"I'll go in," said Mark. "I always took cold baths when I was at home, and I shan't mind it so very much." He took off his shoes and stockings, rolled up his trousers, and waded in. The sand was loose and he easily scooped up a panful, which he handed to Bob, who proceeded to the washing. Soon they got to the bottom, where only a little coarse sand remained, mixed with specks of a dull coppery color. "There's your gold!" cried Maybe Dixon. "Told you it would be there!" "Is that really gold?" asked Si, doubtfully. "To be sure it is, my boy." "I thought gold was always shiny, like a gold ring or a watch." "Not always. Some of it has to be cleaned." "How much is there--I mean what is it worth?" questioned Bob. "They say it is worth sixteen dollars an ounce," answered Mark. "I should think there was at least an eighth of an ounce there." "Two dollars' worth of gold, just about," said Maybe Dixon, calculating with his eyes. "It don't look it," said Si, almost in a whisper. "Why, that's fifty cents each all around!" And he gazed at the others with a grin of pleasure. "I'd have to work a whole day on the farm for that!" he added. "Some panfuls may not be so good and some may be better," said Maybe Dixon. "In hunting for gold you've got to take what comes, every time." They soon had another panful to wash and then half a dozen more. Mark did not remain in the water excepting when he drew up the sand and dirt. Yet it was cold labor, as he soon realized. "This will be all right two months from now," he said. "But just now it is a little too cold." "Thought you'd feel it," was Maybe Dixon's comment. "Don't you git cramps in your feet, or you'll have rheumatism or some other pesky thing to make you miserable." They drew up, all told, about half an ounce of gold and then the bottom of the hollow was practically exhausted. Then they went further up the creek and tried a smaller hollow, which they scooped out by standing on some overhanging rocks. Here the first panful gave them all of a quarter of an ounce of gold. "Four dollars' worth!" exclaimed Si. "How is that for ten minutes' work! Hurrah! Our fortunes are made!" "Not quite, Si," answered Mark. "But I am mighty glad we've struck something." They kept at the creek all of that day and for the balance of the week. On Saturday night they got the gold that had been found together and weighed it in a tiny scales Maybe Dixon had brought along. "Two ounces and a half," said the man. "At sixteen dollars an ounce that means just forty dollars," said Bob, quickly. "Ten dollars each," came from Si. "That ain't so terrible bad for four days' work." "And not so good either," put in Mark, quickly. "Boys, we have got to do better, or I shall be disappointed." "I don't know as all gold is worth sixteen dollars an ounce," said Maybe Dixon. "We may have to sell it for fourteen dollars, or even as low as twelve dollars." "We'll get the best price we can."