"Do you know of any good place to claim?" added Terry.
"Yes. And you won't have to drive a stake! When did you get in? Where's your camp?"
"Down yonder somewhere. We got in this morning."
"Gee, but I'm glad to see you," panted Archie. "Hurrah! Let's go to your camp and move your stuff. What you got? The cart? Didn't buy a tent, did you?"
"No. We came in with just the mule. Expect we'll fix up a bough hut till we strike it rich," explained Terry.
"No, you needn't. You're to stay on my place. I've got a cabin and a stove and—and——" here Archie lowered his voice, "boys, I've struck it rich, myself! I've got the best claim in these diggin's!"
"You have! How long have you been here?"
"About two weeks. Come on and I'll tell you about it. Do you know anything about mining?"
"No," they confessed, ruefully.
"I didn't, either," admitted Archie, as together they pressed on for Jenny and Shep and the packs. "So I bought a claim. There was a man here who couldn't stay—he had to go down to Denver; and I bought his claim for only $500. First I'd prospected for myself, and didn't find anything, and then I came across him just in time. Gee, I was lucky. He wouldn't have sold, only he was obliged to get out. Of course, I panned samples of it before I bought, and in the very first pan there was four dollars' worth of gold! He sold me his cabin and stove and everything. Boys——" and Archie's voice sank again, "you may not believe it, but I've already taken out near $80, by myself, and I can't dig very long at a time, either."