nine o'clock at
night
The knowledge of having the skin map and the thought of the Cave of Gold to which it pointed the way , did not keep Thure and Bud from feeling this excitement , this wild desire to hurry , as their little company swung into line on the trail and rushed madly on with the rest . True the skin map and the gold nugget , still in the miner 's buckskin bag , hung , safely hidden , under the armpit of Thure 's left shoulder ; but the old miner himself had found the Cave of Gold , and , if he had found it , why might not some other man find it ? That was the disturbing thought that had troubled the two boys all along ; and now , when they began to realize how great was the flood of gold-seekers constantly pouring into the mining regions and how their keen eyes would be searching everywhere , their anxiety to get to their fathers as quickly as possible grew apace , until they were almost as eager to reach the mines as was Tim Perkins himself ; and , by a constant urging of their pack-horses , managed to keep their places with Jud Smith and his company . However , in spite of all their hurrying , it was after nine o'clock at night and dark before they reached the west bank of the Sacramento River opposite Sacramento City . Here they found a hundred wagons and many animals and men ahead of them , waiting to be ferried across the river ; and , to their very great disappointment , they were obliged to wait until the next morning before crossing over to Sacramento City . `` Well , we are within sight of Sacramento City anyhow , '' declared Thure , when Jud Smith returned from the ferry with the news that they would be obliged to camp on that side of the river for the night ; `` and , I reckon , it is just as well that we do n't cross over to-night . I 'll feel just a little better entering a town like that in the clear light of day , '' and his eyes looked in astonishment and wonder across the dark waters of the river to where the myriad lights of Sacramento City shone along the opposite bank .