"That reminds me I'm hungry too," said Jerry; "aren't you, Fred?"
"Not so very. I'm too anxious to find the gold. I'm going back and dig."
They used their picks on the flinty soil for an hour more, and then Mr. Baxter, with something like a sigh of disappointment, announced that they would have the night meal.
"I don't suppose any of you came across any stray gold nuggets, did you?" he asked the boys.
"No," replied Fred soberly. "Do you think the treasure is here, Mr. Baxter?"
"Well, I hope so. If it isn't we can at least prove that there is no Stults treasure, and that the story is all a myth, Fred."
"Oh, I hope such a thing as that doesn't happen."
"I hope so myself."
It got much colder after they had had their hot tea and meat, so, as they were very tired, Mr. Baxter decided they would do no more digging until the next morning.
"We ought to finish up the cave to-morrow," he said.