"Buildings would be necessary after a while, an' you'd want a track to get the coal into market."
"Don't you suppose we could manage to get a thousand dollars?"
"If you count on doin' it by workin' at Farley's, it would take about a thousand years. All the money I can earn has to be used by the family now that father isn't working."
"But can we do nothin'?"
"It does seem kinder tough to find a fortune, and not be able to take advantage of it, but I can't figure out how we can turn it to account."
"Let's fill our pockets with these pieces, and tell Mr. Wright what we've struck."
"Yes, an' before to-morrow night he'd own this whole tract. It would be wiser to see what Bill an' Joe think about the chances of raisin' money."
"Very well, we'll talk with them. It won't do to leave this uncovered, an' I'm in a hurry to get back."
The earth was scraped, and above this the boys strewed branches and leaves until one might have searched a long while without discovering the secret.
Then, walking at their best pace, the successful prospectors continued on toward Farley's, trying in vain to suppress their excitement.