she was much fatigued.

"And won't you have a chunk o' venison, or cold 'possum, to make your
biscuit relish, miss?" asked the woman.

"No, I thank you," said Annie; "I don't feel much hungry to-night."

"Why, I reckoned you must be well-nigh starved, a ridin' all day long,
and nothing to lay your jaws to; but, howsomever, you know your own
wants best."

The woman went out, and soon returned with Annie's supper spread on a
pine board. Annie could hardly repress a smile at sight of the novel
tea-table. Her meal was quickly despatched, and she again signified her
wish to retire. It was a rough, dismal apartment into which she was
ushered, but, tired and jaded, she threw herself on the hard couch, and,
despite the trouble at her heart, slept soundly till morning.

On rising, her first thought was to examine her little stock of money,
and she found it amounted to only seventeen dollars and a half, out of
which she must pay her coach and tavern fare. It was evident that she
must seek some employment to assist in defraying her travelling
expenses. The question was, whether she should remain where she was, or
go on as far as her scanty means would carry her. She went out to make
some inquiries of the woman who had waited on her the night previous.

"Get some work to do, miss!" said she in a tone of surprise. "What can
you do? Can you cut fodder, or cradle rye, or catch 'possums?"

Annie smiled, and said, "No, but I can teach school, do sewing, or
housework."

"Wall, I don't know; you look a mighty fine lady to be asking for work;
but then it is none o' my business to be pryin' into other folks'
concerns. We are new settlers here, and have to get along as close as we
can. I don't reckon you'll find anybody rich enough to hire ye in these
diggins. You'll do better along further east, where folks are richer and
more 'fined."

Matters looked unpromising, and Annie concluded to follow the woman's
suggestion, and travel on as far as the small funds would carry her. But
in the two years she had been at the west, the facilities for travelling
had improved, and prices were also reduced, so that her little purse
carried her much further on her route than she had expected. When it
finally gave out, she with great joy found she was but fifty miles from
her destination, and with a courageous heart resolved to perform the
remainder of the journey on foot.

Accordingly, she set forward. The weather was fine, and she did not
doub