My
spirits began to sink, my heart to resume its natural beats. I worked
half an hour or so without finding any sign, as it was called, and began
to feel discouraged. In the canyon, which was very narrow, a large
bowlder blocked my progress. I determined to dig it loose. This was the
work of some time, but finally I succeeded in dislodging it, and drawing
up my legs out of its way watched with a youngster's delight its wild
dash down the mountain side to the stream far below.
"Slowly I turned to resume my work, but what I saw brought me to my feet
with a yell. The socket where the stone had rested was dotted with
yellow lumps of gold as big as a pea, some even larger. Down I went upon
my knees and I fell to work with a will--the strength of a man seemed
in my arms. Off came my coat, and spreading it out I scooped the rich
dirt into it by the handful. I had happened on a pocket, as it was
called; a turn in the bed of some old mountain stream. The dirt from
this when washed yielded me about five hundred dollars, but it was all
except cook's wages that I ever made at the mines.
"Before I left the gold fields I saw some small attempt at hydraulic
mining which later proved so successful.
Pages:
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187