said, "and
he saved both our lives, for we were starving."

Abe grunted.

"You shouldn't have kept it so dark, lad. We ain't bad fellows, we
diggers, though we are a rough lot, and no one need starve in a mining
camp. But no doubt you had your reasons," he added, seeing the miner's
face blush up. "But what on arth made your mate stick to that thar hole?
Any one could have seen with half an eye that it wasn't a likely
place."

"He has a sort of belief in dreams, and he dreamt three times, as he
told me, of a stunted tree with gold underneath it. We have been to half
the mining camps in the country, and never had any luck; but directly he
came here he saw a tree standing just where our claim is, and he
declared it was the one he dreamt of. I told him then it didn't seem a
likely place to work, but he would have it that it was the tree, and
that there was gold under it. He was already weak and ill, and to please
him I set to work there. I may tell you, as I have told your friend,
that he is my father; there is no reason that there should be any
mystery about it, and my only reason for wishing that it should not be
generally known is that he had a sort of fancy against it."

"I guessed as much, young man," Abe said, "when I saw you working
together three weeks ago. A young man don't tie himself to an old
partner who ain't no more good than a child at work unless there's some
reason for it, and there's many a father and son, aye, and a father and
four or five sons, working together in every mining camp here. Still, if
the old man has a fancy agin it we will say nought on the subject. So he
dreamt three times of the tree, did he? Well, then, I don't blame him
for sticking to the claim; I don't suppose there are a dozen miners in
this camp who wouldn't have done the same. I believes there's something
in dreams myself; most of us do. And he recognised the tree directly,
you say? Wall, it's time for my mate and I to be off to work, but this
evening I will walk round and have a look at your claim; thar may be
somewhat in it, arter all."

"You don't really believe in dreams, Abe?" Frank said, as they walked
off together.

"I think thar's something in 'em," Abe said. "I have heard many a queer
story about dreams, and I reckon thar ain't many men as has lived out
all thar lives in the plains as doubts thar's something in 'em. The
Injins believe in 'em, and, though they ain't got no books to larn 'em,
the Injins ain't fools