"Let us go to Three Cross Gulch to-morrow!" cried Si, impetuously. He was getting the gold fever good and strong, now that he saw gold was really to be had.
"Three Cross Gulch it is!" exclaimed Bob; and so it was settled.
The rest had done Darling good and he spent the whole day in wandering around the river bank, picking up odds and ends to eat. He was perfectly willing to carry the load they put on him the next morning, and by ten o'clock they bid farewell to their old camping spot and struck out for the new diggings Maybe Dixon had mentioned.
The way was far from an easy one, and they had their own troubles in getting into the gulch, which had suddenly become the scene of great activity. Miners were pouring in from everywhere, and tents were springing up "like mushrooms," as Bob expressed it.
"We'll have to see if we can't get a tent," said Mark, and for that purpose visited a spot where a jolly German was selling all manner of supplies which he had brought to the place from San Francisco on the backs of eight horses.
"Yah! I can sell you von dent," said the German. "I got dree left," and he brought them out.
Two were new and the third had seen slight service. They thought this latter might answer their purpose, and asked the man what he wanted for it.
"I sold you dot dent for four ounces," said the German.
"Four ounces!" cried Mark.
"Why, that's about sixty-four dollars!" gasped Si. "The tent didn't cost more than ten or twelve!"