“It’s not so good, either,” Nick asserted. “Well, boys, here she goes—the first one!”
He swung the pick over his head and sunk the point into the earth.
“Wait a second!” Teddy, taking the top from his canteen, poured a libation over the pick as it stuck in the ground.
“For good luck,” he said, grinning. “All right, Nick, go to it!”
When Silent returned there was quite a sizable hole to show for Nick’s diligence. While he dug, the others busied themselves with the cutting of some timber for sluice-boxes and a windlass.
“Filed ’em,” Silent said laconically. “Two bucks the guy charged. That’s all. Now we can dig through to China.”
“You got any choice as to claims?” Nick asked, resting from his labors and wiping the perspiration from his forehead.
“Nope. Not any. I’ll take the furtherest one, or any other. Don’t make no difference,” was Silent’s reply.
“All the gold we find we split,” Roy declared, coming up at that moment. “Even shares O.K.?”
“It is with me,” Silent responded. “Hey, Nick, suppose you help me unload this here mule.”