The box was filled with gravel and water. The water ran out of the lower end, carrying most of the dirt and gravel with it. The gold, being heavier, settled to the bottom, and was prevented from flowing away by the cleats. After about two hours of this work or "rocking," so called because the cradle is rocked from side to side, Gabe gathered from the box nearly a handful of pure gold grains. "There! What do you think of that?" exclaimed Jed. "Have we struck a bonanza or not?" "I can't tell yet," replied Mr. Harrison cautiously. "It may peter out any minute, but it's good so far." The miner's fears were realized. As the day wore on the result of the various "clean-ups" was less and less, until, after the cradle had been filled several times, the result was only a mere pinch of gold. "Let's dig over a wider space," suggested Jed. "No," said the miner, "it's just as I thought, there was only a small deposit of gold there, and we've cleaned it up." "Then there isn't any use in staying here?" "Not unless we can find another deposit." They hunted for it without success, remaining for several days in the place of their first strike. Then the miner decided they should continue on up into the mountains. "The gold is above us," he said. "We've got to climb up to it." They broke camp, packed their supplies on the backs of the horses, and started forward. "Well, we made some money, anyhow," said Jed. "Our first attempt wasn't so bad." "Yes, we cleaned up a few hundred dollars," admitted Gabe, "but that's hardly enough to pay our expenses for the time we spent. We'll have to have better luck than that, and I believe we will." "I wish we could send word to dad," added Will. "Better wait until we make a real strike," suggested Mr. Harrison. "No use raising false hopes." They journeyed on for several days in a lonely part of the mountain, meeting no one. They had some luck, but not much, and the boys began to fear they would never reach a place where they could make a permanent camp, and dig gold in quantities sufficient to make it pay. But Gabe was not discouraged. He was too old a hand at the game of gold hunting. "Boys," said the old miner one morning, as they were preparing to break camp, and travel on, "suppose you stay here for a few hours? I want to take a little side trip, and as it's rather dangerous I'd rather you'd stay here. I want to go up that mountain," pointing to one, off to one side, "and see if I can't see some new signs. I'll be back in a little while, so wait here for me." Removing the pack from his horse, and with only his rifle, pick and pan, the old miner set off. The boys, for want of something better to do, dug up some gravel and washed it in their pans, but with no success. It served, however, to pass the time. "Say, don't you think it's about time Gabe came back?" asked Will, as he looked up at the sun, and noted it was nearly noon.