Abel is good at making supplies last. Though the eggs go quick. We cut back on drinking so much coffee, determined to make the big sack last till spring. By the time we run low, the snow has gone, with everything warming. Dutch Flat comes alive as men return and new ones come in. Those who seek to get rich quick are never in short supply.
As planned, we move the rocker box upstream about a quarter mile. Again Abel manages to make the creek do the work of the third man. How good it feels to dig in fresh earth. I almost hate to scar the creekside as it’s pretty up there, but gold wins over pretty every time.
The new spot proves a good one. We not only dig up nuggets, we find them lodged in nooks and crannies and underneath little ledges. As the sun warms us, we splash into the water to dig
