As she sat beside the stump, she picked up a stick, and began poking in the earth at her feet. As she did so, there was a rumbling sound beneath her, and the world seemed to be slipping from her. This was followed by a rush of earth and a clatter of stones, and Stella went down with it. She did not fall more than ten feet, however, before she stopped, a little shaken but unhurt. When she had recovered somewhat, she looked about her. Then she gave a little shriek of joy. It seemed as if she had fallen into a regular nest of pure gold, for the glittering grains were everywhere about her, on her clothes and in her hair. Suddenly she recalled everything. She had found the mother lode that the Indian girl had told of. Drawing her revolver, she fired three shots, the danger signal, and immediately it was answered by three shots, but from the side of the river she had just quitted. This surprised her, but in a moment she heard a shout. It was Ted. Evidently thinking that something might befall her, he had followed, and in a few moments she heard him splashing in the water. "Hello!" he cried. "Here I am, Ted," cried Stella, and in a moment she saw his face outlined above her in the opening of the hole. "How the deuce did you get there?" he asked. "Oh, I just dropped in to take a look around, and what do you think I found? I've found gold by the bushel. Ted, this is the mother lode." Ben, Carl, and Clay were with Ted, and soon Bud and Kit, who had heard the shots, came hurrying back. When they heard what had happened they were much surprised. "But this cannot be the place. Where is the sycamore tree Singing Bird said was a landmark?" said Ted. They had pulled Stella out of the hole, and now she pointed to the big, old stump. "That is what's left of it," she said. "If I hadn't that hunch to sit down here, we wouldn't have found the mother lode in a blue moon." As they were speaking they heard a sound behind them, and turned to see Running Bear. He had crept up to them so silently that not one of them had heard him until he was a step away. "Ugh!" he grunted. "White boy go away. This my country." "Go to your grandmother," said Ted. "Where is Singing Bird?" "She in Running Bear wigwam. Mebbe so you like Singing Bird. You can have same go away." "What, and leave you in possession of all this gold? Not likely." "Then Running Bear make you. Hate white boy. Not make play this time." Before Ted was aware of his intention, the Indian had sprung upon him from the side. He was immensely powerful, and forced Ted backward toward the edge of the pit, evidently with the intention of breaking his neck by the fall. But Ted managed to get a good hold at last, and forced him back gradually. Then Running Bear came at him with greater strength, and again they wrestled perilously near the edge of the pit.