"By the tree across the river, and by the bluffs, and the turn of the
river. Oh, I know it. You can't fool Indian on signs like that."
The boys were standing around listening eagerly, for this was the first
time they had heard of the "mother gold." Briefly Ted related the story
told by Singing Bird about the gold in the river, and how her father
found the mother lode.
"I'm fer gettin' thar as soon as we kin," said Bud Morgan. "Whenever I
smell gold I git tired o' ther smell o' cows."
"Looks good to me," said Ben.
"Me, too," said Kit, and the other boys raised a shout for the mother
lode and the excitement of finding gold.
"But the cattle?" asked Ted.
"We'll drive them down into this valley, where part of the force can
easily watch them, while the other part is engaged in the fascinating
sport of gold hunting. Me for the gold." Thus Stella delivered herself,
and that seemed to settle it.
Accordingly the cattle were driven down from the plain and into the
beautiful grassy valley, with the Missouri flowing at the foot of it.
Then they pitched their camp.
Singing Bird had gone into the woods on an exploring mission to find, if
she could, the grave in which her father had buried her mother the day
after the fight with the white miners, and had been gone an hour or
more, when she came hurrying back, trembling like an aspen.
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