ull of gold."

At this moment a rough-looking fellow stepped forward and said
heartily:

"Isn't this Charles Folsom?"

"Yes," answered Folsom, puzzled.

"You don't remember me?" said the other, laughing.

"Not I."

"Not remember Harry Carter, your old chum?"

"Good Heaven!" exclaimed Folsom, surveying anew the rough figure
before him. "You don't mean to say you are Harry Carter?"

"The same, at your service."

"What a transformation! Why, you used to be rather a swell and
now----"

"Now I look like a barbarian."

"Well, rather," said Folsom, laughing.

"You want me to explain? Such toggery as I used to wear would be the
height of folly at the mines."

"I hope you have had good luck," said Folsom.

"Pretty fair," said Carter, in a tone of satisfaction. "My pile has
reached five thousand dollars."

"And how long have you been at work?"

"A year. I was a bookkeeper in New York on a salary of fifteen
hundred dollars a year. I used to spend all my income--the more fool
I--till the last six months, when I laid by enough to bring me out
here."

"Then you have really bettered yourself?"

"I should say so. I could only save up five hundred dollars a year
at the best in New York. Here I have crowded ten years into one."

"In spite of your large outlay for clothes?"

"I see you will have your joke. Now, what brings you out here? Are
you going to the mines?"

"Presently, but not to dig. I came to survey the country."

"Let me do what I can for you."

"I will. First, what hotel shall I go to?"

"There is the Leidesdorff House, on California Street. I'll lead you
there."

"Thank you. Will you come, Joe?"

"Yes, I will go to find out where it is."

The three bent their steps to the hotel referred to. It was a shanty
compared with the magnificent hotels which now open their portals to
strangers, but the charge was ten dollars a day and the fare was of
the plainest.

"I guess I won't stop here," said Joe, "My money wouldn't keep me
here more than an hour or two."

"At any rate, Joe, you must dine with me," said Folsom. "Then you
may start out for yourself."

"You must dine with me, both of you," said Carter.

Folsom saw that he was in earnest, and accepted.

The dinner was plain but abundant, and all three did justice to it.
Joe did not know till afterward that the dinner cost five dollars
apiece.

After dinner the two friends sat down to talk over old times and
mutual frie