"We are getting down," said Bob. "It is not as cold as it was." And what he said was true, the temperature was at least fifteen degrees above what they had experienced on the mountains the night before. The next morning the sun came out again and as it rose they started onward once more, resolved to make as much progress as possible. They were aiming for the valley of the Yuba River, a tributary of the Feather River, where gold had but recently been located. "I don't think we'll do any gold digging this winter," said Mark. "We'll have to wait until next spring." "Well, we'll be on the ground, when the season opens," said Bob, consolingly. "Ready to pick up nuggets, eh?" put in Si, with a broad grin. "You're right, Si," laughed Mark. "And the bigger the better." "Wouldn't mind finding one worth a million, would you?" "Better make it two millions while you are at it," came from Bob. "I am willing to take what comes," said Mark. "But I do hope we find some gold," he added, wistfully. "We have certainly gone through enough to get it," added the former sailor lad. CHAPTER XIX A GLOOMY OUTLOOK New Year's day found the young pioneers located in the valley of the Yuba River, in a rude cabin which it had cost them a good deal of time and trouble to erect. They had come across the continent in safety, and now they were impatient for the winter to go away that they might start their hunt for gold dust and nuggets. "Good-by to 1848!" sang out Mark. "May the year 1849 prove a fortunate one for all of us." "Amen to that," came from Maybe Dixon, who sat by the rude fire-place, boiling a pot of coffee. They had very little coffee left and so had to boil it a good while, to get some strength out of the small quantity used at a time. "I wouldn't mind it so much if we weren't so shy of provisions," said Bob. "But I can tell you what, boys, things are getting mighty low." They all knew that without being told, yet the saying of it made the crowd look sober. "Do you know what I am going to do?" said Maybe Dixon. "I'm going out to-morrow and see if I can't bring down game of some sort." "Let me go with you!" exclaimed Si, eagerly. "All right, Si, you can go,--with the shotgun. We ought to be able to scare up some rabbits if nothin' else." Close at hand was another log cabin, occupied by the Sockets. They too were short of provisions and had been over several times to borrow things to eat. "I'll willingly pay for them," said Josiah Socket, who had brought considerable money with him. "I'd give a good bit to have a general store handy." "So would we, even though we haven't much money," said Mark. They let the Sockets have what they thought they could possibly spare. But it was very little, and everybody at both cabins was put, for the time being, on half rations or less. At this the smaller Socket children set up a protest, which went straight to their mother's heart.