by no means reluctant to speak of his success.

"When I landed in Frisco," he said, "two years ago, I had just forty
dollars left after paying the expenses of my trip. I couldn't find
anything to do in the city, so I set out for the mines."

"Where did you go?" asked Luke, becoming interested.

"To Oreville. At least, that's what they call it now. Then it didn't
have a name."

"I hope you prospered," said Ernest.

"Well, not just at first, but luck came after a while. When I reached
the mines I was dead broke, and went to work for somebody else. After
a while I staked out a claim for myself. Well, I won't go into
particulars, but I've got six thousand dollars salted down with a
trust company in Frisco, and I've got a few hundred dollars about my
clothes besides."

"That's the place for us, Ernest," said Luke.

"So I think," answered Ernest.

"Do you want to go to the mines?" asked the miner.

"Yes; we have our fortunes to make, and are willing to work."

"Then go out to Oreville with me. Have you got any money?"

"We have enough to get there, and perhaps a little over."

"That will do. I'll set you to work on one of my claims. We will share
and share alike. How will that suit you?"

"It seems fair. Do you think we can make enough to live upon?"

"That depends partly on yourselves and partly upon luck. Luck has
something to do with it."

"At any rate, we are willing to work," said Ernest.

"Then I'm your friend, and will help you," said the miner heartily.
"Tom Ashton never goes back on his friends."

This was very encouraging. Luke and Ernest were not dead broke, but
were near it. They had less than forty dollars between them, and they
had already found out that living was high in California. They
remained but a day in San Francisco, and then started for Oreville
with Mr. Ashton.

The two friends knew nothing of mining, but as practised in those
early days it took very little time to learn. They found that their
new friend was a man of consideration at Oreville. He owned several
claims, and had no difficulty in finding them employment. They set to
work at once, for they were almost penniless.

It may be easily supposed that the miners were not fastidious about
living. The cabins or huts which they occupied were primitive to the
last degree. Generally they did their own cooking, such as it was.
Three of these cabins Tom Ashton owned, and one was assigned to the
use of Ernest and his friend.

For