We now located some claims back in the flat where the ground would be thirty feet deep, and would have to be drifted.

These we managed to hold until winter, and in the meantime we worked along the river and could make something all the time.
We put in a flume between two falls on the Middle Fork, but made only wages, and I got my arm nearly broken, and had to work with one hand for nearly a month.
One afternoon I went crevicing up the river, and found a crevice at the water's edge about half an inch wide, and the next day we worked it out getting forty ounces, and many of the pieces were about an inch long and as large around as a pipe-stem.
Winter was now near by, and we set to work to build a cabin and lay in a stock of grub, which cost quite a good deal, for the self-raising flour which we bought was worth twenty cents a pound, and all kinds of hog meat fifty cents, with other supplies in proportion.

Our new claims now paid very well.

Snow came down to the depth of about four feet around our cabin, but as our work was under ground, we had a comfortable place all winter.
In the spring McCloud and I went to Sacramento and sold our chunks of gold (it was all very coarse) to Page, Bacon & Co.

who were themselves surprised at the coarseness of the whole lot.