"Meaning when we start for Gold Forge? Is that the racket, Frank?"
"To-morrow will be Sunday. We say good-by to Rockspur for a little while on next Tuesday morning!"
Lanky's face lighted up with joy. He threw his hat into the air and gave a whoop that would have shamed almost any reckless, care-free puncher.
"That's bully news, Frank Allen!" he burst out. "When dad saps a thing he sticks to it like a leech. My stuff is all packed, and I've even knocked off nearly half I laid out in the start to pack along. Dad told me we'd have to go light, as only one pack horse would be taken."
Great excitement followed, particularly among the younger element at Rockspur Ranch. Minnie hovered around and listened to everything the boys said. She examined the two crude maps several times, as though they held a strong fascination for her.
Frank often shook his head as he noted these things.
"She certainly does want to be one of the bunch, all right!" he told himself. "I'm dead sure Mr. Wallace will never consent, although his wife would let Minnie do anything she liked, she's so easy going, and thinks such a courageous girl could always take care of herself. But while I'm sorry to see her disappointed, I don't think she ought to go on what may turn out to be a fighting trip."
Of course the party would ride, and the ponies of the three boys were carefully groomed, also allowed to rest as much as possible, so they might be in the best of condition when the time arrived for the start.
It was not to be a large party, just old Jerry Brime, Zander Forbes, and Mr. Wallace, besides the trio of boys, with a pack animal to carry such stores and necessities as they must take along in order to insure a fair degree of comfort.
They had secured all the information possible from Jerry, as well as any of the other punchers who had by chance set eyes on the deserted mining camp in the mountains or knew something about the route hither.