"The redskins know well enough that it is gold the whites who come into their mountains are in search of, and I guess they know every place where it is to be found.

A redskin always has his eyes open.

A broken branch, a stone newly rolled down on a path, the ashes of a fire, the slightest thing that is new, he is sure to notice, and the glitter of gold, whether in a stream or in a vein, would be certain to catch his eye, and if this place is specially rich they are safe to know of it, and would keep some sort of watch to see that it is not found out by the whites." "That is so," Dave agreed; "of course we don't know how the party that Mexican got the map from got wiped out.

It may have been on their way back, but it is more likely it was at the mine itself, and we may find signs of them when we get there.

I hope they had been at work some time before they were attacked; if so we may like enough find a store of gold without the trouble of working for it.