Terry felt a sinking of the heart. Harry also seemed to sober. "What gold is it that's been sent out of there, then?" he asked. "Californy gold! Fetched through from Californy. Never was taken out of that Pike's Peak country at all. Californy gold, used to fool the people with, back in the States." "But my father brought home two hundred dollars in gold, and he found it there somewhere, himself--near Pike's Peak," argued Terry, with sudden thought. "We've already got a mine!" "He did, did he? Waal, if he did he was lucky, and he was luckier to get out with it. Thar may be a little gold--thar's gold to be washed from 'most any mountain stream, but you can't eat gold. Yon country's a freezin' country and a starvation country and an Injun country, fit for neither civilized man nor beast. The government'll need to step in and forbid people goin' to it. The hull of it ain't wuth an east Kansas acre." "All right. Much obliged," said Harry. "So long." "Goin' on?" "We'll try a piece farther," said Harry. "How's the trail ahead? Did you see any stage line stakes?" "Stage line stakes! What you dreamin' of? That stage idee is another hoax. You'll find that out, together with a few other things. But if you're _set_ on bein' a pair of young fools, _go_ on. We haven't more time to waste with you." And forthwith the party spurred on its eastward way. "Look out for Injuns," called one, over his shoulder. "Humph!" mused Harry. "Doesn't sound very encouraging, but we can't believe everything we hear, for and against, both. If we did, we'd never know _what_ to do. A fellow has to act on his own hook, sometimes, until he can judge by his own experience, where he can't depend on the experience of others. That party may have secret reasons for talking so." He eyed Terry. "Shall we go on, clear through? I don't think a few discouragements will turn the wheel-barrow man back." "I don't, either!" declared Terry, bracing. "Let's go on." "Duke! Jenny! Hep with you!" responded Harry. "Hurrah for the Pike's Peak Limited, and maybe the Lightning Express, too! But no German with a wife and six girls and a feather bed shall beat this outfit. We're liable to come on a stake, any time. And the next will be only a few miles, and the next another few miles, and at that rate we'll hit the Republican River smack." But to Terry, surveying the monotonous, empty landscape, single stakes planted maybe days' journeys apart seemed rather small landmarks. In mid-afternoon they did indeed overtake the "Litening Express." It was halted beside a small, stagnant water-hole, as if making early camp. The wife and the six girls were sitting around, in disconsolate manner, and the German himself was soaking his naked feet in the water. "What's the matter here?" hailed the cheerful Harry. "Broken down? You're pointing the wrong way." For that was so. The one wagon track beyond had doubled, and the wagon, from which the team had been unspanned, was heading east instead of west.