fluence of drink, he staked all that he had
in the world, except his clothes and tools, to a man named Gashford, who
was noted for his size, strength of body, and utter disregard of God and
man. As Brixton said, Gashford had cheated him at play, and this had
rendered the ruined man unusually savage.

The sun was down when the two friends entered their tent and began to
pull off their muddy boots, while a little man in a blue flannel shirt
and a brown wide-awake busied himself in the preparation of supper.

"What have you got for us to-night, Paddy?" asked Westly.

"Salt pork it is," said the little man, looking up with a most
expressive grin; "the best o' victuals when there's nothin' better.
Bein' in a luxurious frame o' mind when I was up at the store, I bought
a few split-pays for seasonin'; but it comes hard on a man to spind his
gould on sitch things when his luck's down. You've not done much
to-day, I see, by the looks of ye."

"Right, Paddy," said Tom Brixton, with a harsh laugh; "we've done
nothing--absolutely nothing. See, there is my day's work."

He pulled three small grains of gold, each about the size of a pea, from
his trousers pocket, and flung them contemptuously into a washing-pan at
his elbow.

"Sure, we won't make our fortins fast at that rate," said Paddy, or
Patrick Flinders.

"This won't help it much," said Westly, with a mingled smile and sigh,
as he added a small nugget and a little gold-dust to the pile.

"Ah! then, haven't I forgot the shuggar for the tay; but I've not got
far to go for to get it. Just kape stirrin' the pot, Mister Westly,
I'll be back in a minit."

"Tom," said Westly, when their comrade had gone out, "don't give way to
angry feelings. Do try, like a good fellow, to look at things in a
philosophical light, since you object to a religious one. Rightly or
wrongly, Gashford has won your gold. Well, take heart and dig away.
You know I have saved a considerable sum, the half of which is at your
service to--"

"Do you suppose," interrupted the other sharply, "that I will consent to
become a beggar?"

"No," replied Westly, "but there is no reason why you should not consent
to accept an offer when it is made to you by an old chum. Besides, I
offer the money on loan, the only condition being that you won't gamble
it away."

"Fred," returned Brixton, impressively, "I _must_ gamble with it if I
take it. I can no more give up gambling than I can give up drinking.
I