"Take your own time about paying," answered the man. And then he and his family moved off, pack and baggage, and the others did not see them again for some time. It was an important day when the three boys and Maybe Dixon set out to make their first hunt for gold. The lads were wild with excitement. One carried a pick, another a shovel, and Si had the washing pan,--an article shaped somewhat like a broad coal hod, with little tin ridges on the front slope. This was one sort of washing pan, and there were numerous others. An hour of stiff walking brought them to a spot Maybe Dixon thought inviting, and they set to work, close to the stream, to dig up the sand and dirt and proceed to the washing. "I'll wash the first panful," said the man, "and then you can all try your hands at it. You've got to learn, and there ain't no time so good as the present." "If the first panful only pans out good," whispered Si, hopefully. All stood around and watched the process of washing with keen interest. The loose dirt came away quickly and then more water was put in, and Maybe Dixon showed how to get rid of the fine sand and small stones. At last the pan was almost empty. "Any gold?" asked Bob, in a voice he tried his best to steady. Maybe Dixon looked at the pan bottom with great care. "Not a smell," he declared. "Oh!" came from the three boys, and each followed with a long sigh. "Ain't no use to git discouraged yet," said the man, hopefully. "We may go days before we strike paying dirt." "I thought gold was everywhere," said Si. They continued to dig and wash for an hour, each trying the pan. But nothing in the way of gold was brought to light. Then they moved to another locality and went through the whole process over again. "No gold," murmured Mark, and his face showed his disappointment. "I thought sure we'd strike something," said Bob. "Perhaps after all we ought to have followed Mr. Socket down the valley," put in Si. "He said this district didn't look like gold to him." "You can't tell from general appearances, not unless you're an expert," said Maybe Dixon. "Maybe by to-morrow we'll be having better luck." They continued to dig and to wash, trying half a dozen different places, up and down the stream. But it was of no use, and at sundown they returned to their cabin much downcast. "And doesn't my back ache!" declared Mark, bracing up with a grimace. "It will ache, until you get used to digging," said Si, who was not bothered that way. Bob felt a little stiff, but Mark suffered the most by far. The next morning they went out again, this time taking to a small creek that flowed into the river. They followed the creek for nearly half a mile, when they came to something of a hollow, surrounded by rocks and filled with sand. "That sand ought to have something in it," declared Maybe Dixon. "But if we want it, we'll have to wade in and git it,--and it's putty cold as yet."