“And so you hid it here,” I said, wonderingly, for I could not quite see that he was right, and yet he must have been, for the gold was safe.
His hiding-place was down in the sand, right in the beaten track people walked over on their way up the valley.
We worked on busily for a month after Mr Gunson’s coming back to his claim; and then one day we struck camp and marched back to the Fort, with a small quantity of gold, the fifth that we had taken up.
“Why, hallo!” cried Mr Raydon as he came in and found us there, with Mr and Mrs John, and Gunson looking very serious.
“Yes,” he said. “It’s all over. My luck again.”
“What do you mean?”
“That was a rich little deposit, and we have gleaned the last grain. The other people are doing badly too, and going back.”
“But there must be plenty more,” said Mr Raydon.
“No; I believe we have pretty well cleared the valley.”
“Then I am delighted,” cried Mr Raydon. “Gunson, I congratulate you.”