It might be that Mick was equally so; but he at any rate assumed some knowledge.

He looked to the fall of the ground, the line in which the red flags were to be traced,--if any such line could be found,--and was possessed of a considerable amount of jargon as to topographical mining secrets.

At last they found a spot, near a creek, surrounded by forest-trees, perhaps three hundred yards from the nearest adjacent claim, and, as Mick declared, in a direct line with three red flags.
Here they determined to commence their operations.

'I don't suppose we shall do any good,' said Caldigate to Dick, 'but we must make a beginning, if only for the sake of hardening our hands.

We shall be learning something at the time even though we only shovel up so much mud.' For a fortnight they shovelled up the soil continuously without any golden effects, and, so far, without any feeling of disappointment.