar she is,” and he pointed with his shovel to a half a dozen glinting objects that sparkled in the sunlight.
All four dropped on their knees and investigated. They gathered up handfuls of the earth and sifted it through their fingers. Nearly twenty specimens were obtained, while their excitement was unbounded. Pale pink and green were the different stones. Four in particular were beauties, being a pale green, translucent and sparkling. These were the ones that could be laid aside to be disposed of as gems for rings or pins.
The next step was to start a more scientific way of getting at the gems. To this end, Dick and Phil were set to bring pails of water, while Garry and Nate procured flat tin pans that had been provided for the purpose. The method used was that which is used in placer gold mining. A quantity of the dirt was scooped up, and water poured in. Then the pan was gently tilted back and forth; “rocking” it is called by the miners, and the dirt gradually was washed away, leaving the pebbles and gems in the bottom of the pan. Then it was an easy matter to pick from the pebbles the real gems. Sometimes they would pan a dozen times before they would pan a gem, and then they would be lucky and pick a half dozen, sometimes half a score of the glinting mineral.
The kind that could be sold for gems were a rarity, but the specimens were all good and could be used for commercial purposes.
After two days of panning they apparently exhausted this particular pocket, and considered moving a few feet and trying again.
Phil suggested that since they had found gems in this particular spot, they blast away a small section from the ledge. He pointed out the fact that there was a fissure at one spot, and this might be the place where a pocket was concealed in the stone.