The miners have a law of their own among themselves that a man who finds a mine must do some work on it and set up "marks," or else his claim to it is of no value.
These miners only paid no attention to another "law," that a man like Steve Harrison, for instance, is entitled to all the time required to do his work and set up his monuments. One part of the law is just as good as another.
The return to camp was quickly made, and there was news to tell all around, for the hunters not only brought in game, but also the information that they "reckoned an army train could be hauled down that gap to the westward. It's almost as good as a road."
"We'll try it to-morrow," said the Captain.
He went out with all the men he could spare from camp as soon as supper was eaten, and they carried with them pickaxes, crowbars, mining drills, and shovels. All the tools were pretty well worn, but they would answer for the work in hand.
It was getting dark when they reached the ledge; but that was of less consequence after two huge bonfires had been built near the central monument, and heaped with fragments of fallen pine-trees.
Then the work began.
"Gangs of three," said Captain Skinner—"one on each side. We'll have two shafts started. Bill, drill your blast right there."
The shafts would not have been needed for a long time in actually working out ore from a ledge like that, but two such holes would make a very deep mark, that could not be wiped out, and the blast would make another.
It was hard work, but as fast as the men who were prying and picking loosened a piece of quartz, it was lifted away by their comrades, and it was a wonder how those two shafts did go down.