As they approached Pat, he suddenly uttered a loud whoop, and danced a jig. His neighbors dropped their tools and rushed for him. "Sure, Oi'm rich!" cheered Pat. "There's gold in my pan! Hooray! Rich Oi am. Half o' yez can look at a time till yez all are done, an' the other halves kape away so yez won't carry off me gold on yez feet." Yes, in the bottom of Pat's pan was a trace of yellow, not to speak of a pebble about the size of a pea which he proclaimed to be gold also. Scarcely hearing the congratulations, Pat fell to work again. "Jiminy!" protested Terry. "We've got to stake out a claim somewhere, and have a mine ready for dad and George. Let's go clear up the gulch." Pat's success was encouraging, at least. But as up the gulch they went, the crowd was no thinner, and presently Harry stopped. "This pick and shovel weigh a ton," he said. "And so do my feet. I vote we knock off work, quit locating gold and try to locate supper. First thing we know it'll be dark and we can't find even Jenny and Shep." "W-well," agreed Terry. "And tomorrow we'll start out again early. Wish I knew just what kind of dirt had the gold in it." "That," quoth Harry, "evidently is the secret." Scarcely had they turned to retrace their steps when another call hailed them. Somebody was running for them, from the other side of the gulch. He was a slim, muddy figure, in boots and trousers much too large for him, with long hair flapping on his bared head. They paused and stared. "Aren't you the Pike's Peak Limited fellows?" panted the boy. "Why, Archie Smith! Hello, Archie!" "I thought it was you, but I wasn't sure." Archie was completely out of breath, and very red in his thin cheeks. He panted and coughed. "What are you doing? Prospecting? Have you struck anything? Do you want a claim?" "We're looking 'round. No, we haven't struck anything yet," they answered. "Have you? How long have you been here?" "Do you know of any good place to claim?" added Terry. "Yes. And you won't have to drive a stake! When did you get in? Where's your camp?" "Down yonder somewhere. We got in this morning." "Gee, but I'm glad to see you," panted Archie. "Hurrah! Let's go to your camp and move your stuff. What you got? The cart? Didn't buy a tent, did you?" "No. We came in with just the mule. Expect we'll fix up a bough hut till we strike it rich," explained Terry. "No, you needn't. You're to stay on my place. I've got a cabin and a stove and--and----" here Archie lowered his voice, "boys, I've struck it rich, myself! I've got the best claim in these diggin's!" "You have! How long have you been here?" "About two weeks. Come on and I'll tell you about it. Do you know anything about mining?" "No," they confessed, ruefully.