The girl shrank away and the boy dropped down into the bed of the creek and slipped down to where the stream poured between two bowlders over which ascent was slippery and difficult. And when the party turned up the bend of the creek, Arch Hawn saw the boy, tense and erect, on the wet black summit of one bowlder, with his old rifle in the hollow of his arm.
"Why, hello, Jason!" he cried, with a start of surprise; "found anything to shoot?"
"Not yit!" said Jason shortly.
The geologist stepped around Arch and started to climb toward the foot of the bowlder.
"You stop thar!"
The ring of the boy's fiery command stopped the man as though a rattlesnake had given the order at his very feet, and he looked up bewildered; but the boy had not moved.
"Whut you mean, boy?" shouted Arch. "We're lookin' for a vein o' coal."
"Well, you hain't a-goin' to find hit up this way."
"Whut you want to keep us from goin' up here fer?" asked the uncle with sarcastic suspicion. "Got a still up here?"
"That's my business," said little Jason.