The sound got quiet when the fuse burned down into the clay. I waited, and waited…

I saw a big brown hind end of what at first I thought was an elk, about 75 yards away. I was standing behind a large tree and stopped and peeked around the tree to see what it was.

The dredge and our gear, with us clinging on to the sides, bounced along until it got hung up on a large boulder in the middle of the river.

What are they? They are too hard to be lead, and are not tarnished like silver should be.

The temptation to enter the dark interiors beckoned to me before the day was finished but I resisted.

Midway into my first tank of gas I was beginning to see color in my sluicebox. Needless to say, I was excited.

Australians have told me that emus, being very curious, will pick up and swallow anything shiny or unusual. They say aborigines will kick and pick apart any emu poop they see to check them out for nuggets.