George Inwood’s experience had taught him the value of money in this world’s affairs, and he was resolutely determined to resist to the bitter end any encroachments upon their rights. There are some things more valuable than gold, but they are few, and it cannot be wondered that a man should feel some reluctance at parting with it. Jim verified the boast that he made; for on the morrow he began work so soon as it was bright, and toiled with scarcely any intermission until nightfall, his net proceeds fully doubling those of the day before. Inwood, by this time, had managed to arrange a contrivance with the poles which materially assisted him. One of these being sharp-pointed, he was enabled to wrench off goodly-sized nuggets, while with another arrangement, he was able to grapple and bring them to the surface. Still a third had a pan fastened to the end, by means of which he scooped up a large mass of sand, all flecked with gleaming points, and abounding with riches. Edwin Inwood’s principal occupation, aside from attending to the animals, was to wander through the surrounding woods on the lookout for white men, who, as will be easily understood, were more dreaded than anything else. On one occasion, he discovered a party of five miners encamped within a mile. He instantly made all haste back, and acquainted his friends with the startling fact. Labor was suspended at once, the gold carefully concealed, and all three set themselves on the watch. The miners were prospecting, and were ignorant of the Enchanted Island and its history. They lingered for several days in the vicinity, and then, to the great relief of the Inwoods and Jim, they took their departure. Week after week passed away, and still the little party toiled as unceasingly as ever; but when a month had come and gone, they saw that the supply was giving out. Still, as all of us would have done under the circumstances, they kept to work as long as there was anything like a reward to be obtained for their labor. But the end finally came, and they stopped work, and took an account of stock. As nearly as George Inwood could calculate, they were the owners of something less than a hundred thousand dollars--all of it in _gold coin_. They certainly had reason to be satisfied with this, and all were, with the exception of Jim, who, of course, growled about it, and proposed that they should hunt up some more “Enchanted Islands” before going home; but then, had another proposed the same thing, he would have vehemently opposed it. All the gold they could conveniently carry was distributed about their persons, and the rest was concealed among the saddles on the backs of their animals. The old mule was not honored with a particle, but carried the luggage and personal baggage. All being ready the little party turned their faces toward San Francisco, and on a bright summer morning started homeward. CHAPTER XIV.