"Yes, every one of our nuggets is gone and the gold dust, too!" CHAPTER XXXI A CRUSHING LOSS For a moment or two the three could not realize the truth of the crushing discovery which they had made. The precious gold dust and the nuggets were gone--not a grain of their wealth remained. It was too awful to be true. "Gone!" gasped Maybe Dixon, and staggered to a rock and dropped down. "Who did this?" He leaped up, a cold glitter in his eyes. "Show me the rascal and I'll kill him on the spot!" "More than one rascal did this," said Mark, pointing to the pick and shovels. "Looks like three to me." "And they worked fast too," came from Bob. "They just threw the dirt any way, so as to get to the bottom of the hole." "They must have been watching us," went on Mark. "As soon as the landslide came they took advantage of it." There followed a silence, nobody knowing what to say next, or what to do. Then Mark gave a start. "We are forgetting poor Si!" he cried. "We must try to find him. Perhaps he is in trouble and needs help." "That is true," answered Bob. "Let us go down to the bottom of the landslide." "But our gold?" demanded Maybe Dixon. "What of the rascals who took it?" "We can follow them up afterwards--if we can find the trail." "Supposing I hunt for the trail while you look for Si? It won't take all three of us to look for the boy." The others were willing, and soon Mark and Bob were on their way down the mountain, following the direction the slide had taken. The way was rough and uncertain. Trees often barred their progress, and they had to pick their way around loose rocks with care. "Take care that you don't take a tumble," cautioned the former sailor boy. "We can't afford it." A tree was in front of them and they were on the point of going around it when they heard a faint cry. There lay poor Si, caught fast between two heavy branches. "Oh, I was afraid you were all dead!" said the former farm lad. "Didn't the landslide cover you up?" "Yes, but we dug our way out," answered Mark. "Are you hurt?" "I think my shoulder is bruised, that is all. But the shock stunned me and I only came to my senses a little while ago. Can you get me out of this trap?" "To be sure we can," cried Bob, and he and Mark set to work immediately. It was no easy task, but was finally accomplished, much to Si's satisfaction. "By the way, I saw those Mexicans again," said Si, as he nursed his bruised shoulder. "I caught sight of 'em just before the landslide came. They were near the top of the mountain." "My gracious, I wonder if they started that landslide!" gasped Mark. "It would be nothing to wonder at," answered Bob. "They ought to be hanged for it if they did," put in Si. "Our gold is gone," explained Mark. "Somebody dug it up and made off with it." "Oh!" gasped the former farm boy, and a look of real agony crossed his face. "You don't mean it!"