Whether the Indians followed up their trail the peril finders never
knew, for they saw no more of that tribe, and wandered on for days in
safety, passing into a new tract of country which Griggs hailed with
delight.
"It's not goldy land," he said, pointing, "but a place where we can do a
deal of hunting and lay up stores--dried meat for stock--before we enter
the mountains yonder."
"Why do you say that?" asked Ned. "Because of those old bleached
bones?"
"Yes: buffalo. That means going on for months. Once we hit upon the
tail-end of a drove we can hang on to them as long as we like, and head
them in towards the mountains and forest-land yonder. There's a peak
there that looks very like the one we want to find."
But the weeks went on, during which the bison-drove was found, and
supplied the party with all the meat they needed, and sport besides, at
the long gaunt wolves always on the lookout for the weakly calves.
There was sport too with the bears, and a narrow escape for the doctor
from a grizzly which overtook and clawed him from his pony's back, the
end seeming very near. But Chris Lee's rifle-bullet was quicker than
the huge bear, whose skin when sun-dried, became the doctor's bed by
night when it was hot, his cover when it was cold.
Then the great peak, reached at last, gave the adventurers a wondrous
view all round, but not of the golden city, which always seemed to be
farther off, while none of the peaks they found accorded with the old
prospector's map.
But as the time glided on adventures were always at hand. Another
strange rock city was discovered, evidently inhabited at a later date,
for here the old dwellers' domestic implements were plentiful in the
cell-like homes cut in the terraces of cliff or canon. Great earthen
handmade pots that had evidently held some kind of grain, flint-heads
for arrows, and those of larger size which might have been used for
spears.
And so the journeying went on, with times when Indians surprised the
party and were driven off, while others again that were found by a
rushing river proved friendly and willing to show the strange white
people how it was possible to get mule-loads of a kind of salmon in a
day from the rushing waters for present eating, and for splitting open
and drying in the sun.
Then bison again--another salmon-river--a narrow escape from a horrible
death by thirst once more--encounters with rattlesnakes--the discovery
in a great open plain of the cause of a distant roaring sound like
water, just at a time when it was once more wanted most. And there it
was where they could look down, Tantalus-like, from the brink of a vast
crack in the level plain and see a vast river foaming along half-a-mile
below them, never to be reached.
And then a year had passed, and the second began, as full of adventure
and excitement as ever. But by this time, while still pursuing the
phantom gold, they had learned by experience the value of keeping near
salmon-river and verdant rolling plain where bison were still plentiful,
and the adventurers' larder was always well supplied.
They led the life of the Indians of the plain, save that the finding of
the golden city and temple was always kept in mind.
Twice over Griggs declared that though they had not found it they had
discovered the high-road which led directly there. It was a watery way
between perpendicular cliffs, and the place had been hailed for its
promise of salmon, which they shot and speared as they glided in shoals
over the yellow sands.
It was after scooping a wounded fish from the swift waters that Chris
afterwards took the tin hanging from his belt and stood knee-deep to
fill the vessel with the clear cold water fresh from the mountains.
"Hand me a tinful," cried Ned, who stood aloof so as not to wet his
buffalo-skin boots.
It was boy-like. Chris filled the tin, and giving Griggs a merry look,
scooped it half full of sand as well.
"I say, it feels precious heavy," cried Ned, as he raised it to his
lips. "Yah!" he shouted, and he was about to toss the contents back
over the giver, but Griggs caught him by the arm.
"I'll drink that," he said; "I'm not afraid of a little sand."
He drank till the sand touched his lips, and then held it in the
sunshine, looking into the tin, stooped and refilled it, and rinsed it
round, to pour away a mixture of sand and water, refilled again, and
repeated and repeated till nearly all the sand had gone; and then he
held out the cup in triumph, for the others to see a few glistening
pieces of yellow metal about as big as small, smooth, flattened shot.
"Gold!" he cried. "Now then, all we have to do is to follow up this
river into the mountains. The golden city is there."
And they followed that river for weeks, living upon the salmon, and
washing for gold from time to time, and rarely without finding a few
tiny nuggets, while the river grew more narrow, more rugged, more
difficult of access, and drove them at last into cutting off curves and
windings in the vast plain through which it flowed.
But the golden city was not there, nor anywhere else in their
wanderings, which at last from sheer necessity in the way of supplies
drew near an end.
But the journey was not yet over, for, to the surprise of all, they
dropped one day upon a large settlement, with stores and all the
necessaries required by civilised man.
Here they rested and recouped for a month, exciting no surprise, for
prospectors were common objects there. Neither did their departure,
after they had purchased all they needed, excite remark, for men came
from the mountains to buy powder and blankets, and wandered off again in
parties, generally with mules to bear their loads.
It was like getting out of prison to be far away in the wilds again, the
boys said; and then the search went on week after week, month after
month, always in vain; but despair and disappointment never cast a
shadow over their little camp, for it was a delightful, healthy,
exciting life, with every day bringing something new, and the golden
city appearing generally in the distance after their most tiring days,
when they had eaten, drunk of the crystal waters, and rolled themselves
in their blankets to sleep.
It was then that the golden city came, bright and tempting, the visions
of their dreams always luring them on when they rose refreshed by their
rest in the clear air of the mountain or the plain.
"Oh, we're going to do it yet," Griggs would say merrily; and then they
tramped to rest their ponies, and galloped when there was game afoot,
and the time went on--and on--and on.