recovered.

The "Blind Lead" episode, as related, is presumably a tale of what might
have happened--a possibility rather than an actuality. It is vividly
true in atmosphere, however, and forms a strong and natural climax for
closing the mining episode, while the literary privilege warrants any
liberties he may have taken for art's sake.

In reality the close of his mining career was not sudden and spectacular;
it was a lingering close, a reluctant and gradual surrender. The "Josh"
letters to the Enterprise had awakened at least a measure of interest,
and Orion had not failed to identify their author when any promising
occasion offered; as a result certain tentative overtures had been made
for similar material. Orion eagerly communicated such chances, for the
money situation was becoming a desperate one. A letter from the Aurora
miner written near the end of July presents the situation very fully. An
extract or two will be sufficient:

My debts are greater than I thought for--I bought $25 worth of
clothing and sent $25 to Higbie, in the cement diggings. I owe
about $45 or $50, and have got about $45 in my pocket. But how in
the h--l I am going to live on something over $100 until October or
November is singular. The fact is, I must have something to do, and
that shortly, too.... Now write to the Sacramento Union folks, or
to Marsh, and tell them I'll write as many letters a week as they
want for $10 a week. My board must be paid. Tell them I have
corresponded with the N. Orleans Crescent and other papers--and the
Enterprise.

If they want letters from here--who'll run from morning till night
collecting material cheaper? I'll write a short letter twice a
week, for the present for the 'Age', for $5 per week. Now it has
been a long time since I couldn't make my own living, and it shall
be a long time before I loaf another year.

Nothing came of these possibilities, but about this time Barstow, of the
Enterprise, conferred with Joseph T. Goodman, editor and owner of the
paper, as to the advisability of adding the author of the "Josh" letters
to their local staff. Joe Goodman, who had as keen a literary perception
as any man that ever pitched a journalistic tent on the Pacific coast
(and there could be no higher praise than that), looked over the letters
and agreed with Barstow that the man who wrote them had "something in
him." Two of the sketches in particular