"Bob, the gold has been there for centuries and it isn't likely to melt
away while we eat supper!" declared practical Eleanor, following Anne
to the opening of the cave.
As they went to the place where Anne had spread the supper, Polly told
them of the magnificent sight when they crept out of the dark hole and
saw the glimmering of the gold. Over and over, the two girls had to
tell minutest details of the cavern, Barbara sighing, frequently, to
think she was not small enough to crawl in and see for herself.
While the two adventurers washed their faces and hands with melted
snow, Anne fried the fish over some red-hot embers scraped out of the
fire. This done, they sat down to eat.
As they ate, they talked continually of their mine not so far from the
festive board.
"Well, Polly, you surely were born with a silver spoon in your mouth!"
sighed Anne, smilingly.
"What makes you say that?"
"You can see for yourself, can't you? First you fall into a family that
owns no end of wealth in jeweled cliffs, and now you fall into a gold
mine," replied Anne.
"But Nolla owns half of this mine, and I'm not so sure but you and Bob
come in for your share!"
The other girls stared at Polly's generosity, as they had never thought
of holding any interest in the mine.
"Anyway, nobody owns it yet! It legally belongs to the first one who
files a claim, so what we must do is to hurry back to Oak Creek and
register the mine," said Barbara, businesslike.
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