oldfields. Some
months after that we were surprised to see Old Peter and Muggins
wandering about the town like beggars. They had come in a small craft
from South America, and were very glad to join us. We were soon
persuaded by them to go to the goldfields, and were about to start when
we heard of this estate that had been left to a Mr Osten by his
brother. I made inquiries, found it was your father it was left to,
and, having heard from Muggins of your father's death, I wrote a letter
to let you know we were here, and to ask advice--which letter, by the
way, is about half seas over to England by this time, if all's well.
Then we agreed to come here, and prospect for gold all over the estate--
the which we have done, but without much luck as yet, I'm sorry to say."

"But you have not yet accounted for the appearance of Buckawanga?" said
Will.

"Oh, as to that, Muggins recognised him one day in the street. We found
he had come over from them rascally Cannibal Islands, in the service of
a missionary--"

"What!" exclaimed Will, dropping his knife and fork.

"The missionary, you know," said Captain Dall; "Mr Westwood, who--"

"Is he--is his _family_--in San Francisco?" asked Will, recovering
himself and pretending to be busy with his supper.

"Ay, he is on his way to England--waiting for a ship, I believe; but
Buckawanga prefers the goldfields, and so, has come with us, as you
see."

"Are the Westwoods well--_all_ of them?"

"So far as we know, they are. But in regard to the gold hereabouts--"

"Ay, that's the thing," said Larry, who had glanced at our hero with
twinkling eyes when reference was made to the Westwoods; "nothin' like
goold to warm the heart of a poor man an' gladden the eyes of a rich
wan. It's that same as'll interest the doctor most."

"Well," resumed the captain, "as I was about to say--"

"Didn't I hear you say something about going to San Francisco for fresh
supplies and more tools a few minutes ago?" asked Will, abruptly.

"You did; we are short of provender and hard up for tools. I meant to
start to-morrow, but now that you've come I'll delay--"

"We'll not delay an hour," cried Will, with unusual energy. "It will
never do to waste time here when people are making fortunes all round
us. The rest of the party can remain to prospect--but you and I,
captain, will start for San Francisco _to-morrow_!"

"Ho, ho!" said Larry to himself that night, as he smoked his pipe after
retiri