CHAPTER XXXIV. 



BEARS AND KANGAROOS. 



'HE gold mine in the mountains what of that?" asked Mr. 

 Godkin, who, like the boys, was much interested in the 

 story of the Texan. The latter uttered a sniff of disgust 

 "I've no doubt it is there just where the chap said 

 it was." 



"Why, then, didn't you find it? or, perhaps, you 

 did, and you are a disguised millionaire," remarked Bob 

 Marshall. 



"Remember," added Dick, with mock eagerness, "that 

 we are your friends, and will stand by you as long as the 

 money lasts." 



" DC you know," said Jack Harvey, looking up almost angrily, " what that con- 

 founded Old Ephraim did?" 

 " Re got away from you." 

 "Worse than that." 

 "What was it?" 



" He made me lose the paper that had the directions to the gold mine. Some- 

 how or other, it got out of my pocket during the circus in the water, and I never 

 laid eyes on it again. Bill and me spent all next day in searching 'round the spot, 

 and then made up our mind that Old Ephraim found it and chawed it up on purpose." 

 " I should have thought you would have remembered everything on it from read- 

 ing it so often." 



"That's what we both thought; but, when Bill studied it, he must have held it 

 upside down, or else I did, for our recollection didn't agree very well. Neither Bill 

 nor me was much of a scholar, and I suppose the truth of it was we got things 

 mixed. Bu. it's sure that, though we spent weeks in the mountains, we never 

 found any place that answered the description of the miner, and we come back to 

 'Frisco the worst-looking tramps you ever laid eyes on." 



" It seems to me," said Bob, " that the bear is one of the most widely distributed 

 of animals." 



"Yes," replied the director, "he is found in many different parts of the world, 

 and you know we have several varieties in our own country, besides Old Ephraim 

 that Jack has just told us about." 



"Bob and I have hunted the black and brown bear," said Dick, "and there are 

 few sportsmen in the Eastern States who cannot tell you of some adventures with 

 them." 



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