We are both pretty strong, you know--that is to say, when we are well--and we have often said that we should like to try our luck gold-mining." "We aint agoing till you are strong enough to get about," Dave said; "so it is no use saying any more about that.

Then, if you want to do some mining, we will put you in the way of it; but we are going on a long expedition, which may last months, and from which, as like as not, we shall never come back again.

However, we can easy enough take you with us for a bit and drop you at one of the mining camps, and stop there with you till you get accustomed to it, or work for a few months with you if you like.

Time is not of much consequence to us." "That is awfully good of you, Dave," Tom said, "but as you have lost more than a fortnight at present, and I suppose it will be another fortnight before Dick is strong enough to travel, it isn't fair on you; and perhaps you might be able to introduce us to some men going up to the hills--that is, if you think that we could not go with you on this expedition you talk of." "That won't be a job for young hands," Dave said.

"It will be a mighty long journey over a terrible rough country, where one's life will be always in one's hands, where one's eyes will always be on the lookout for an enemy, and one will know that any moment, night or day, one may hear the war yell of the Indians.