"I cannot say that I am; but what induced you to----"
"I'm sick of this business," interrupted Nat, lengthening his legs with a spiteful jerk, and looking disgustedly into the fire.
"What has come over you?" I asked, half-amused at his manner.
"How can I help it, I should like to know? She's gone sure, and there's that overcoat, that cost me four dollars and a half in Lubec; and Alminy made a big pocket in it on purpose for me to fill full of gold chunks; and I should like to know how I am going to do it, when a Greaser has got it."
"I am afraid that that would not be the only difficulty you would be likely to experience, Nat, in getting it filled."
"And my jack-knife was in the coat-pocket, I declare!" exclaimed he, suddenly starting up and pinching alternately one pocket and then another. "Yes, sir, that's gone, too; that's worse than all the rest," he added, despairingly, falling upon his elbow, and gazing abstractedly into the fire.
"That's a trifling loss, surely, as you have your hunting-knife."
"I've a good notion to get up and go back now," he added, not heeding my remark. "I'm sick of this business. It's bad enough to lose the mare, but when the knife is gone I can't stand it."
I knew this was but a momentary despondency with my friend, and for the sake of whiling away the time before sleep, I was inclined to humor it.
"But what will you do for that gold that you was going to buy Deacon Hunt's farm with for your Alminy?"
"Let her go without it," he answered, gruffly, without removing his gaze from the fire. "She can get along without it. I believe she only coaxed me to go off to Californy to get me out of the way, so that mean Bill Hawkins might take my place. If he does come any such game, he'll catch it when I get back."
I laughed deeply, but silently, as I witnessed his appearance at these remarks. It was so earnest and feeling, that it was impossible to resist its ludicrousness.
"Nat," said I, after a moment's thought, in which my mind had taken an altogether different channel, "I am free to own that I have little faith in our success in California. I left home in a flush of excitement, without considering the consequences of such a rash step, and they are now beginning to present themselves. I propose that we seek our fortune elsewhere. The fact that gold exists in California is now known all over the world, and we know there is not the remotest corner of her territory which is not swarming with hundreds who leave no means untried to amass their fortunes. I have no desire to wrangle and grope with them, and would much rather seek wealth elsewhere."