CHAPTER XXX
They scarcely knew what to do with their treasure. The nuggets were heavy, so it would be no easy matter to move them from one place to another.
"I think the best we can do for the present is to bury them," said Maybe Dixon.
"We'll have to move up here," returned Mark.
"To be sure—and bring our other gold up too. We can't be at two claims at once."
So it was decided, and early on the following morning the three boys went back to the old camp and prepared to move.
"Going to quit, eh?" said Mr. West.
"We are going up in the mountain," answered Bob. "I don't suppose Tillie will want to go along."
"No, her mother isn't feeling well and she will have to stay at our place now. I came over to tell you."
"Tell her I am sorry," said Si. "I am coming down to see you folks some day."
"Si is surely smitten on Tillie," whispered Bob to Mark.
"Well, she is certainly a good girl and will make somebody a good wife," answered Mark.
The three boys could scarcely realize their good fortune. With the gold previously found the four partners were now worth all of fifty thousand dollars.
"That's twelve thousand apiece and two thousand left over for expenses," said Si. "Why, my father was never worth so much in his whole life!"
"Nor mine," added Bob. "I am mighty glad I gave up whaling and took to gold hunting, I can tell you!"
"We haven't got to the end of it yet," added Mark. "That cavern may prove to be more than a bonanza. We must be careful how we stake out our claim."
It was nightfall by the time they reached the cavern once more. They brought Darling with them and all of their possessions. It was no new thing for gold hunters to leave a camp suddenly, so their departure from the gulch created no surprise.
"Got tired of stayin' here, I suppose," said one old miner. "Wall, I'm gittin' a leetle tired o' it myself."
It was decided to establish a camp to the north of the landslide, a distance of four hundred feet from the cavern. Here was a pleasant patch of timber and a spring of clear mountain water. They soon had the tent raised, and Si and Bob built a rude cooking place of stones. Then they cut some firewood, and sat down to the best meal they had had in two days.
"We can afford a spread, after the find we have made," said Mark.
It was decided to bury their nuggets and gold dust at the rear of the tent. An extra deep hole was made, and they covered it with a flat stone and over it placed a bit of a tree trunk that did for a bench.
"Fifty thousand dollars in that hole," said Si. "We want to watch it."
"We can see the tent from the cave," said Maybe Dixon. "So it will be an easy matter to keep an eye that way while we are working."
Maybe Dixon had found two small nuggets worth at least a hundred dollars each. He had also washed out some of the sand and gotten several ounces of almost pure gold. Everything on hand went into the hole before it was filled up with dirt and covered with the tree trunk.
Sunday passed, and then they went at the cavern work in earnest. They cleaned out a place at the rear several yards in extent. Here they found a big slit, extending upward, but the rocks were exceedingly hard to remove.
"We ought to have some powder to blow them apart," said Mark.
"We must be careful," said Maybe Dixon. "We don't want a cave-in."
By the middle of the week they had twelve more nuggets and another small bag of dust.
"Ten thousand dollars' worth more," said Bob, when the find was placed in "the bank," as the hole had been designated. "We are getting wealthy, sure!"
Thursday found them all at the cavern, working away as industriously as ever. It was the middle of the forenoon and each had found a small nugget. In the center of the cavern floor was a heap of sand filled with golden grains, waiting to be washed. They were all happy and Bob was whistling merrily.
"Guess I'll go out and take a look around," said Si, and started for the opening.
Mark, Bob, and Maybe Dixon were at the rear of the cavern, working around a sharp, triangular rock. They imagined some more nuggets might be underneath.
"Hark!" cried Mark, suddenly. "What's that?"
All stopped work and listened. There was a strange rumble overhead. It kept growing louder and louder.
"Look out for the landslide!" yelled Si, rushing into the open air. "Come out, or you'll be buried alive!"
The others heard the warning and started to leap from the hollow where they were working. But before they could do so the rumble burst forth like thunder, all but deafening them. Then down came some sand and small stones, all but burying the three. The mouth of the cavern was darkened, as a mass of dirt and rocks blocked it up completely.
"We are shut in!" spluttered Bob, as soon as he could speak.
The rumble stopped, but soon it started again, as another mass of dirt slid down the mountain-side, directly over the cavern. Then came a quiver as of an earthquake, and absolute quietness followed.
"Boys, are you hurt?" The question came from Maybe Dixon. He was up to his knees in loose dirt.
"I am all right," answered Mark.
"A small rock hit me on the shoulder, but the hurt doesn't count," returned Bob. "Where is Si?"
"I think he got out," said Mark. "But I am not certain."
"If he did get out maybe he is worse off than we are," said Maybe Dixon. "The landslide must have carried him down to the valley, or killed him."
For several minutes the three inside the cavern did not know what to do.
"One thing is certain," said Mark. "If we don't want to be smothered we'll have to dig our way out."
"True, but we don't want to risk a cave-in," said Maybe Dixon. "We'll have to go at it easy-like."
The candles had gone out, but the lantern was still lit, and holding this up they made an examination of the cavern. The front was blocked up so completely that the shovel did not pass through it.
"I think we had better cut upward," said Maybe Dixon. "But be mighty careful."
They set to work, slowly and cautiously. The dirt was hard and mixed with stones, and sometimes a shower came down on their heads. What fell was banked up for a place to stand upon while going higher.
An hour passed and the air in the cavern began to grow foul. Mark was the first to notice this.
"We ought to have ventilation," he remarked.
"This makes me sleepy," said Bob.
"Don't go to sleep, or you'll never wake up!" cried the old miner. "Keep at the work and we'll be sure to git out sooner or later."
Another hour passed and the air became so bad they could hardly breathe. They were all thirsty, but no water was at hand. They looked at each other in despair.
"We have got to get out!" said Mark, determinedly. "Come on, don't give up yet."
Growing desperate, they attacked the top of the cavern with vigor, letting the dirt and stones fall all around them. Then down came a big rock, just grazing Bob's head.
"I'm glad it didn't land on my head," said the boy, after leaping to one side.
"I see a streak of light!" ejaculated Mark and pointed upward.
The light was there, a single ray of sunshine, coming from a slit in the rocks. Mark sniffed the air.
"That is better, anyhow," said he. "With that opening we shan't smother to death."
They had now to work with greater care than ever, piling up the rocks around them, as a support for what was left of the roof of the cavern. But their labors told, and inside of another hour Mark was able to stand on Maybe Dixon's shoulders and drag himself up out of the cave to a shelving rock which kept the rest of the cavern roof from caving in. Then Bob came up, after which the two youths hauled the old miner up by means of the pick handle and a short rope that was handy.
"Thank heaven we are out of that!" said Mark, sincerely.
"We must look for Si," came from Bob. "Si! Si!" he called out. "Where are you?"
No answer came back. Then they looked toward the spot where the tent had been. The shelter was knocked flat, but otherwise the landslide had apparently done little damage in that direction.
"Let us go over to the tent," said Bob. "I am dying for a drink of water. Then we can look for poor Si."
They got out of the dirt and loose rocks as best they could and walked over to the fallen tent. Some round rocks were lying about and one had sent the tree trunk rolling down the hill, thus bringing down the canvas.
"The hole!" yelled Maybe Dixon, suddenly. "The hole! Somebody has dug up our gold!"
He pointed to the hole, and they all ran in that direction. The dirt was scattered in all directions and near at hand lay a pick and two shovels.
"It's empty!" muttered Mark, hoarsely.
"Empty?" echoed Bob, faintly. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, every one of our nuggets is gone and the gold dust, too!"