"Then Gabe isn't here," said Will, quickly. "Looks that way," agreed Jed. "Something must have happened to him." "I'm afraid so. Still, the horses are all right. So are the packs on their backs. They may have broken loose right after we went to look for Gabe, and he may be hunting around for us. Anyhow, we can get something to eat. I'm nearly starved." There was food in the packs, and the boys made a hasty meal. They held a brief consultation, and decided they would walk along, leading the horses, as the trail was rough, and try to reach the camp, though they had no idea in which direction it lay. As they were about to start off, Jed, who picked up from the ground the end of the broken tether rope, uttered a cry of surprise. "What's the matter?" asked Will. "Look here. See what I've found!" He held out in his hand something of a dull yellow color. There was no need to say what it was. The boys knew the color of gold by this time. "It's a nugget! A big nugget!" whispered Will, for the discovery seemed to awe him. "Yes, and here's another, and a third!" exclaimed Jed, as he dropped the rope, and picked up from among the stones two more irregular chunks of the precious metal--the gold they had come so far to seek. CHAPTER XIX CON MORTON APPEARS For a moment the sudden discovery so surprised the boys that they could only stare at the golden nuggets. Jed was the first to recover his composure, yet he was still greatly excited. "Look around, Will," he directed. "There must be more of them. These haven't been dropped by some one, they must have cropped out from a regular bonanza. Feel how heavy they are! Oh, if Gabe was only here!" "I've found one!" cried Will. "Yes, and here's another! Hurrah! Jed, we're rich!" "Not yet, but we may be. Keep on looking. Wait, I'll tie the horses so they won't stray away, and we'll start to dig. Lucky we left the packs on the animals, or we wouldn't have anything now." It was the work of but a moment to fasten the patient steeds, that were only too glad to stay there and crop the rich grass. Then the boys resumed their hunt. The nuggets they had found were only partly imbedded in the earth. There was a quantity of gravel around them, and they appeared to have been washed into sight by the recent rain. "I've got another!" cried Jed joyfully. "It's the biggest yet! Oh, Will! What good news we'll have to send home to dad! He'll not have to worry about bad crops, and dry spells any more!" "That's right!" admitted Will. "Here's another, Jed!" The boys could hardly believe their good fortune. In a short time they had picked up eleven nuggets, of good size. The gold amounted to far more than that which they had washed out by hard work in their first diggings. "How much do you reckon it is?" asked Will.