“No, but he tried to. Well, how did you come out?”
“At the little end of the horn. Silverthorn was off with my money, and I had nothing to show for it. I’d just like to get hold of him. He wouldn’t look quite so much like an innocent lamb when I got through with him.”
“I’ll hunt him up when I get a little money,” went on Stockton. “I’ve met scoundrels before, but he’ll take the cake.”
“Or anything else he can lay hands on,” said Grant, with a laugh.
They walked over to the mining-camp, put Stockton into possession of the claims, and introduced him to a miner, who agreed to sell him a cradle on instalments.
“Now, Grant,” said Tom, “we’ll go to bed, for we may have a long walk before us to-morrow.”
Full of hope, Grant and Tom arrived at the cabin of the old man who had promised them his claim.
“How are you feeling this morning?” inquired Grant, when they were admitted.
“Rather stiff, but better than yesterday. Is this your friend?”
“It’s a good face,” he said. “You can trust him.”
“You have come to ask me to keep my promise.”
“Yes. Your offer was a very kind one. On the strength of it we have given our claims at Howe’s Gulch to a stranger, who came to our cabin last night penniless.”
“Then I shall be helping him, too. Are you ready to go to work at once?”
“The place where I made my pile is fifteen miles away. Are you good for a long walk?”
“I will try to keep up with you,” said Tom Cooper, smiling.
“My claim was on a creek at the base of a hill, about a mile from a village called Eldora. In the pocket of yonder coat I have drawn, roughly, a plan of the place, which will be a sufficient guide.”
“If we start now, Grant, we can get there before night.”
“Can’t we do anything for you before we go, sir?”
“No, thank you. One thing, however, I will ask. In a month, let me know how you are getting along. I look upon you as my successors. I hope you may be as fortunate as I was.”
The two friends set out with stout hearts, in excellent spirits. The walk was long and fatiguing, but there is nothing like hope to sweeten toil. About midway they sat down under a tree, and ate, with hearty appetite, the lunch they had taken the precaution to carry with them.
“I wish there was more,” said Grant wistfully.