Reaching a point near the middle, the mass of shrubbery came to a stand still, and Gaylor then put off in his canoe.
“Jump in,” said he, as it lightly touched the shingle, “it will hold you all. I’ll show you something which you have never seen.”
They stepped carefully into the small canoe, and it sank to its gunwales with the unusual weight. But Gaylor managed it skilfully, and a few minutes later they all stepped upon the Enchanted Island.
“Now, let me tell you a little story,” said their friend. “Some months ago a party of five of us came down through these parts looking for gold. Reaching this lake we started across it in a boat, and near the middle discovered several yellow nuggets lying on the bottom. I dove down and brought them up, and found them to be gold. We soon found there was any quantity lying around loose, and, of course, we determined to get all we could. But while we had come upon a fortune, there were several bad things in the way of bringing it up. The country was full of Indians, and there were white men wandering over the country. If any of them should get news of our windfall, it would be all over with us. So, after thinking over it, we hit upon a plan. We made a frame-work of logs, and then covered it over with green sod, pebbles and trees, so as to make it look just like an island. Then we sometimes kindled fires, so as to scare any one who saw it. This we floated right over the spot where we saw the gold, and began bringing it up. We had to dive for it after we had managed to loosen a portion with our poles. We had so much trouble in getting it, that one of our men started to San Francisco for tools to answer our purpose. But we never heard of him again, and we suppose the Mohaves got track of him. Howsumever, we worked away, and the amount of it is, we have all made an independent fortune, and there is enough left for you. We used to float this ashore at night, as we had a good hiding place there. I have started my party north to San Francisco, and I expect to join them in half an hour. No one knows this secret but you. You can work here as long as you please. You seem to have the good will of the Mohaves, but look out for white men. Be very careful to let no one see you at work. Now, if you will only take me ashore, I will leave you alone.”
George Inwood paddled their friend to land, where they bid farewell to each other, and he returned to the Enchanted Island, and began work.
Gaylor had not deceived him. They saw large quantities of gold shining on the bottom of the lake. George observed that it lay directly in the path of the canon, which has been referred to as emptying into the lake. This made it seem as if it had been washed down by the current, whose tremendous velocity was sufficient to hurl boulders of a ton’s weight down its channel as if driven by a columbiad.
It is not often that a fortune can be picked up from the bottom of a lake, and, even when the inviting auriferous nuggets and the glittering sand lay before their eyes, it was found no easy task to bring it up to the surface. But what will man not do for gold? A bountiful harvest awaited them, and they toiled and labored as they never had done before.
Jim was the great machine for procuring the precious yellow particles. Neither George nor Edwin could remain under water long enough to secure much; but the African took to it as if he was amphibious, and rather preferred it to the hard, dry earth, and pure mountain air. His great rolling eyes, first located the rich mineral, and, poising himself for an instant, down he went like an arrow until he touched bottom, where he clawed around with a vigor and persistency which were sure to show substantial results.
“When I gits down dar,” said Jim, as he sat on the edge of the Enchanted Island resting himself, “I jes’ opens my eyes, an’ I can see as well as you can. The water looks kinder yeller, but de gold looks yellerer, an’ so I’m sure to see it.”
The negro always plunged in head first.