The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1899-12-30
CHAPTER XII.-CoSrrNuED.

His heart seemed fairly 10 stand still
as he grasped an oblong lump of dirt
on the side OF which his shovel had left
a yellow scratch. AS he lifted il its
great weight told him the truth, and he
sprang erect, shouting:
cts nugget It's nugget"
''Let me secl"
Avery'S voice trembled as he held
out his hand.
'Its heavy as leadl" cried Tom, as he
laid a lump of virgin gold, weighing
nearly n pound, in the old miner S
extended palm.
TITS gold, my lad" said Avery. after
one glance. 81 knew l was making no
mistake. We must take no more
chances. Let each man stake out a
claim along this old river bed before
anyone arrives. We are all rich men"
1t seemed impossible to leave at that
time, but the old miners advice was
good and they followed IL, while Hank
Bowers, who had not been aware OF
their discovery, soon understood that
they were stalking out claims formally,
and proceeded TO do likewise on his
side Of the ridge.
When this Lad been accomplished,
Avery said:
"Now, we must each work on his own
claim TO hold it. A claim can't go idle
~ hours on Canadian soil without for
feiting It. OF course as long as we are
alone here ii doesn't matter, but at any
moment some one may come. That
chap over there might jump claim il
we didn't work il, and he would have
the law behind him"
AS Tom had made the first discovery,
ie was given the claim nearest the cave,
and including the hole he had started.
Avery took the next, while Taylor Tar
box and the second mate followed in
the order named, and their combined
holdings reached nearly TO the woods.
They found the gravel next the bed
rock rich with the precious metal, and
how they worked They were satu-
rated with perspiration, and their
clothes plastered with dirt, but what
cared they? 1t was like a grand tussle
with Nature 10 wrest from her her
choicest treasure. They felt injured
when the sun went down and they were
forced TO desist. At the earliest day
light they were up and at il again and
day by day the golden store increased
IN the little cave.
In this region the summer days are
very long, and darkness lasts but a
few hours, but IL seemed to Tom that
the days fairly flew. They ate their
'ood on their claims, Clara Avery bring
ing IL 10 each labofer, but spent much
of her time near Tom, assisting him in
washing when she had time TO spare,
and taking woman's delight in watch
ing his confusion when she was near.
For she had long ago read his secret,
and, while he had never uttered word
of love to her, his eyes told her far bet
Ter than words that he would not al
ways remain silent.
And she?
This is not a love story, but we may
spare space TO say that many little dain-
ties found their way 90 the broad-shoul-
dered young farmer which did not APP
pear in the bill Of fare for the others.
The gold hunters had struck boz
nanza in good truth, for they found
that the old river must have run over
bed OF solid rock which was only COW
cred with few feet OF deposit. In some
places the bed rock had been too
smooth 10 hold the gold, and the labor
was wasted, but In others they found
n far beyond their widest anticipa-
Sons.
Where the surface Of the rock was
rough they found little pockets filed
with coarse, free gold, interspersed
with nuggets, some of them as large as
a walnut. Tom was particularly for
tunatc in this regard, but they all kept
their findings together and agreed to
divide the sum total evenly.
In this manner two weeks passed.
They were not troubled by Bowers
who was apparently satisfied TO wash
away at the other side OF the ridge.
whether he wss doing well or not they
had no means OF telling. lie was
brought to their mind. however. by an
accidest A