"No--he didn't say."

"I dare say it'll all come right in the end. At any rate, we shan't
starve for the next forty-eight hours."

So in better spirits the two companions kept on their way.




CHAPTER XXX

ON THE YUBA RIVER

On the following day Joe and his comrade fell in with a party of men
who, like themselves, were on their way to the Yuba River. They were
permitted to join them, and made an arrangement for a share of the
provisions. This removed all anxiety and insured their reaching
their destination without further adventure.

The banks of the Yuba presented a busy and picturesque appearance.
On the banks was a line of men roughly clad, earnestly engaged in
scooping out gravel and pouring it into a rough cradle, called a
rocker. This was rocked from side to side until the particles of
gold, if there were any, settled at the bottom and were picked out
and gathered into bags. At the present time there are improved
methods of separating gold from the earth, but the rocker is still
employed by Chinese miners.