Hank Hazletine was among those who engaged in the hunt, but neither he nor his friends succeeded in finding the place.

The veteran was not quite ready to abandon hope, and when he found himself in the section once more, on the hunt in which he acted as guide for the boys, he determined to make a decisive exploration without letting any one know his secret.
It was on this expedition that he succeeded in finding the cavern, but his trained eye immediately told him the marvellous legend was a myth.
It was a romantic and picturesque spot, but there was not a grain of auriferous metal or ore in sight.

Hoping that a second cavern was in the vicinity, he extended his search.

When he emerged from the gorge, at the point where the break occurred, it was with the certainty that the whole thing was a fable.

With a grim smile he dismissed the matter and resolved not to think of it again.