“Now, the thing to do is to go to the filing office—that’s at the end of the street near Mike’s Place—and register your claim. At the same time you can leave an assay sample—some of the ore—to see how much it’ll assay to the ton.”
“Can’t we do that later?” Teddy asked. “We’ve got to get some more shovels and picks first. And we’ve got to get out some real sample dirt, not this top soil.”
“Yea, later’ll do for that. This is one hundred an’ eleven above discovery, because mine’s a hundred an’ ten. Funny, all the other waddies went below discovery. They have over six hundred claims staked down there. But I’m bettin’ this is just as good. Who’s goin’ to ride in an’ file this?”
“I’ll go,” offered Silent. “An’ I’ll bring back a mule with some stuff on him. We might as well get to work.”
“Hope to tell you!” Nick exclaimed eagerly. “Let’s see that shovel, Teddy! Me, I’m startin’ now!”
“A pick’s what you want, first along,” Gus declared, tossing him the last named article. “Look! See how I started to dig the shaft in my claim? She ain’t down so far yet, but I’m aimin’ to sink her lots deeper.”
“Well, I’ll be goin’,” Silent said. “Be back as soon as I can.”
While Silent rode back to camp, the Manley boys and Nick inspected the shaft that Gus had sunk. By its side were some cut timbers, which, Gus explained, would soon become a windlass—“when I sinks her a little lower ’n she is now.”
“Exactly how much gold have you found so far?” Roy asked.
“Hum—about, maybe, a hundred bucks’ worth at a liberal estimate. That’s not so bad.”