This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1897 Excerpt: ... with wonder at the bit of ore which told so much. "But you are not going to search for the mine itself, are you?" he added presently. "It does not concern us.' "It concerns us to have something genuine to show for our prospecting, and something astonishing too. Gold has never, I think, been found before in these Haytian mountains. Consequently, this is an immensely interesting find; and you must bear with me while I follow it up." "Will it be of value--to you?" "To me--no, nor probably to any one else. But you don't consider scientific curiosity. I must find where this float has come from." Further remonstrance would have been both useless and ungracious. The boy sighed--partly from weariness, partly from longing to turn his face towards Millefleurs--but made no remark; and followed the toilsome ascent of the gorge, when the speaker, returning the pick to Gilbert, went on. It was perhaps unfortunate, at least De Marsillac thought so, that Atherton's interest was stimulated by finding other bits of float, as they followed the stream, which led them with every step higher as well as deeper among the hills; for the spirit of a prospector was now thoroughly aroused in him, and none the less because cupidity lent no zest to it. The find could be, as he had already remarked, of no value to him; nevertheless, his interest was intensely excited in tracing out this secret of Nature, which, hidden from the eyes of other men for centuries, was now revealed to his. So on, still on they went, Atherton growing more absorbed as the scent, in hunting phrase, grew warmer; and De Marsillac more fatigued from the double labor of forcing a way through the undergrowth and of climbing, for they were now ascending the mountain which h...