
In a sun‑parched valley where the crops are withering and the mortgage looms, the Crosby family fights to keep their modest farm afloat. Father Enos watches the sky for any sign of rain while his wife Debby and daughter Nettie try to steady the household’s nerves. The two boys, Jed and Will, each carry a different temperament—Jed’s optimism and Will’s thoughtful caution—but both share a restless yearning for a better future.
When whispers of gold glittering in the distant mountains reach the farm, the brothers see a chance to escape the relentless drought and debt. Their plan to become “two‑boy gold miners” promises adventure, danger, and the hope of striking it rich, yet the journey will test their resolve and family bonds. Listeners will be drawn into the brothers’ hopeful quest, feeling every step of their daring departure from the familiar fields toward an uncertain, glittering horizon.
Language
en
Duration
~3 hours (224K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2012-03-10
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

A house name used for brisk, adventure-filled boys’ books in the early 1900s, this byline gathered stories from several writers working for the Stratemeyer Syndicate. The result is a lively shelf of tales about school life, the outdoors, and young heroes finding their way.
View all books