"Of course it will. I've taken $80 in four days and I tell you I've just dug a little bit. It tires me all out to dig; and the water's so far. But you fellows can put in a sluice—I'll lend you enough dust to buy boards with, if you haven't enough——"
"We've got a little, and if we haven't enough we'll dig out more," declared Harry, quickly.
"And with a sluice running you can just pile up the yellow!"
"Whoop-ee!" cheered Terry, wildly. "We're rich at last."
CHAPTER XII
PANNING THE "GOLDEN PRIZE"
The Golden Prize property appeared to be a very snug proposition. It was located about a mile up Gregory Gulch, and right in the midst of things. There was a good enough dug-out, set partly into the slope at the bottom of one of the rocky hills in the gulch, with log walls surrounding the single room and a sod roof. It contained a rusty stove (better than a fireplace) and a bunk and a slab table and a slab stool, all on a dirt floor. The cooking utensils were hung on the wall. The door, of split logs, like puncheons, swung by leather hinges and fastened with a wooden pin and latch-string.
But the mine of course was the most important. That was really the first thing to be inspected. Archie showed it rather proudly, although it did not look very imposing, being only a deep trench into the hillside just beyond the cabin.
Down the shallow side draw that helped to form the hill ran a small stream of muddy water, which finally joined the main drainage stream, below.