pay the bill and the men for coming."

Bruce arrived in town some time after dark, but though very tired and
hungry he did not eat until he had started four good stout men after his
comrades, whom they met some nine or ten miles out. Poor Ben West could
go no further, for his foot was quite painful, and he and Lane both
waited and watched for relief, which came at last. It was almost
midnight when the relief party arrived. They brought a fine lunch and a
bottle of wine, which both enjoyed very much. After the lunch was eaten
all hands started for the town, where they arrived just as the day was
breaking. The frozen foot proved to be worse than at first supposed to
be. It would keep the owner an invalid for at least two weeks. Ben West
said: "Here is a pretty mess. My fortune just at my fingers' end and a
frozen foot tied up for half a month, when I have so much to do. Why did
I not take better care of myself?"

At this time Bruce came to see how Ben West was getting along. He found
him nervous and a little feverish. "Just be quiet," said Bruce, "it is
the best medicine you can have." After Ben West had paid Lane and Bruce
for their claim, Bruce said to West: "If you like I will go with another
man, that you may name, and work in your mine until you come to us. For
my pay I want fourteen dollars per day and I'll furnish my own grub."
The bargain was made. Bruce and the man started the next day, and just
sixteen days after Ben West was at his mine.

They had a large pile of pay dirt ready for a clean-up; it was
exceedingly rich and several claim buyers had heard about the rich mine
and were on the ground to buy it from West. After a great deal of talk
West said: "The mine is worth a million, but I want to get out of this
country, and the man that pays me five hundred and fifty thousand
dollars gets the mine."

An hour afterwards the agent for an English syndicate purchased the
mine. Ben West having now made his pile determined to lose no time in
getting back to Orangeville, but he intended to stay in San Francisco
till he was thoroughly recuperated before going home.

CHAPTER IX.

AN ARRIVAL.

George Combe has said, "Mankind love their young and take charge of them
with common accord, yet the love of offspring is much more intense in
the female than in the male, and this difference is manifested from
earliest infancy. The boy wants his whip, horse, drum, top or sword, but
observe the little girl occupied w