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Chapter XIV
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“That’sexactlywhatWessnersaidthatfirstday,”saidFreckleseagerly.“That’twasa’goldmine’!Hesaidhedidn’tknowwherethemarkedtreeswere,butheknewamanwhodid,andifIwouldholdoffandletthemgetthemarkedones,therewereadozentheycouldgetoutinafewdays.”
“Freckles!”criedMcLean.“Youdon’tmeanadozen!”
“That’swhathesaid,sir—adozen.Hesaidtheycouldn’ttellhowthegrainofallofthemwouldworkup,ofcourse,buttheywereallworthtakingout,andfiveorsixwererealgoldmines.Thismakesthreethey’vetried,sotheremustbeninemoremarked,andseveralofthemforbeingjustfine.”
“Well,IwishIknewwhichtheyare,”saidMcLean,“soIcouldgetthemoutfirst.”
“Ihavebeenthinking,”saidFreckles.“Ibelieveifyouwillleaveoneoftheguardsontheline—sayHall—thatIwillbeginontheswamp,atthenorthend,andlayitoffinsections,andtrytohuntoutthemarkedtrees.Isupposetheyareallmarkedsomethinglikethatfirstmapleonthelinewas.Wessnermentionedanothergoodonenotsofarfromthat.Hesaiditwasbestofall.I’dbehavingtheswelledheadifIcouldfindthat.Ofcourse,Idon’tknowathingaboutthetrees,butIcouldhuntforthemarks.Jackwassogoodatithecouldtellsomeofthembythebark,butallhewantedtotakethatwe’vefoundsofarhavejusthadadeepchipcutout,ratherlowdown,andwherethebusheswerethickoverit.IbelieveIcouldbefindingsomeofthem.”
“Goodhead!”saidMcLean.“Wewilldothat.
