After a time the giant became so exhausted that he ceased his efforts to move the rock, and begged Ching Chong to touch it again with his magic wand, and let him out, promising him all the treasures of the cave; but the boy only replied: "Your turn has come now, keep your treasure, you are welcome to it, and to your underground castle."
"Good-by, kind master, good-by! Come out when you can, and you may have all the treasure you can carry."
With this Ching Chong started for his old cabin, but for miles the deep howlings of the giant were wafted to his ears.
He reached the cabin at sunrise, just five weeks after he left it.
When he entered he found his old companions just eating breakfast. They were greatly surprised to see him, for they supposed he had been killed by the grizzly bears with which that district abounded.
They gave him a hearty greeting, and he sat down to breakfast, telling them only the last of his marvelous adventures, omitting the secret of the divining-rod entirely.
When he had finished, he asked them what luck they had had.
Nothing very good, they replied. Some placer diggings of a little promise, but their fortunes were not yet made.
Ching Chong went out with them, and entered again upon the hard life of prospecting. Many months passed on in the same old way, and again Ching Chong began to feel very much disheartened. Four years and a half had gone, and still he was poor, no nearer the realization of his dreams than ever.