"We may as well start the hunt here, fellows," said Mr. Reed, taking out his watch. "I won't make any suggestions as to how to go about it; each tent-leader must think that out for himself. Use your heads, that's all, and don't get too far away to be back here at four-thirty sharp. It's taken us over an hour to make this point, so we ought to start back then at the latest. Remember, a little blazing will make the return trip easier, and if nobody finds anything to-day, we'll take it up later in the week. Go ahead."
The boys had been standing in little groups about him, and at the signal most of these started off hotfoot, as if they expected to gain their end by speed alone. Some hurried on toward the summit of the hill; others turned to right or left and, pushing through the undergrowth, disappeared along the side of the slope. Somewhat to Tompkins's surprise, Ranny Phelps dawdled along until the others were out of sight. Then, however, he turned swiftly and led the way almost directly downhill.
"What are you going back for?" asked Court Parker, in surprise.
"I've got a hunch," returned Ranny, briefly. Though instantly besieged with questions, he did not continue until they were well away from the clearing.
"It's just this," he said, without moderating his brisk pace. "We certainly can't expect to find something that even the natives have lost track of, by just tramping around aimlessly. Of course, we might happen to stumble on it, but that would be a thousand-to-one chance. The best way is to use system. Did any of you notice the old fellow who brought over a load of fish this morning?"
"The man with whiskers you were talking to at the cook-shack?" asked Frank Sanson.
"Yes. Well, he's lived around here all his life and is quite a character. I was asking him about this lost mine just out of curiosity and without having heard anything about the stunt this afternoon. He didn't know much, but he finally did say his grandfather had once told him of an old building they used as a smelter, or something."
"Gee!" exclaimed Sanson, excitedly. "And is this the way to it?"
"He hadn't any idea. He'd never seen it himself, and of course it must have gone to ruin ages ago. But it stands to reason, doesn't it, that a smelter would be more on the level and not on the side of a hill like this? They'd have to cart stuff to and from it along some kind of a road--"