Another shovelful of earth and he bent forward.
"Something here!" he exclaimed. "My shovel struck something solid."
Frank brought the flashlight closer. Just above the earth he could see the top of a canvas sack.
"It's the gold! Dig, Joe. Dig!"
Joe Hardy needed no urging. He had seized the shovel again and the earth was flying furiously on all sides. Rapidly, he uncovered the top of the canvas sack, and then a second appeared in view. Frank bent down and seized one of the sacks, dragging it from the retaining earth. It came free. Joe flung aside his shovel and, in the illumination from the flashlight, Frank undid the heavy cord at the top of the sack and opened it.
He thrust his hand inside and withdrew it a moment later, clutching a handful of reddish brown objects that looked like pebbles.
"Nuggets!"
The boys gazed at the gold nuggets in silent delight. They were of good size, and the youths realized that they must be very valuable. Frank thrust his hand into the sack again and this time brought forth a handful of reddish sand that they recognized as gold dust.
"Gold dust and nuggets! We've found it at last!"
"There are more sacks yet. Didn't dad say there were four?"