Consternation was about the only word that fitted when Purdick had told the tale of the lost book. What he had said was perfectly true. Though they were all three taking engineering courses in college, no one of them knew enough about mineralogy as a science to do any practical prospecting for metals without a text-book. Besides, there were the Government maps; lacking them, they could never locate a claim, so as to be able to tell where it was situated, even if they should be lucky enough to find one.
At the moment, none of them thought much of the loss of James Brock’s little sketch map of the Golden Spider. Uncle Billy Starbuck’s evident conviction that the lost mine would never be found unless it was by pure accident had its effect; and, anyway, the real business of the summer was to be a search for the baser, though not less valuable, metals. And unless they could determine the presence of these—as they couldn’t hope to without the help of the “Dana,” there was no use in going on.
“Well,” said Dick, drawing a long breath, “that fixes us, good and plenty. I guess it’s us for a hike back to Nophi, and a wait until we can wire for another copy of the book and another set of the Survey maps.”
Larry shook his head.
“It’s likely to be a good, long wait. That copy of the ‘Dana’ was the only one to be found in Brewster—so the man that sold it to me said; and the maps will probably have to come from Washington.”
It was here that little Purdick had his say.
“This crazy break is on me and nobody else,” he cut in. “I had no business to forget the book when we were packing up last night. If you fellows will wait here for me, I’ll go back after it.”
“A lot of good that would do!” said Dick. “Those three hold-ups will be on the trail ahead of you, and you can bet they won’t miss finding the book in daylight, if they did overlook it last night.”
“I know,” Purdick went on, “but it’s up to me to try it, just the same. I deserve all that’s coming to me.”